Travel Day

The Corps of Discovery passed this way July 7th 1804.  Journal entry.

Today was a leisurely 68 mile drive up river from St. Joseph, MO to Brownville, NE. The Corps of Discovery struggled for eight days covering this section of the Missouri back in July of 1804.

"In the first bend to the left (location of present day Big Lake State Park) is Situated a Butifull & extensive plain, cover'd with Grass resembling Timothy except the Seed which resembles Flax Seed, this plain also abounds in Grapes of different Kinds Some nearly ripe"

William Clark, July 12, 1804

Big Lake MO

On its way upriver the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped two nights, July 11-12, on a sand island a short distance south of here

The next morning, July 13, the boats worked their way around a bend that is today's Big Lake. Now isolated from the river, it is the largest oxbow lake in Missouri. 

Brownville NE