The lewis and Clark visitor center at the Gavin's Point damn had exhibits that Gail thinks were very well done, especially for the education of children. There was a simple tug boat pilothouse with a steam whistle, and of course she had to pull the cord. It worked. Their video on Lewis & Clark was one of the best wwe have seen.
This is the damn, with no locks, so no traveling up river by boat any more.
Our next stop was at Lynch, Nebraska. This is where the Corps noticed some small animals sitting on the top of small mounds making whistling sounds and barking when alarmed. They called them "barking squirrels." One of the men shot one, and they ate it and decided it was a new species and they must send one back alive to President Jefferson. First they tried digging them out, but after going down six feet and not reaching the living quarters, they decided to drown them out. They spent the better part of a day hauling water from the river and pouring it down the holes. They were successful in capturing one, sputtering and weakened, President Jefferson received it when the keel boat returned in the spring of 1905.
Fort Randall was one of the largest of the western forts. These forts usually did not have a stockade fence around them because they had a sufficient garrison to protect the fort without one. So these "open forts" had buildings built in a circle around the parade ground. The sites of all these buildings have been marked at old Fort Randall making a half mile in circumference. They are here marked by white stakes with discriptions on them.
You archaeologists will recognize the dig here, which was the fort's Commanding Officer's quarters.
They also built a church and lodge hall meeting place out of "chalk stone" they sawed from formations in the area. A lightning strike and high winds left the ruins you see here.
We are spending the night in Chamberlain where we expect to visit the St Joseph's Indian School and the Lakota Museum and Cultural center in the morning, After visiting a Buffalo Interpretive Center run by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, we will proceed on to spend two nights in Pierre.
2 comments:
So no locks at the "Damn site," just one more portage. You are making some rapid progress along the route. We'd probably be a day or two behind because I have to read all the signs!
BTW I'm using Google Earth to track your trail and also locate the historic sites as you go along. Guess that's the Ol' Navigator coming out.
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