Saturday, March 31, 2012

And then what happened?

I have never been really enthusiastic about studying the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Maybe it was because when I learned about it in grade school, the idea of traveling more than half way across the country and enduring all those hardships just didn't seem all that appealing.  Even a few years ago, when the country was celebrating the bicentennial of the expedition, when I revisited Pompey's Pillar and enjoyed the Lewis and Clark Heritage Center in Great Falls, I never found myself getting engaged in further research.

Last week I was looking through the new book section at my local library and I discovered the book, The fate of the corps : what became of the Lewis and Clark explorers after the expedition, by Larry Morris.  I glanced at it, set it back on the shelf and walked away.  After a few minutes I returned to the shelf, thinking that if nothing else, the book would make an interesting post for this blog.

Cover Image

I started reading the book last night and I am glad that I gave it another look.  It is fascinating to find out what happened to the members of the expedition after they made history.  While most never returned to what later became Montana, a couple came back to mark another page in Montana history.  I won't give away the details but for anyone who is interested in what came next for the explorers, I recommend this well researched book.