Fort Benton, Montana

The Missouri River proved to be a constant challenge to the men of the expedition. On May 31, 1805, Lewis described a situation that could prove daunting, but not for the brave men of the Corps of Discovery:

“The obstructions of rocky points and riffles still continue as yesterday; at those places the men are compelled to be much in the water even to their armpits, and the water is yet very could, and so frequent are those point that they are one fourth of their time in the water, added to this the banks and bluffs along which they are obliged to pass are so slippery and the mud so tenacious that they are unable to wear their mockersons, and in that situation dragging the heavy burthen of a canoe and walking occasionally for several hundred yards over the sharp fragments of rocks which tumble from the clifts and garnish the borders of the river; in short their labour is incredibly painfull and great, yet those faithfull fellows bear it without a murmur.”

And yet, on the same day, Lewis wrote eloquently of his awe of the views the river provided:

“The hills and river Clifts which we passed today exhibit a most romantic appearance. The bluffs of the river rise to the hight of from 2 to 300 feet and in most places nearly perpendicular; they are formed of remarkable white sandstone which is sufficiently soft to give way readily to the impression of water; two or thre thin horizontal stratas of white freestone, on which the rains or water make no impression, lie imbedded in these clifts of soft stone near the upper part of them; … The water in the course of time in decending from those hills and plains on either side of the river has trickled down the soft sand clifts and woarn it into a thousand grotesque figures, which with the help of a little imagination and an oblique view at a distance, are made to represent elegant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having their parapets well stocked with statuary; columns of various sculpture both grooved and plain, are also seen supporting long galleries in front of those buildings…nitches and alcoves of various forms and sizes are seen at different hights as we pass … As we passed on it seemed as if those seens of visionary inchantment would never have and end; for here it is too that nature presents to the view of the traveler vast ranges of walls of tolerable workmanship, so perfect indeed are those walls that I should have thought that nature had attempted here to rival the human art of masonry had I not recollected that she had first began her work.”

As we arrived in Fort Benton, which is near the place Lewis penned his thoughts that day, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the Missouri River from overlooks above as well as along the riverside of the historic city. The Riverwalk includes many monuments marking numerous historical events of the city’s past. Of all the monuments, the sculpture of Lewis and Clark’s expedition was one of the finest sculpture of the Corps of Discovery we encountered on the trip.

Fort Benton was the first stop where the Lewis and Clark Trail and the Nez Perce Trail coincide. With my small but mighty Nez Perce heritage, I was moved to be traveling a part of the trail the Nez Perce traveled with Chief Joseph in the lead. This would not be the last encounter with the trail.

Several sites were well worth our time during our day in the small town. First we visited the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument and Interpretive Center, which houses impressive exhibits concerning natural history, Native Americans, and the explorers. One of my favorite exhibits was the rifle that Chief Joseph laid down at the time of his surrender. Fort Benton and the Fort Benton Museum was also very well done. Two of the walls of a building in the fort were original to the Fort. Both military and Native American artifacts were displayed.

All in all, we were very satisfied with our day trip to Fort Benton and would go back if we have the opportunity.