‘A white frost this morning …’

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, November 17, 2016

While you’re enjoying Thanksgiving dinner, you might want to contemplate what Lewis and Clark, and the Corps of Discovery, were up to on Nov. 24, 1805. From Pvt. Joseph Whitehouse’s journal (http://tinyurl.com/L-C-Nov24):

“A white frost this morning, and the weather clear and pleasant. Several of our hunters went out a hunting, and we put out our baggage, etc., to dry. The River Columbia at this place is three miles from the sea and 660 yards wide. Our officers went out and took down notes on several remarkable points, etc., which they could not before have done, on account of the badness of the weather.

“We had during this day a number of the Indians that came across the river yesterday, at our camp. These Indians were part of two nations, who resided along the sea coast. They are called the Clattsops and Chinups (Chinook) nations …

“In the evening our officers had the whole party assembled in order to consult which place would be the best, for us to take up our winter quarters at. The greater part of our men were of opinion that it would be best to cross the river, and if we should find game plenty, that it would be of an advantage to us, for to stay near the sea shore, on account of making salt, which we are nearly out of at this time, and the want of it in preserving our provisions for the winter, would be an object well worth our attention.”

Having found the Pacific Ocean, the Corps’ mission was complete. But it was almost winter, so it would be too difficult and dangerous to head back east right then. The vote taken this day determined the Corps’ plan to stay on the Oregon side of the river until spring — and incidentally, was why Fort Clatsop was built.

— Elleda Wilson