From the display board at the 'Canoe Camp' site on the Clearwater River, and adjacent to US-12 in Idaho.
"All the men able to work commenced building 5 Canoes,
Several taken Sick at work, our hunters returned Sick
without meet..."
William Clark
"I Set out early with the Chief and 2 young men to hunt Some trees Calculated to build Canoes, as we had previously determined to proceed on by water..." William Clark
September 26, 1805 found the Corps of Discovery camped here by the Clearwater River on "...the S. Side opposite the forks..." because they found suitable trees to build five canoes. Though skilled in canoe making, the men found the task complicated by "worm and Sultrey" weather and extreme illness. They "adopted the Indian method of burning out canoes", finally completing them on October 6. The next day, after caching some supplies and leaving their horses with the Nez Perce until their return, the expedition packed their supplies in the new canoes and continued their journey to the sea.
Journal entries were written during long encampments and contain extensive observations and impressions about the native peoples they encountered.