Blair in Washington County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 26, 2014

1. The Lewis and Clark Expedition Marker

Upper right text: The United States purchased the Louisiana territory - more than 83,000 square miles - from France in 1803. President Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis (far left) to lead the expedition there.

With Jefferson’s permission Lewis asked his friend and former commanding officer, William Clark (left) to be co-leader. Although opposite in temperament, they worked harmoniously throughout the two-year journey.

Click on image to enlarge the map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s journey.

Inscription. In 1804-06, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led about 40 soldiers and boatmen on an epic journey. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned this “Corps of Discovery” to find a route to the Pacific Ocean through the newly acquired Louisiana territory. Along the way, they mapped the land and recorded its resources, and contacted its native inhabitants.

The landscape has changed since Lewis and Clark explored it: rivers have been dammed, forests cut over, prairies plowed under, and roads built to the horizon. Although remnants of wilderness still exist, imagine this land as Lewis and Clark first saw it two centuries ago.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #03 Thomas Jefferson, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition series lists.

Location. 41° 30.792′ N, 96° 2.199′ W. Marker is in Blair, Nebraska, in Washington County. Marker is on DeSoto Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Blair NE 68009, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies.

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

Up the Missouri (within shouting distance of this marker); Steamboat Bertrand (approx. 0.7 miles away); Lewis and Clark Campsite Area (approx. 2 miles away); DeSoto Townsite (approx. 2.2 miles away); Fort Atkinson (approx. 4 miles away); Lewis and Clark Campsite (approx. 4.2 miles away); The Death of Marshal Suverkrubbe (approx. 4.3 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Atkinson (approx. 4.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blair.

More about this marker. This marker is located in DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge at a riverside pullout off of DeSoto Avenue.

Also see . . . Lewis and Clark Expedition - britannica.com. On January 18, 1803, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson sent a secret message to Congress asking for $2,500 to send an officer and a dozen soldiers to explore the Missouri River, make diplomatic contact with Indians, expand the American fur trade, and locate the Northwest Passage (the much-sought-after hypothetical northwestern water route to the Pacific Ocean). (Submitted on September 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 26, 2014

2. The Lewis and Clark Expedition Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 514 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.