Lewis & Clark in Lexington
Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Lewis and Clark in Kentucky- William Clark in Lexington & Meriwether Lewis in Lexington. Clark, coleader of the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition, and his family spent October 30, 1809, at Lexington's Traveler's Hall, operated by Cuthbert Banks. Clark also visited expedition member George W. Shannon, who was attending Transylvania University. Over. (Reverse) On Jan. 20, 1808, Lewis, coleader of the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition, attended a dinner in his honor at Wilson's Inn, where locals gave 22 toasts. Lewis was passing through Ky. after he was named gov. of La. Territory. Over.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Lexington, an early cultural hub of the trans-Appalachian West, hosted both leaders of the Corps of Discovery. In January 1808 Meriwether Lewis, newly appointed governor of the Louisiana Territory, was honored at a dinner at Wilson's Inn where locals raised twenty-two toasts. The following year William Clark and his family stayed at Traveler's Hall, and Clark visited expedition member George Shannon, then a student at Transylvania University.
Why it matters
The visits show how Lexington's inns and colleges tied the frontier town into the leadership of the expanding nation, celebrating the explorers who had just charted the continent.
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Related people
- · Meriwether Lewis
- · William Clark
- · George Shannon
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Fayette County
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George Shannon of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Lexington, KY
George Shannon was the youngest member of the Corps of Discovery that crossed the continent from 1803 to 1806. He later settled into Kentucky life, studying at Transylvania University and practicing law from an office in Lexington's Jordan's Row. A member of the Masonic Lodge and patriotic societies, Shannon served in the Kentucky legislature and was appointed a state circuit judge before moving with his family to Missouri in 1828.