Decision Point

On June 2, 1805, the Corps of Discovery reached what would be called Decision Point in present day Montana. They camped on the south bank of the Missouri River across from the mouth of the Marias River. They were faced with a critical decision. Which of the rivers was the Missouri and which was the tributary? A wrong decision here could have disastrous consequences for the success of the expedition and possibly for the lives of the members of the Corps. 

The decision was of such importance, that the group stayed at the site for nine days and sent out two groups of three men each to explore both rivers and report back. One of the confounding factors was that the river traveling from the north had much the character and appearance of the river they had been traveling. It was muddy and “terbid.” However, the river to the south was perfectly transparent with “round and flat smooth stones like most rivers issuing from a mountainous country.” The majority of the party believed the north fork was the Missouri, but both Lewis and Clark were quite skeptical of that. The report back from the small parties was inconclusive, so Lewis and Clark each set out with a small party each to try to identify the correct route. The Captains agreed that the north fork was most likely the Missouri, but the men were not persuaded. However, they had so much trust in their leaders that they would follow them where they led. Once the decision was made, Lewis named the fork to the north “Maria’s River” in honor of his cousin Maria Wood; and when the Corps moved on, they followed the south fork. The evening before they broke camp, Cruzatte played his fiddle and the men enjoyed a cheerful evening of dancing and singing.

After our visit to Fort Benton, we drove about nine miles, almost to Loma, Montana, to an overlook of Decision Point. The overlook had several interpretive signs and a marker showing the camp site during the expedition’s stay there. The area looks like it would be well suited to camping. I am glad the location remains very similar to the way it was when Lewis and Clark were there and has not been submerged by a dam like so many other have. It was definitely worth the drive to see the place that held so much importance for the success of the expedition.