Floyd's Bluff is a
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...
in southern
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...
that is named for Sergeant
Charles Floyd.
Floyd, who was the
quartermaster
Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...
for the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
's
Corps of Discovery
The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lewis ...
, was the only fatality during the expedition. The bluff was Floyd's original burial site in 1804, and is now the location of a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in his honor. The
Floyd Monument is located above the east bank of the
Missouri River, just downstream from the mouth of the
Floyd River
The Floyd River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 30, 2011 in northwestern Iowa in the United States. It enters the Mi ...
. The bluff itself is part of the
Loess Hills
The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River.
Geology
The Loess (, , or ) Hills are generally located bet ...
formation.
The Floyd's Bluff area was settled in 1848 by William Thompson, a recent veteran of the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
. He established a trading post, and registered the name "Floyd's Bluff" as the name for his city, which never materialized. Instead, settlers preferred the area between the mouths of the
Floyd and
Big Sioux rivers where they successfully established
Sioux City
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...
in the 1850s. Floyd's Bluff eventually was incorporated into Sioux City with the development of the suburb of
Morningside in the 1870s.
See also
*
Sergeant Floyd Monument
The Sergeant Floyd Monument is a monument on the Missouri River at Floyd's Bluff in Sioux City, Iowa, US. The monument honors Charles Floyd (explorer), Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who died on the upstream voyage i ...
External links
Lewis and Clark HistoryGeorge Catlin's 1832 painting of Floyd's BluffFloyd's Bluff
Landforms of Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Landforms of Woodbury County, Iowa
Hills of the United States
Tourist attractions in Sioux City, Iowa
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