Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Wanted: Men To Labor

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 16, 2025

1. Wanted: Men To Labor Marker

Captions: (upper left) Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark recruited Expedition members who could stand many moths of a demanding journey.; (bottom right) Seaman, the only four-legged member of the Corps of Discovery, was Meriwether Lewis' dog. Seaman was a of the Newfoundland breed, known for its size, strength and swimming ability. He was a valued member of the Expedition, helping to hunt for aid game.

Inscription. "Several gentlemen's sons have applied to accompany us, but as they are not accustomed to labor, I am cautious in giving them any encouragement," Clark wrote to Lewis in 1803.

But this journey had no place for "gentlemen's sons," Instead, Lewis and Clark carefully selected a crew of soldiers and civilians, each chosen for his abilities as blacksmith, carpenter, hunter, tracker, boatman, woodcutter, gunsmith, or a combination of these. The youngest was 17 and the oldest was 35. York, who was Clark's slave, was of African descent. Three men hired as guides and interpreters were part Indian and part French.

Several months into the journey, Sacagawea, a young Shoshone woman, and her French husband joined the Expedition at a Mandan village in present-day North Dakota. She returned to her village on the way back. Their child also came on the journey and was the youngest member of the expedition.

At journey's end, the men who were hired by Lewis and Clark, and remained with the Expedition from the Mandan village to the Pacific Ocean and back, were paid a few hundred dollars and received land to farm.

Erected by National

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Park Service, City of Omaha, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration.

Location. 41° 16.227′ N, 95° 55.225′ W. Marker is in Omaha, Nebraska, in Douglas County. It can be reached from Gallup Drive near Aaron Ferer Plaza. This marker is located at Miller's Landing. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Omaha NE 68102, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hiring Local Experts (here, next to this marker); Fatigue and Danger (here, next to this marker); Time For Hunting Buffalo (within shouting distance of this marker); First Formal Exchange (within shouting distance

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 16, 2025

2. Wanted: Men To Labor Marker

of this marker); We Wish To Be Neighborly (within shouting distance of this marker); Explore the Route of Lewis & Clark (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); A River of Change (approx. 0.4 miles away); A River of Hope (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Omaha.

More about this marker. There is an audio component to this marker. Select a button and chose between "Listen to sections of letters that Meriwether Lewis wrote to the President about the trails of assembling a team of the right men" or "Sgt, Patrick Gass, the expeditions chief carpenter, wrote about the variety of skills put to use along way today is the Nebraska/Iowa border. Listen to what he had to say."

Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2025, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 30, 2025, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.