Fort Washakie in Fremont County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Sacajawea Cemetery
Fifteen year old Sacajawea accompanied her husband, fur trader Charbonneau, when he joined the Corps of Discovery in 1805. Throughout the 6,000 mile journey, her presence, with their infant son Jean Baptiste, was visible proof to other Indians that members of the Lewis and Clark expedition were not a war party. Captain Clark wrote, “The wife of Shabano, our interpreter, we find reconciles all the Indians, as to our friendly intentions. A woman with a party of men is a token of peace.”
The Eastern Shoshone believe Sacajawea is buried in the Wind River Mountains west of here, and Charbonneau’s second wife, Sacajawea’s sister, is buried in North Dakota. The tall granite headstone east of this sign is Sacajawea’s burial marker.
❶ Fort Mandan, March 17, 1803 French fur trader and interpreter Toussaint Charbonneau, his wife Sacajawea, and their infant son joined the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery. The expedition departed on April 7, 1905.
❷ Camp Fortunate, August 15, 1805 Sacajawea recognized the Shoshone Chief Cameahwait as her brother, whom she had not seen since childhood. “She jumped up, ran & embraced him, & threw her blanket over him and cried profusely.” Their reunion was a pivotal moment in the expedition. The Shoshones were now willing to trust the strange white explorers and traded them the horses they so desperately needed to complete their journey.
❸ Fort Clatsop (now the town of Astoria, Oregon) Sacajawea helped defuse tensions between the expedition and local tribes by trading her beautiful beaded belt to a Chinook chief. She later insisted on traveling with the men of the expedition to view a beached whale. (She recalled this sight the rest of her life, and often told stories of “the big fish” and the ocean waves that went on forever.)
❹ July 3 – August 12, 1806 When Lewis and Clark split up to explore different routes on the return trip, Sacajawea and her family stayed with Captain Clark’s group. She guided them over Bozeman Pass, to the Yellowstone River, and then on to rendezvous with Captain Lewis. When they met up with Lewis, he was recovering from a painful wound – he’d been accidentally shot through the butt by one of his own men!
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration • Women.
Location. 42° 59.573′ N, 108° 54.932′ W. Marker is in Fort Washakie, Wyoming, in Fremont County. Marker can be reached from Cemetery Lane near Trout Creek Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Washakie WY 82514, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sacajawea (here, next to this marker); The Right Rev. George Maxwell Randall, D.D. (within shouting distance of this marker); Mrs. Maggie Richards and Mrs. Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Sacajawea (about 300 feet away); The Shoshone-Episcopal Mission Boarding School (approx. half a mile away); Block House (approx. 1˝ miles away); Washakie (approx. 1˝ miles away); Fort Washakie World War II Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Washakie.
More about this marker. This marker is located in the Sacajawea Cemetery.
Additional keywords. Lewis and Clark Expedition
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 508 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 27, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.