Salmon-Challis National Forest

Leadore Ranger District

History

Lewis & Clark

The first white men in the Lemhi Valley and the State of Idaho were members of the Lewis and Clark expedition in August 1805. Captain Meriwether Lewis, George Drouillard, John Shields, and Hugh McNeal, in advance of the main party, crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass. The men were searching for the Shoshone Indians, Sacajawea's people. Finding the Shoshone people was essential to the success of the expedition because the Indians possessed horses that the expedition hoped could be purchased for portage over the mountains to the Columbia River Drainage. The Continental Divide marked the western border of the Louisiana Territory, and the United States. The Lemhi Valley and the entire northwest was unclaimed land at that time.

The party went to the head of Agency Creek and drank, for the first time from a tributary of the Columbia River. Captain Lewis and his men climbed out of the steep canyon and camped at a spring that feeds Flume Creek. The next day they began their search for the Shoshone. The men soon met two Indian women, a man, and some dogs. However, the Indians would not let the party come near them and fled. A little later they came upon three more Indian women so suddenly that the women didn't have time to flee. Captain Lewis and his men ingratiated themselves with the women by offering them gifts. In turn, the women led the expedition toward their village. While doing so they were met by a band of warriors led by Chief Cameahwait who was Sacajawea's brother. The women quickly informed Cameahwait that the white men were friendly. He acknowledged them as friends and invited them to the Indian Village where the Indians were as hospitable as their meager existence would allow. The Indian village was south of Kenney Creek. After much persuasion, the Indians agreed to accompany the advance party, with horses, back to the ”forks of the Missouri.” It was there that an emotional reunion took place when Clark arrived with Sacajawea and she was reunited with her people.

It was then decided that Lewis would remain east of the Divide for a time to pack equipment that would be needed for the expeditions trek westward. In the meantime, Captain Clark, Sacajawea, her husband Charbonneau, their six month old baby and all but a few Indians left the "forks of the Missouri", and traveled west, once again crossing the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass. The party camped on Pattee Creek and from there arrived at the upper Indian village. The Indian camp had been moved approximately 2 miles south of its previous site. It was now located just above the Warm Springs road on the Lemhi Valley floor. It was here that Clark was able to acquire the guide called “Toby”. From this site, Captain Clark and his party followed the Lemhi River downstream (north) to the Salmon River where their quest for the Pacific continued.

The present-day traveler can relive the excitement Lewis and Clark must have felt when they crossed the “Great Divide” by visiting the Lewis and Clark Backcountry Byway/Adventure Road east of Tendoy, Idaho. The Byway is 39 miles long. There are interpretive signs along the route, and takes about a half-day to drive. This is also the area where Sacajawea was born.

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