Lewis and Clark with Wallace W Hansen Native Plants of the Northwest

WALLACE W HANSEN

Native Plants of the Northwest

Native Plant Nursery & Gardens

2158 Bower Ct S.E., Salem, Oregon 97301 E-Mail: Wallace W Hansen
PHONE (503)581-2638 FAX(503)581-9957

Information about Wallace W Hansen Northwest Native Plant Nursery & Gardens: Business Information (Ordering, etc.)

Updated November 11, 2003

Wallace Hansen Celebrates Lewis and Clark's Bicentennial

Botanical Discoveries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

Collected in the Cascades of the Columbia, Oregon on November 1, 1805

One of our best-known and most-admired Northwest Native Trees, the Pacific Madrone is uniquely beautiful the whole year through. At time of Lewis' collection the Madrone was not in flower. Imagine the delight of Eastern gardeners when they first saw the Madrone's creamy white flowers!

We specialize in this hard to find native and provide healthy, thriving plants. See our online catalog for sizes and pricing.

Captain Lewis' note on the specimen he brought back from the Expedition:

"A middle sized tree with a remarkable smooth bark which falls off in the manner of the birch; red berries in clusters."

Heidi Hansen Watercolor

"Solace and Sustenance in the Winter Woods"

(Click on picture for large view)

At this time in 1804:

Captain Clark and the other men make good use of Northwest Native Trees (click on links below to see online catalog entries for these trees):

I rose very early and commenced raising the two ranges of huts. The timber large and heavy, all to carry on hand sticks (stout sticks used to carry a log) cottonwood, and elm, some ash, small. Our situation sandy. Great numbers of Indians pass to and from hunting. A camp of Mandans a few miles below us. Caught, within two days, 100 goats, by driving them in a strong pen, directed by a bush fence widening from the pen, &c. The greater part of this day cloudy, wind moderate from the N.W. I have the rheumatism very bad. Captain Lewis writing all day. We are told by our interpreter that four Assiniboine Indians have arrived at the camp of the Gros Ventres, and fifty lodges are coming.

Captain Clark, 5 November 1804

The Corp are treated to the heavenly phenomenon of Northern Lights. In the past few days we have been delighted with the same gift of nature. Many things (most things?) change but others do not. I feel a sense of wonder and awe to share this view with these early explorers.

Last night late we were awakened by the sergeant of the guard to see a northern light, which was light, but not red,and appeared to darken and sometimes nearly obscured, and open. Divided about 20 degrees above horizon-various shapes-considerable space. Many times appeared in light streaks, and at other times a great space light, and containing floating columns, which appeared to approach each other and retreat, leaving the lighter space at no time of the same appearance.

This morning I rose at daylight. The clouds to the north appeared black. At eight o'clock the wind began to blow hard from the N.W., and cold; and continued all day. Mr. Joe Gravelines, our Arikara interpreter, Paul Primaut, La Jeunesse, and two French boys who came with us, set out in a small pirogue, on their return to the Arikara nation and the Illinois. Mr. Gravelines has instructions to take on the Arikaras in the spring, &c. Continue to build the huts out of cotton [wood] timber, this being the only timber we have.

Captain Clark, 6 November 1804, Fort Mandan

*Current events:* SHARE THE JOURNEY: DISCOVER THE LANDS EXPLORED BY LEWIS AND CLARK When: Sunday, November 16, 1 to 4 p.m. Where: Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum Call now for free tickets! (402) 558-5034 Two hundred years ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an epic journey to explore the vast wilderness lands of the West -- a journey that captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of Americans. The good news is that this ultimate American adventure isn’t over yet. Pack up the family and experience your own Lewis & Clark adventure. Join us for a fun, family-friendly, and educational afternoon at Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum on Sunday, November 16th from 1 to 4 pm. Listen to great live music, hear Lewis & Clark experts speak, and watch the premier of the beautiful Sierra Club film Wild America: Protecting The Lands Explored By Lewis & Clark, narrated by Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek. "Wild America" traces the Corps of Discovery’s steps, and highlights the wild places and wildlife that remain today. This touching film examines the diverse landscape of the Lewis & Clark Trail through the eyes of many everyday community heroes -- conservation volunteers, Native Americans, hunters, a rancher, and a fisherman. The film offers solutions to environmental threats so that we may leave a priceless piece of natural heritage for the explorers of tomorrow. This dynamic event will also feature Odyssey West, a fun nationally acclaimed stage show that takes the audience on a powerful journey using song and story. "Odyssey West" brings the Lewis and Clark journey to life with original live music, narratives, and haunting visual images. Speakers will include Dr. Gary Moulton, a world-renowned Lewis and Clark author and scholar. Moulton is the editor of the 13-volume "Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition," for which he has won worldwide acclaim. This year, his one-volume abridged version of the journals was published and will be sold at the event. Moulton was a consultant on the PBS Ken Burns’ 1997 Lewis and Clark film, and was also an advisor for National Geographic’s IMAX film. Other distinguished speakers are Gerard Baker, the National Supervisor of the Lewis and Clark trail for the National Park Service, and U.S. Senator Ben Nelson, (D-Nebraska). Native American music and children’s art activities will also be featured.

Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Murals Exhibit, Vancouver, Washington At right is the newest addition to the art exhibit celebrating the bicentennials of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: *Walker in the Woods* This is a cumulative exhibit of art by Heidi D Hansen. Much more is planned for this exhibit at City Dog Wash at 18th and Main in the Uptown Village District. See www.nwplantsart.com for more details.

From the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Oregon website at http://www.lcbo.net/: July 13 - November 15, 2003: Reflecting On Lewis & Clark: Contemporary Native American Viewpoints, Maryhill Museum of Art. Curated by Pat Courtney Gold, Wasco Nation of the Warm Springs Confederated Tribes of Oregon, this exhibit features contemporary artwork by nationally recognized Native American artists who have created paintings, sculptures, and traditional artifacts that interpret and express their thoughts on the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-06. Reception on July 13 will include a solo flute performance by James Greeley (Hopi/Wasco) and traditional tribal dances by Native American dancers. Contact: Maryhill Museum of Art, (509) 773-3733.

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Location: 1726 Washington Street, Oregon City, OR 97045 (503) 657-9336 (503) 557-8590 End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Website staff@endoftheoregontrail.org Description: The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was built in 1995 on the former Donation Land Claim of the first elected governor of the Oregon Country, George Abernethy. A merchant and miller by trade, Abernethy had a vested interest in the continued growth of Oregon City, so he permitted newly arrived emigrants to park their wagons, graze their oxen, and set up camp on a meadow behind his house. That meadow came to be called Abernethy Green, and for many of the early Oregon Trail emigrants, it truly was the Trail's end.
Directions and/or Additional Information: The End the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is easy to find, as the geology and patterns of settlement within the Willamette Valley have dictated the routes of major roads from Indian footpaths to modern highways. The simplest way to reach the Interpretive Center is to take Interstate 205 to Exit 10, which is signed for Park Place, Molalla, and State Route 213, the Trail's End Highway. Once off the Interstate, turn right at the first stoplight. The Interpretive Center is about half a mile down the road. You literally can't miss "the Big Wagons" on your left at 1726 Washington Street. Alternative approaches are via State Routes 213, 99-E, and 43. The Interpretive Center is just off the end of SR 213 -- turn left at the last light before the Interstate. Taking 99-E or 43 gives you the option of cutting over to Washington Street on the surface streets if you're familiar with Oregon City, but it's easier to take northbound I-205 to Exit 10 from both roads. Here's a handy tip for those arriving on 99-E: the entrance ramp from 99-E is a continuous lane that becomes the exit ramp for SR 213, so you are spared from having to merge with the through traffic on the Interstate.

*Back Issues:* To see back issues of *Wallace Hansen Celebrates Lewis and Clark*, click on this link to jump to the index.
*Commemorative Painting by Heidi Hansen:* The illustrated map below was created by renowned botanical artist Heidi D. Hansen especially for this website. Done in ink and watercolors, Heidi shows many of the plants Captain Lewis documented overlaid atop a map showing a portion of the journey. (Click on image for large view). All the plants pictured are available from Wally Hansen! See our online catalog for more information.


Good luck and happy gardening! Wally