The Lewis & Clark Council Bluff Interpretive Monument will recognize one of the most significant accomplishments of perhaps the greatest expedition ever to set out across the North American continent. This expedition, the Corps of Discovery, was sponsored by President Thomas Jefferson and led by the famous explorers Lewis & Clark. Its been said the accomplishments of Lewis & Clark are the 18th century equivalent of walking on the moon.

Lewis set forth from Monticello in 1803. After wintering at Camp Dubois, Missouri the Corps of Discovery started their journey up the Missouri River in the spring of 1804. On July 30 of that year Lewis & Clark set camp on the western bank very near present day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. There they awaited the arrival of members from the Oto and Missouria tribes, with whom they would hold council. This would be the expedition's first meeting with a Native American nation of the western frontier. On August 3, 1804 that now famous meeting took place on the site Lewis & Clark would refer to in their journals as the "council bluff".

The significance of this meeting cannot be overstated. A successful council was of utmost importance to the expedition. If this first meeting with the western tribes went well, news would travel up the Missouri River that the expedition was friendly and could be trusted. If not, they would have a difficult time traversing the territory without the aid of the native peoples. In hindsight, the assistance they received from the natives throughout the entire journey was so vital to the expedition's success, it is reasonable to assume that if this meeting went badly the expedition could have ended in failure.

The National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial has recognized the significance of this historic "First Council" by naming the site as host of one of the Bicentennial Council's "Signature Events." Each of these events will be promoted nationally as one of only a select few sites where they will commemorate Lewis & Clark's historic journey.  The Governor of Nebraska has appointed a Commission who's responsibility is to properly acknowledge the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, including orchestrating the Signature Event in Fort Calhoun.

Notwithstanding the site's significance, there is currently no stone, no marker, nor any lasting monument that pays proper tribute to this noteworthy event in our history. We know the location of the bluff but there is no suitable indication marking the area. Many people incorrectly assume the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa serves as a lasting monument to that meeting but history buffs visiting that community are literally miles from the famous bluff..  In 1853, 49 years after the event, the residents of Kanesville, Iowa elected to incorporate and rename their community "Council Bluffs."  This simple act has resulted in nearly 150 years of public misperception regarding the true location of the now famous bluff where the meeting took place. The true council bluff is some twenty miles upstream on the opposite bank.

Development of this monument will meet six goals established by the Washington County Historical Association:

1. Commemorate this historically significant event.

2. Properly acknowledge the identity and location of the council bluff.

3. Recognize the contributions Native Americans made to the overall success of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

4. Educate the public about how the expedition shaped the history of the West.

5. Provide a worthy tourist destination for the State of Nebraska.

6. Promote tourism in area associated with the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial

The Lewis & Clark Council Bluff Interpretive Monument will accomplish these goals through the development of four distinct elements combined together into the single monument.

The most noteworthy component is a collection of six life-sized figures arranged in a setting very much like the one you might have expected to see would you have attended the meeting nearly 200 years ago. These six figures will be cast in bronze and be placed with their feet firmly on the ground, allowing visitors to interact with the characters - perhaps even allowing them to gain a sense of what it was like to be part of that historic meeting. The six figures will be Lewis & Clark, two Native Americans representing the Oto and Missouri tribes, a French interpreter, and Lewis' dog Seaman. This work of art has been titled First Council and will be in place by the end of July, 2003.

The second component of the monument will be an interpretive trail that encircles First Council, educating the visitors about the significance of the expedition, the role Native Americans played in the expedition's success, and what has happened to the participating tribes since the meeting of 1804.

The third component will be a bluff-top observation deck situated so that visitors can look out over the Missouri river valley from the top of the bluff, allowing them a view very similar to that which the explorers saw when they camped on the site some 200 years ago.

Finally, the fourth component will be an additional work of art placed in a way that it can be viewed from the observation deck. Whereas First Council has been designed to authentically recreate the essence of the council, this second work will be an artistic interpretation of the events that took place 200 years ago.

The fundraising goal for this project is $500,000, some of which is expected through in-kind contributions.  A limited edition maquette has been authorized as a means of raising a portion of the total project cost.

The monument itself will be located at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. The State Park is significant because Lewis & Clark not only noted the bluff as the site of their council with the natives, but they also indicated that the location would be well suited for a fort. Fifteen years after the expedition, in searching for a place to build their first fortification West of the Missouri, the US Army referred to Lewis & Clark's journals and selected the council bluff. There has been significant restoration to the fort and it is a popular tourist destination within Nebraska. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has enthusiastically agreed to host the monument, as the site of the council is widely accepted as being very near the Park boundaries. Adding the Monument to the Park allows them to tell the larger story of the Historical significance of the site by acknowledging the role Lewis & Clark played in opening the West.