St Charles, Missouri (CoD May 16-21, 1804)

The Corp of Discovery (CoD) finally broke winter camp on May 14, crossed the Mississippi and headed into the mouth of the Missouri river. On May 16 they arrived at the small town of St. Charles on the north shore of the river. They spent the days readjusting the keelboat load and preparing for the trip ahead. They also were waiting for Captain Lewis, who was finishing up business in St. Louis.
St. Charles is the first permanent European town on the Missouri river, settled by French trappers. It is still a charming town, with brick streets and buildings and many fine pubs and restaurants. The 1st photo shows Pris in front of the towns' brewery. The town fronts on a lovely park that is on the river front. Next to the river, there is a large stone boat house that is the permanent home for the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles and their keelboat and pirogues. The 2nd photo shows the boathouse. The 3rd photo shows a close up of the aft of the keelboat; a dummy can be seen inside the cabin on the port side. The mast of the boat is down since the boat is inside the building. The Discovery Expedition followed the route of L&C across the country in 2003-2006, and these are the boats they used.