Lewis-Clark bicentennial picks up pace

A few years ago, when the first discussions were held about the bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery journey that took Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from St. Louis to Great Falls, Mont., 2004 seemed like a long way off.

Now the 200-year anniversary of the start of the historic trip up the Missouri River is rapidly approaching, and plans -- some big, some little -- for celebrating those events are in full swing throughout several states.

Portions of the commemoration include the trip from the starting point in Pennsylvania down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi River to reach St. Louis. Along that early part of the expedition, communities in Southeast Missouri figure prominently.

For example, the group, which had been commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, made stops at Commerce, Mo., and at Cape Girardeau. Lewis spent the night with Louis Lorimier, Cape Girardeau's founder, while Clark camped farther upstream. Clark and Lorimier had had a previous run-in, so the two of them stayed away from each other while here.

All sorts of opportunities exist for special events, historic markers and reconstructions to help people in the 21st century understand the magnitude of Lewis and Clark's journey. In many ways, it would be fair to compare that trip 200 years ago with the adventures of early seafaring expeditions or modern-day space exploration.

Last week, meetings were held in Cape Girardeau for organizers of these special events around Missouri to get together and share ideas.

One significant project here is the reconstruction of Lorimier's house. Volunteers have already started work on that project near the floodwall in front of Old St. Vincent's Church downtown.

For the bold and hardy -- or, as some might say, foolhardy -- there is an opportunity to become one of the re-enactors to make the boat trip from Pennsylvania that brought the explorers to Missouri. Keep in mind that these are big boats -- a 55-foot keelboat is the longest -- and that the travelers were going against the current on the Mississippi and Missouri river portions. It will be interesting to see how these re-enactors fare when it comes to getting these big boats up those two rivers.

The re-enactors are due to reach Commerce and Cape Girardeau by late November of next year. By then, other plans will have been made for special activities that will retell the story of the Corps of Discovery and help people understand the role this area played.

In recent memory, Cape Girardeau has never made much of its Lewis and Clark connection until planning for the bicentennial began. But there is a wealth of history and information to be shared during the bicentennial events. For the most part, these activities will rely on volunteers and donations. Watch for future meetings of the local organizing group. If you can help, you would certainly be welcome.