The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-10-11
MANDAN

MAlNUAlN
Discovery Of the Site of Fort Mandan,
Winter Quarters Of Lewis and
Clark in Year l8O4-O5.
It is now 384 years ago since
the writer first arrival in what
1snow known as Mclean Coun-
ty, North dakota, and during
all these yearshave in common
with many others have been
specializing as to the exact site
OF Lewis and Clarkes winter
quarters of lo04-5 during their
memorable expedition up the
Missouri River to the Pacific
Ocean.
Having neither data or books
of record at hand on my first
advent, | attempted to get
Information from the oldest
native Indians through some
of the more intelligent of the
French Canadian traders who
resided amongst them, but was
never able to find anv of these
who remembered that partic-
ular body of white men. Even
as intellige ia man as Girard,
the last trader in charge of old
Fort Clarke had an idea that
the Lewis & Clark winter quar-
tiers was on the west bank of
the Missouri in the neighbor-
hood of Lake Mandan.
No progress in the inquiry
was made until a, friend then
living in Illinois (lS8l) for
warded me as a souvenir of our
life on the trap line, the Har-
per reprint of the 1914 edition
|of the original journals, of
the Lewis and Clark expedi-
ton, but in a somewhat abriv-
lated form.
In reading their journal we
find that there were then two
Mandan villages, one near the
present site of Deapolis p. o.,
and the other 2 miles further
upthe river. The Anahaways
and Gros Ventres were around
the mouth of Knife river.
The expedition had passed
beyond Knife river but not
finding good timber for boat
building and quarters returned
to the first Mandan village
From Lewis and Clarke's jour
nal the following notation con-
corning their hunt for and the
cation of winter quarters:
"Nov. L. s. !. In the evening WE
dropped down tn the lower village, where
Captain Lewis went On shore, and Cap
tain Clarke proceeded to a point OF wood
ON the north. side.
"NOv. 2.* y He therefore went up
to the village, where eleven bushels OF
corn were presented to him. In the
mean time Captain Clarke went down
with the boats three miles, and. having
found a good position where there was
plenty Of timber, encamped,. ami began
to fell trees tn build our huts.
"NOv. 4. Il We continued oul
labQurs: the timber which we employ is
large and heavy, and consists chiefly OF
cottonwood and elm,with some ash OF
an inferior size.
November 20. We this day moved in
to our huts, which are now complet
ed. This place, which we call Fort Man
dan, situated on a point Of low ground
ON the north side Of the Missouri
covered with tall and heavy cottonwood
fireworks consist Of two rows Of
huts or sheds, forming an angle where
they join each other; each row contain
ing four rooms. Of fourteen feet square
and seven feet high, with plank ceiling
and the roof slanting 81 as h form {
loft above the rooms, the highest par
Of which is eighteen feet from thu
ground. The backs Of the huts form
wall of that hight, and opposite thu
angle the place Of the wall il supplied
by picketing. In the area are two
rooms for stores and provisions. Til.
latitude, by observation, is 40 81 AZ
and the computed distance from thu
mouthe Of the Missouri sixteen hundred
miles.
In their journal they speak Of
1.-THE Indians coming down" to
the fort from their village, but
in the following item they GO
"down' from the fort to the
stone cliffs between