Opening ceremonies for the Falls of the Ohio Bicentennial Commemoration
and National Signature Event will kickoff in Louisville, Kentucky, on
October 14, 2003. The kickoff will signal the start of events, spanning
a 2-week period, along both sides of the Ohio River. Activities will be
held at Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, during October
14-19, 2003, and in Clarksville/Falls of the Ohio State Park in Indiana
during October 21-26, 2003.

In addition to the National Signature Event, the National Park Service's
[Corps of Discovery
II](http://www.nps.gov/lecl/CorpsII/CII1pageinfo.htm)---a mobile exhibit
that includes the "Tent of Many Voices"---will be present during the
commemoration period. The numerous presentations, lectures, and live
performances scheduled for the "Tent of Many Voices" will take place at
Waterfront Park in Louisville during October 14-19 and at the Falls of
the Ohio State Park in Indiana during October 22-28.

> In the fall of 1803, Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of
> Discovery under the command of Meriwether Lewis. Besides seeking the
> Northwest Passage, Lewis was to map the new territory, assess its
> natural resources, and if possible, make contact with its inhabitants.
> Both Louisville and Clarksville were significant towns in the early
> stages of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as this is where the
> infamous "Corps of Discovery" unit was formed and much of the journey
> planning was done. The nucleus of the Corps of Discovery---recruited
> by William Clark in Louisville and Clarksville---became known as the
> "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," even though not all of them were from
> Kentucky. The initial planning of the expedition began on October 14,
> 1803, with the arrival of William Clark at the Falls of the Ohio.
> Lewis and Clark met at the Falls to recruit the men and plan the
> journey route West. The planning and recruiting spanned the next 12
> days, with Lewis, Clark, and the Corps of Discovery departing from
> Clarksville down the Ohio River on October 26, 1803.

During the week October 14-19, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
Kentucky District, will participate in the National Observance of the
200^th^ anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Several
activities and materials planned for the USGS exhibit include a
depiction of the USGS legacy of surveying our natural history 200 years
post the Lewis and Clark Expedition; displays of Lewis and Clark\'s
Expedition map route; a current USGS map of the route from St. Louis,
Missouri, to Ft. Clatsop, Oregon; old and current surveying and
scientific equipment used for map making, geology, and water resources;
a copy of the law establishing the USGS in 1879; USGS Water-Resources
Fact Sheets; satellite telemetry currently used by the USGS for
presenting real-time water, geologic, and natural resources conditions;
and water games and activities for children of all ages intended to
provide a better understanding of water resources. USGS staff will
provide live demonstrations of how Lewis and Clark made velocity
measurements with the instrumentation available in the 1800's as well as
demonstrate technology/methods used by the USGS today. Additionally,
presentations by USGS staff will be featured at the "Tent of Many
Voices."