LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/20/1804

Chiefs from the Ruptare tribe spend the day at Fort Mandan. They are impressed with the fort's construction and enjoy the fresh meat. They report to the captains that the Teton Sioux are furious with the Arikaras for dealing with the Americans and making peace with the Mandans. The Sioux are planning to attack the Mandans this winter in retaliation.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/19/1804

The hunters return back to the fort after their 30 mile trek up the ice clogged Missouri River. The hunt was a great success with 32 deer, 12 elk, and 1 bison bagged. The meat is immediately stored in the fort's smoke house for preservation. British traders (Francois-Antoine Larocque and Charles McKenzie of the North West Company) arrive in camp from Canada.

Christmas is quickly approaching. Today we received our first shipment of Christmas trees from Michigan. The truck unloaded at Ted Drew's before us. THE GREAT QUALITY TREES THAT TED DREW'S ADVERTISES CAN BE FOUND AT GREENSCAPE GARDENS AT A BETTER PRICE! We also had the first shipment of wreathes, swags and some great tablepieces arrive today.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY!

3 out of 5 people, aren't the other 2
43% of all official stats....are totally worthless!

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/18/1804

Chief Black Cat of the Mandan tribe visits Lewis & Clark today. He questions the captains "word" about the corps providing guns and ammunition to the Mandan tribe because the British traders offered the same deal and did not follow through. Should they believe the white man?

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/17/1804

The men continue building the fort while Lewis & Clark meet with the Indians. The weather is turning colder with more ice floes clogging the Missouri River.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/16/1804

Once again the men are hard at work completing the fort before winter sets in. The men work late into the evening "clinking" cracks in the timbers to reduce the wind and draft.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/15/1804

Drouillrd and a boatman return on horseback from finding the six hunters sent down the Missouri River in a pirogue in early November. Their camp is 30 miles downriver. Drouillard returns back with orders to return as soon as possible. The meat from the hunting party is critical to the corps winter survival.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/14/1804

The corps is running out of fresh meat and must utilize their stored salt pork. They must ration their food supplies for the upcoming winter. More large ice floes are forming in the Missouri River. The construction of the fort continues.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 11/13/1804

Less than 2 weeks since stopping at the Fort Mandan site, the Missouri River is starting to freeze over. The fort is still incomplete but they now have facilities to store supplies from the keelboat and a meeting area to visit with the local Indians.