In Their Footsteps

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Fort Clatsop, has announced the next In Their Footsteps free speaker series event. On November 20, at 1:00 p.m. Rex Ziak will present "No account of Capt. Lewis...I fear Some accident has taken place," the Untold (& unknown) Dramatic Story of Lewis and Clark's Search for a Winter Campsite near the Pacific.

Lewis and Clark’s arrival at Fort Clatsop contains one of the last remaining mysteries of their entire expedition. The events are so confusing that Lewis and Clark authors, from Bernard DeVoto to Stephen Ambrose, skipped over this history in their writings.

What we know for sure is this: on November 27, 1805 the Corps of Discovery paddled around the tip of Tongue Point and become stranded there. Ten days later, on December 7, they arrived at the site of Fort Clatsop. These mysterious days will be the topic of this presentation.

What happened during those ten days? Why such a long delay at Tongue Point? What was William Clark doing all that time, and where did Captain Lewis go? Did Clark think that Lewis had been ambushed by Indians or drowned? And is it true that Lewis had given up on camping near the ocean and was preparing to build a winter camp somewhere near the Cascades? Is it also true that the existence of Fort Clatsop can be attributed not to Lewis or Clark, but instead to the extraordinary efforts of just one individual? These questions and many more will be explored as this program retraces, day by day, this little known local Lewis and Clark history.

Three of Ziak’s books including In Full View are available from the Lewis & Clark National Park Association bookstore in the Fort Clatsop visitor center. There will be a book-signing at the bookstore following his presentation.

This monthly Sunday forum is sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the park. These programs are held in the Netul River Room of Fort Clatsop’s visitor center and are free of charge.

For more information, call the park at (503) 861-2471 or check out http://www.nps.gov/lewi or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on Facebook.