Great Falls, Montana

We've been in Great Falls for two days and three nights, after negotiating US 87 from Lewistown, about 106 miles east of GF. Our main reason for visiting here, aside from never having been here, is to visit the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. Quite a mouthful of a title!

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Missouri River and determine the most direct and practicable water route across the continent. Sounds simple enough, right? But at the time, the Louisiana Purchase had not been ratified by Congress, so Lewis had a custom keelboat built in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and floated it and a huge amount of supplies down the Ohio to the Mississippi. Meeting Captain William Clark there, they waited until the United States officially owned the Louisiana Purchase, then assembled a group of 44 men and additional supplies and set off. Lewis had an inventive and analytical mind, and had used this time of waiting to foresee almost every eventuality of the journey. Trade goods, extra clothing and shoes, a collapsible iron boat frame designed to be covered with animal hides, and even an air-powered rifle obtained from the armory in Harpers Ferry that could fire 40 rounds before reloading!

On May 14, 1804, the expedition set off under a 'gentle brease". Captain Clark, like so many 19th century writers, spelled words the way they sounded, with little concern for consistency. He managed to spell "Sioux" 27 ways, without ever spelling it S-I-O-U-X. Both Lewis and Clark were not totally unprepared for the coming mission, being frontiersmen and military men, but neither were prepared for a 28 month journey that would become the most universally known event of American exploration.

The Great Falls of the Missouri tested the company's skill and endurance as they had to portage boats and supplies around five separate falls. An exhibit in the Interpretive Center shows how that was accomplished. Lengths of Cottonwood trees were cut as wheels and carts were constructed to haul the dugout boats around the falls, some 18 miles overland.

With the help of many native american tribes, and making the best use of native indian guides, the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific in mid-November, 1805. Winter quarters were set up at the mouth of the Columbia River, with conditions deteriorating rapidly throughout the season. The Corps left for the return trip in March, 1806, reaching St. Louis on September 23, 1806, with a wealth of information about this huge new addition to the nation.

We also visited the falls along the Missouri while we were in town. This is Black Eagle Falls, or at least what's left of it. Named by the Corps of Discovery after a black eagle that nested in a large tree just above the falls as they traveled through.

 The Great Falls is now also being used to produce hydroelectric power. When it was first seen by Meriwether Lewis in June of 1805, it was just short of 97 feet high and produced a cloud of spray that looked "like a collum of smoke."

Downstream from the Great Falls, the water from the hydroelectric generators and the water from the dam overflow come back together in an awesome setting.

This is grain country. Whether wheat, barley, rye or other, there are thousands of acres of grain. We saw these two combines slowly making their way across the plain.

Our last stop was Rainbow Falls and Crooked Falls. This view downstream is of Crooked Falls. Not so impressive these days, but an impassable area of the river 200 years ago.

Rainbow Falls is but a trickle of its former glory. Of course, much is made of the electricity produced, but I couldn't help but long for the wild river of the old days!

 We're outta here tomorrow, with an overnight stop in the little town of Dillon, Montana, along I-15, heading south toward Idaho. So long, Great Falls!