Lewis & Clark at the Falls of the Ohio
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Lewis and Clark in Kentucky (replaces marker #1451, Lewis & Clark Expedition). Louisville- Louisville & Falls of the Ohio played key role in 1803-06 Lewis & Clark Expedition to the Pacific. William Clark and first members enlisted here; Lewis & Clark met in Louisville Oct. 14, 1803; left area Oct. 26, 1803 & returned to Louisville Nov. 5, 1806. Over. (Reverse) William Clark (1770-1838)- Born in Va.; bro. of Geo. Rogers Clark; came here in 1785. In Ky. Militia & US Army, where he met Meriwether Lewis. Together they led 1803-1806 mission to Pacific. Stayed in govt. service; moved to St. Louis in 1808. Over.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Louisville and the Falls of the Ohio were a launching point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Here William Clark enlisted the first members of the Corps of Discovery, and here Lewis and Clark met on October 14, 1803, before leaving the area later that month; they returned to Louisville in November 1806. A brother of Revolutionary War general George Rogers Clark, William Clark had come to Kentucky as a boy, served in the militia and army, and after the expedition remained in government service, moving to St. Louis in 1808.
Why it matters
The Falls of the Ohio was a gateway between the settled East and the unknown West, making Louisville a birthplace of the expedition that first mapped the young nation's continental reach.
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Related people
- · William Clark
- · Meriwether Lewis
- · George Rogers Clark
Related events
- · Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803–1806)
Themes & tags
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