Patrick Gass (1771-1870)
Guilford Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Enlisted by Meriwether Lewis as a private in the Lewis & Clark Expedition, 1803-1806; selected as a Sergeant in August, 1804. His carpentry and soldiering skills earned written commendation from Lewis. Gass later published his diaries of the Expedition. A veteran of the War of 1812 and Battle of Lundy's Lane, Ontario, Gass was born and resided here until age 10.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This Franklin County ground was the boyhood home of Patrick Gass, who left the Pennsylvania backcountry to become one of the most valued members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A skilled carpenter and soldier promoted to sergeant in 1804, he helped build the winter forts that carried the Corps of Discovery across the continent and later published his own journals of the journey. He went on to serve in the War of 1812, fighting at the fierce Battle of Lundy's Lane, and lived to the remarkable age of 99.
Why it matters
Gass links a Pennsylvania frontier childhood to the epic transcontinental reconnaissance that opened the American West to the young republic.
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Related people
- · Patrick Gass
- · Meriwether Lewis
Related events
- · Lewis and Clark Expedition
- · Battle of Lundy's Lane
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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