The Great Falls Portage is the route taken by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 to

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

around the

Great Falls Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

of the Missouri River during the outbound portion of the expedition. The portage took 31 days. Two portions of the route, which have largely escaped development, are part of a National Historic Landmark District, designated in 1966 to commemorate this achievement. and In May 2008 the

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

listed the site on their list of

America's Most Endangered Places America's 11 Most Endangered Places or America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places is a list of places in the United States that the National Trust for Historic Preservation considers the most endangered. It aims to inspire Americans to preserve ex ...

.Threats to history seen in budget cuts, bulldozers - Yahoo! News

History

The 1804–1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first major incursion of English-speaking white men into the northwestern American plains. Ascending the Missouri River, the party reached the Great Falls area on June 13, 1805. Having been forewarned of the falls' existence by the Hidatsa with whom they had overwintered, an advance team led by

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

scouted the extent of the falls, which then consisted of a series of cascades extending beyond what is now the city of

. Many of these have since been dammed to produce hydroelectric power, and some are hemmed in by the city. The route selected by Clark began with an ascent of over up what is now called Belt Creek, about 1 mile below present-day

Morony Dam Morony Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam located on the Missouri River in Cascade County, Montana. The dam is long and high, and generates 49 megawatts (MW) of power. Overview The dam is named after John G. Morony,Peterson, p. 74. a banker, d ...

. From there, the expedition boats were carried overland on crude wagons constructed by the team overland to a site near the White Bear Islands, south of the modern city. The expedition's largest boat, a

pirogue A pirogue ( or ), also called a piragua or piraga, is any of various small boats, particularly dugouts and native canoes. The word is French and is derived from Spanish , which comes from the Carib '. Description The term 'pirogue' does n ...

, was left at Belt Creek. The team celebrated

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

at the upper camp, and departed upstream on July 15, having constructed two additional canoes to compensate for the loss of the boat.

Landmarked areas

Two separate portions of the expedition portage route form part of the National Historic Landmark District designated in 1966. At the lower end of the portage, the area on the east bank of the river where the party made camp (approximately ) is included, as is the portage route up Belt Creek, continuing for about across what are now mainly agricultural fields. Also included in this section is Sulphur Spring, located above the west bank of the river opposite the mouth of Belt Creek. Water from this source, reputed to have curative powers, was used to treat

Sacagawea Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812 or April 9, 1884)Sacagawea
...

, who had fallen seriously ill at the camp. This entire area is privately owned, and is difficult to access by land. The other element of the portage that is landmarked is the last of the route, extending from Mount Olivet Cemetery to the White Bear Islands area (approximately ). At the time of the expedition there were three White Bear Islands; one has since become attached to the western shore by silting action, and the actual camp site was probably some way east of the current eastern bank. The land in this area is also privately owned but is crossed by public roads.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in Montana Geography of Cascade County, Montana Historic trails and roads in Montana Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana National Register of Historic Places in Cascade County, Montana Portages on the National Register of Historic Places Lewis and Clark Expedition Missouri River

History

Landmarked areas

See also

References