Lewis & Clark Memorial Bridge at Chamberlain

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their party camped at several points near this crossing. In September 1804, continuous rain had soaked their gear. They stopped near Ocoma, above the mouth of American Crow Creek, at a place they called Camp Pleasant. There, in warm and delightful weather, they rested, dried their equipment, and repacked their boats. While there, Captain Lewis hunted, killing a buffalo and a magpie, a bird not known in the eastern states. The men ate delicious plums and found an abundance of acorns from burr oak, upon which they feasted. Lewis explored American Island, noting a large perportion of seeder on it. The expedition returned to this area, homeward bound, in August 1806 after having journeyed into the unknown and immortality.

South Dakota · United States