Rainbow River
Spring storms pack enormous power and awesome displays. Friday, March 31 the view from the Boat House, ahead of a storm, including this beautiful rainbow.
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Classy Operation
awaits first students
Work is advancing quickly on the new Lotsie & Rick Holton Education Center! We expect to start using it next month for classes and events!
The improvement is part of a whole series of upgrades and improvements tied to the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the Boat House. For example, two of our board members funded all-new energy efficient exterior lighting and upgraded lighting for our entry way! Also, guests on the north porch will appreciate a ceiling fan to help the summer breeze keep the cool. The project has truly been a team effort and we can't wait to show off the finished space.
See below for information about our celebration event!
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Mark Your Calendars!
April 29-30: Film Shoot Postponed
Getting all the pieces together -- the boats, the location, the cast and the crew -- was proving too challenging to meet our April deadline, so the shoot is postponed. Details to follow, but we're excited to film the next scenes.
May 19-21: Lend a hand at Muster Weekend
To all Members,
Your Museum and Boathouse has been very busy the last several months. There's been sawdust and paint drops a plenty, upstairs and down. The new Museum conference room is coming together nicely; you'll be impressed with the changes. The Keelboat engine and driveline repairs are almost complete. The White Pirogue hull gleams brightly thanks to extensive wood rot repair and fiberglass work led by Tim Hirzel with his able assistant Marty Aubuchon. But like any boat, or home, there's still more to be done.
Our annual Muster/ Work weekend will be May 19, 20, and 21st. It's time to get our ships in shipshape. You might be turning wrenches, swinging a paint brush, hammering a chisel, cleaning up wiring, tying knots, or helping dig through our storage lockers to find equipment to put back on our fleet. We're also willing to help out upstairs when the museum needs help moving things around since they have a major event coming up soon. There's also a chance we need some volunteers to represent us in a period fashion at First Capitol events on Sat. More info on that to come if it happens.
So throw in your tent, make your hotel reservations, or fill the water tanks in your camper. Let's get together and make our fleet ready to set sail. So we know how many mouths we're feeding lunches to, please schedule your attendance with Brigitte Bowers at brigitteandnorm@gmail.com
I'm looking forward to seeing you on the Banks of the Missouri River the third weekend in May
Thanks, John Meyer, Phase Leader
July 1: Boat House 20th Anniversary Bash
Stars Musician/Historian Dennis Stroughmatt
Twenty years ago, musician and historian Dennis Stroughmatt performed for the signature event at the Boat House as part of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. He returns July 1, fingers and bow flying, to take listeners on a musical odyssey not so different from his own musical journeys into Upper Louisiana Creole Culture. Taught to play fiddle by local Creole fiddlers Roy Boyer and Charlie Pashia in the tradition of their fathers, Dennis gradually became an adopted son of the French Midwest Creoles living along the Mississippi River near St Louis. A vibrant blend of Celtic, Canadian and Old Time sounds, this music bridges the gap between contemporary Canadian and Louisiana Cajun styles. Preserved by families in the Ozark foothills, the music remains largely intact and true to the traditions that have been passed down for over three centuries. Look for ticket and scheduling info soon!
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Other events
August 18-20 Festival of the Little Hills, St. Charles
October 21-22 Fort Massac Encampment, Metropolis, IL
December 2-3 Holiday Celebration, St. Charles
At left, with April and May, we celebrated the return of school groups, with at least one class per day!
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Farther Afield
You're invited to a fun, educational
Lewis & Clark event in Cape Girardeau...
Looking for a fun activity this spring where you can learn more about the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
You’re invited to such an event on May 20 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
There will be major talks about Lewis & Clark’s time in the community in 1803…and Cape Girardeau will be having its annual Heritage Days Festival. The day is perfect for you and families, a great opportunity to meet up with your Lewis & Clark friends and make new ones.
If you plan on staying in Cape Girardeau, a hotel discount is available if you reserve your room by April 15. Click on the link below. It has hotel information plus all of the details about the event.
...And near Pittburgh, PA
For those who are interested in learning more about Lewis & Clark in Pittsburgh, following coverage in We Proceeded On, come to Pittsburgh area August 26-27.
All of the areas mentioned in the article, or shown on the map of Meriwether Lewis's route are within an hour's drive of Elizabeth. However, the section from Fort Necessity to Pittsburgh (passing through Uniontown and Elizabeth, which Meriwether Lewis first visited in 1794) is perhaps what attracted Lewis to western Pennsylvania, educating him on its function as Gateway to the West. Very near the town of Elizabeth, there are two spots with close connections to Lewis: the graveyard where he buried his friend and fellow officer (well documented by Lewis's letters), and Peterson's landmark. Besides these two spots, we will undoubtedly want to show you the Old Stone Tavern, within the Pittsburgh city limits, which Lewis almost certainly knew. There is much more to see and do, but these three spots can best help us understand Meriwether Lewis's early experience in western Pennsylvania. Contact John McNulty to learn more!
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Renew your membership dues now!
Dues are paid by the calendar year: You can renew online, call 636-947-3199 or send a check to DESC, 1050 S. Riverside Drive, Saint Charles, MO 63301. Thank you for your support and for being a member!
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Re-enactors wanted:
Walk Back in Time in Mexico, MO Sept 22-24.
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Dear DESC members,
Several of you attended the Mexico Missouri Walk Back in Time event in 2021. In discussions with the planners they don’t feel that they will be able to raise the funds to have the boats back for this year's event. This is one of the three events that I felt was worth keeping (along with Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles and Fort Massac in Metropolis, IL). I’m afraid that if we don’t keep the door open we won’t be invited back.
Initially the Cadre elected not to attend this event due to the lack of funding. After relaying this decision to the WBIT planners they were very disappointed. They asked if we could show up with a small contingent of men and a small camp. After meeting with the Cadre and informing them that the planners could provide a $1,000 stipend, it was approved that I could offer a small camp.
My thoughts are a group of 4-6 Corps members and a small camp consisting of 3 or 4 tents. I think this would be an opportunity to do a lean and mean camp that may serve us well going forward if there is a lack of manpower. If any of the volunteers could bring their own camp setup that would be great. No kitchen tent or food. There are food vendors of all kinds on site, a inexpensive fish fry on Friday night, plus they put on a reenactors dinner on Saturday night that is free. We will not have to attend on Friday which is the school kids day but we can set up camp on Friday afternoon.
This is such a great event and I would like to keep the door open for us in future years. Be thinking about this and if you would like to be one of the members contact me through the boat house or directly. The event is September 22-24. I know it is early but wanted to get it on your calendar. I already have a couple of members committed. While I’m only asking for 4 to 6 members we will be happy to have more and that way if you only can come for a day we will have enough to man the camp throughout the event. Don’t let my request for a small number of men stop you from attending.
For the good of the Corps, Tom Young -- Pvt. Patrick Gass
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Attention reenactors
Two events in St. Charles County
are looking for volunteers
The first one is a commemoration of the Battle of St. Louis at the St. Charles Heritage Museum on May 26th, which is a Friday. It’s going to be a day with living history, lectures, food, and a showing of the House of Thunder Documentary. Since William Clark’s brother was heavily involved in the leadup to, and the actual battle, we wanted to see if you had anyone who would be interested in being involved.
The second event is the Hawken Classic Rendezvous which is August 25-27th. This event is building up to the commemoration of the bicentennial of the Hawken Brothers opening their shop in St. Louis. They talk a lot about Missouri River Fur Trade and exploration during the event and there are some good tie ins with the Corps of Discovery.
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Annual Report to the Community
We welcomed 23,500 museum visitors last year, but our impact on the community is so much greater. We’re at the center of community celebrations, such as the Festival of the Little Hills and Fort Massac Encampment, the finish line for hundreds of paddlers in the MR-340, a regular partner with the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau and destination for school groups, senior centers, and tour groups.
To learn about all we do, and plan to do, check out our
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You can also mail a tax-deductible contribution to:
Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, 1050 S. Riverside Drive, Saint Charles, MO 63301.
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Film Series Special Offer:
The first release of our film series capturing key moments in the journals of Lewis & Clark is now available for purchase and viewing. As members of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, you can subscribe to the initial introductory release of the Series at a greatly reduced price for a limited time offer of $29.99, a discount of 50 percent for the first six episodes. This offer will only be in effect until March 1, 2023. TO ACCESS AND DOWNLOAD THE VIDEOS, CLICK HERE.
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Book your event at the Boat House!
Just this month, we hosted a 60th birthday party, wedding proposal (she said "yes!"), two days of corporate meetings and the return of school visits! We have booked a wedding rehearsal dinner for June 2023 and now have an ordained wedding officiant on staff.
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Thanks to our friends and supporters!
Despite our challenges, we close out a very successful 2022 poised for exceptional growth. We were blessed by hundreds who helped along the way, but a special shout out to the following for their financial support!
Sacagawea’s Club ($10,000 and over)
Mr. and Mrs. Barbara and Ed Eller
FHC Foundation
Ms. Marilyn Geery
Ms. Carlota (Lotsie) Clark Hermann Holton
Ron Lowery and family
National Park Service
Mr. and Mrs. Sue and Lynn Schneider
Jefferson’s Club ($1,000 and over)
Audrain County Historical Society
Mr. Bryant Boswell
Mr & Mrs. Bill and Teri Brecht
City of St. Charles
The Explorer’s Club, St. Louis Chapter
Fort Massac State Park
Mr. Duane Parker
Mr. & Mrs. Tom and Karen Ronk
Friends of Sue Schneider
Mr. & Mrs. Mack and Charleen Thornton
Paric Construction
Mr. & Mrs. Tom and Joy Young
Captain’s Club ($500 and over)
Mr. John Fisher
Mr. Jerry Garrett
Ms. Anna Laughlin
Mr. Bob Learned
Kluesner Kreations
Lewis and Clark Indiana Foundation
Lewis and Clark Trust
Ms. Janise Manchester
Mr. Richard Prestholdt
In Honor of
Donations in Memory of Jay Coble
Donations in Memory of Barb Eller
Donation in Honor of Gene Glandt
Donations in Honor of Bob Kilmer
Donation in Honor of Marita Ulhaas Parker
Donations in Honor of the Wedding of Lynette Trotter and Gaylen Medders
Donation in Honor of Gene Olson
Donation in Honor of William J. Wolf
Donation in Memory of Donna Whitton, from her Knit-Wit Group
Donations in Memory of Bob Anderson
Donations in Memory of All DESC members who have passed: Presented by Bob & Pat Learned
The list is updated continually on our website! Visit and learn more about how you can get involved. And a special shout out to our Board and Staff for giving selflessly all year long.
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You can be involved in many different ways:
- Become a member or consider making an extra donation!
- Volunteer at the Museum.
- Consider adopting a part of the museum, such as a new display or upgrade.
- Consider sponsoring an educational program or video series.
- Does your company have services or products to donate? From cleaning services/supplies to printing to items for our raffle, we are always interested in partnerships.
- Adopt a part of the museum, such as a new display. Consider sponsoring an educational program or a film in our mini series.
Just as the Corps of Discovery depended on teamwork, dedication and perseverance, so does your Museum and Discovery Expedition. We are incredibly proud to be recognized as an official site on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. We have the only fleet of river-worthy replica boats in the United States. And most importantly, we are proud to be a living, working Museum! Thank you for being part of our journey.
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Information about your Corps
Guidestar Listing We have Silver Certification from Guidestar, a trusted directory of all U.S. nonprofits (free log-in may be required)
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Interested in Qualified Charitable Distributions? We can help! |
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We're glad to accept gifts of cash via our online portal and we are a 501(c), with donations eligible for tax deductions. We hold Silver Certification from Guidestar, so you can feel comfortable donating.
Our mailing address is 1050 S. Riverside Dr., St. Charles, MO 63301.
Also, we are in the midst of a major renovation of the museum. We'd love to make a new home for your gently used office equipment including:
- Bookshelves
- Large flatscreen monitors (Smart TVs)
- Patio Furniture
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Corp of Discovery from the Journals
February 20, 1804 – "The Commanding officer directs that during the absence of himself and Capt. Clark from Camp, that the party shall consider themselves under the immediate command of Sergt. Ordway, who shall be held accountable for the good poliece and order of the camp during that period, and will also see the susequent parts of this order carried into effect -- (Lewis)
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Bishop's Landing
1050 S. Riverside Drive
St. Charles, MO 63301
Phone: 636-947-3199
Text KEELBOAT to 44-321 to donate
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