Day 12 –13

On our way to Sioux City, South Dakota, we stopped at the Lewis & Clark State Park where we met Butch who took his whole life savings ($150,000) and built a replica of the Keelboat & Pirogue Boat.

He and his wife spent 3 months on boat traveling some of Lewis & Clark’s trail. The boat is now on display at the state park. Before ending the tour, he shot the black powder canon located on the back of the Keelboat.

The shot was very loud and many of our group did not get a good picture because they jumped from the loud boom.

Once we reached our RV Park in North Sioux City, South Dakota, we hopped in our cars Sioux City, Nebraska to tour the Sergeant Floyd River Museum, Sergeant Floyd Monument and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

The River Museum had a steamship that we were able to walk thru, act like we were steering the ship and ring the bell.

Sergeant Floyd was the only member of the expedition to die. It is believed that he died of appendicitis. He was buried three times. Originally he was buried and when the expedition was on their return trip, they think the Indians dug him up. So they buried him again and then the river eroded his grave and exposed his bones so they moved him. He is now at his resting place on a hill with a monument that looks like a miniature Washington Monument.

In the River Museum was a replica of Sergeant Floyd. His original skull was used to make the mold. One of his ancestors is pictured next to the replica and the resemblance shows that they did a really good job replicating his face.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center had a great statue of Lewis, Clark and Seaman.

Inside every interpretive center you find different bits of information. I found it interesting that the last known survivor of the Expedition, Patrick Gass, died in 1870 at age 99.

The center also had a wing with many interesting photographs. The photo below is Time Square on August 15, 1945. The crowd is celebrating the surrender of Japan. I don’t think Time Square has ever looked like this,

not even on New Year’s Eve.