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If you ever visit the office of Congressman Baron Hill, ask him about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Most likely, he'll proudly show you his favorite page from the book Undaunted Courage by historian and author Stephen E. Ambrose.
The book details the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they set out in 1803 to explore the recently purchased Louisiana Territory and beyond into the Northwest.
President Thomas Jefferson was able to convince Congress to appropriate $2,500 to support this endeavor, which did not end until 1806. The significance of this 8,000-mile journey is, of course, forever tied to our nation's history. And that significance will be commemorated in grand style throughout the United States in 2003 with the national Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration.
The state of Indiana will have a critical role in this celebration, and preparations are currently full speed ahead. The town of Clarksville and the Falls of the Ohio area have been selected to host a National Signature Event Oct. 24-26, 2003. I want to commend the ongoing work and dedication of the members of the Falls of the Ohio Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee. The Indiana General Assembly also has noted the statewide significance of this upcoming celebration by creating the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission, which Gov. Frank OÕBannon signed into law.
Guests from throughout the country are expected to visit Clarksville and the Falls of the Ohio area, the historical homeland of the Shawnee Nation. There, too, is one of our noted state parks. The Falls of the Ohio State Park is one of our state's hidden treasures, with 386-million-year-old fossil beds that are among the largest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world.
It was there, at this historic Clarksville/Louisville location in 1803, that Lewis and Clark first met, shook hands, and began joint preparations for their expedition. Their journey officially became the Lewis and Clark Expedition. History recounts that they enlisted their core group of nine men and pushed off from Clarksville Oct. 26, 1803. Certainly, this historic fact is one of Indiana's cultural treasures. Everyone at the Department of Natural Resources plans to do all we can to ensure that Indiana's role in the 2003 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration is highlighted and supported.
Oh, about that page Congressman Hill is so proud of. You see, that page from Undaunted Courage is Ambrose's account of Lewis and Clark's introduction in Clarksville. The author has personally signed that page from his book, and he added the inscription, "This is where it all began."
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