The Jefferson Valley

In early August 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, traveling westward, came up the Jefferson River and passed through this area. The valley was an ancient travel corridor, and Lewis noted the presence of an old Indian road near the Big Hole River. As the expedition moved farther south up the Jefferson, the river became more treacherous, forcing the men to pull the canoes upriver with ropes while slipping on rocks and bruising their feet. By the time they reached this point, their feet were so badly swollen they could hardly walk. Captain Clark also struggled with a painful infected leg, and George Drouillard was injured in a fall down a steep bluff. The Corps was increasingly concerned with finding the Shoshone and obtaining badly needed horses. On August 4, they reached the forks of the Ruby and Beaverhead rivers, and after little debate Captain Lewis chose the Beaverhead River route and continued toward the main range of the Rocky Mountains. A week later they met the Shoshone about 50 miles south of here on the Red Rock River.

Montana · United States