Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Celebrating The Corps of Discovery Expedition Bicentennial

Originally Published January 23, 2003

The Expedition's Journey Continues:

The trip westward was long and hard but also eventful and exciting. Captains Lewis and Clark and the Corp met many folk of the tribes of Original People who inhabited the lands through which they passed.

We skip ahead to what is now Oregon and join the party at the village they built and named Fort Clatsop. As was usual, they met the native tribes with what was by now their well-developed ritual. This consisted of formal greeting to the tribal leaders and explaining that the land was now owned by the United States, bestowing peace medals with President Jefferson's image on one side and two hands clasping on the other side and some other gifts, usually trade goods. The Corp members then gave sort of a parade, marching and shooting their guns. We can only imagine what the bemused native peoples thought about these activities. Captain Clark's Journal:

The Clatsops, Chinooks, Tillamooks, etc., are very loquacious and inquisitive. They possess good memories and have repeated to us the names, capacities of the vessels, etc., of many traders and others who have visited the mouth of this river.

The Clatsop tribe enjoyed an idyllic life along the southern side of the Columbia River, living peacefully and well. The only Clatsop leader noted was Coboway, chief of one of the villages. He visited the expedition frequently and was welcome whenever he came by. He and his people aided the Corp in their winter preparations and told them where they might find elk and other game. Once the Clatsops told the Corp that a whale had washed ashore a bit to the south, a fine addition to their dwindling food supplies. Of this event:

This evening we finished curing the meat. No occurrence worthy of relation took place today. We have a plenty of elk beef for the present, and a little salt. Our houses dry and comfortable. Having made up our minds to stay until the first of April, everyone appears contented with his situation and his fare. Captain Clark, Fort Clatsop, 16 January 1806

During the winter of 1805-6, Captain Lewis wasted no time scouting around the area and collecting as many plant specimen as he could find. He spent many long hours describing each plant and where it grew, what he learned from the natives and sketching.

Today we enjoy this legacy in the plants which are all around us. He wrote about what became our Oregon state flower, the Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium), on the trip home at Celilo Falls. At the Bridge of the Gods he saw our colorful Vine Maple (Acer circinatum). And at Fort Clatsop he noted Salal (Gaultheria shallon), Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis), Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mergensiana)--Oh so many of our northwest native trees, shrubs and perennials! What a bounty! And what a blessing he has left us to enjoy. Click on thumbnails below for larger views. Links will take you to the individual plant pages for more information and photos. These are just a smidgeon of the plants documented by the Corps.

Go to our Corps of Discovery Expedition Bicentennial Index page to see all links in this series. Or click here to go directly to the next installment of our journey.