April 8-24, 1805. “The explorers set out toward their next major objective—reaching the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. As they proceeded upriver, they saw migrating geese, budding trees, and flowers that were beginning to bloom. The weather was still cold, however, and several times severe winds caused problems for the expedition. Once a sudden squall nearly overturned a priogue, and on another occasion, high winds forced the party to lay over for a day. Provisions and supplies were subject to damage from the spray, and some days the wind blew so hard that the crew made little progress, even using the towropes.”
The Mandan and Hidatsa told Lewis and Clark about some spots they should look for to make sure they were on the right track to find the beginning of the Missouri River. The first spot was where the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers came together. The next one they and we will be looking for are the great falls that all the natives on the plains knew about.
Animals also crossed the river above the falls. Near the shallow ford before the falls started, Clark reported seeing 10,000 buffalo concentrated within a two-mile stretch of river. Huge migratory herds grazed the prairie grasses heavily, churning the soil and incised deep cuts as they trailed across the landscape.
“To the delight of the captains, they found that the maps Clark had drawn from information provided by the Indians were accurate so far. The Little Missouri and the White Earth Rivers appeared where the Indians had said they would be. By now the explorers often saw grizzly bears in the distance, as well as grizzly tracks at the river’s edge.
April 25, 1805. “Here Lewis went on ahead, becoming the first of the party to see the Yellowstone River. He was not the first white man to see it, however—trappers had named it years earlier.” That day he wrote, “I ascended the hills from where I had a most pleasing view of the country, particularly of the wide and fertile valleys formed by the Missouri and the Yellowstone Rivers.”
When we were in the Williston area of North Dakota in 2020, we really enjoyed our visit to where the Missouri and the Yellowstone rivers converge and walking through the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center that highlights this place.
inside the interpretive center
I’m going to share just a couple of the pictures from the center, but if you want to see more about this area and how it grew over the years, click on this link for part 22, especially information about the steamboats on the Missouri River, and a second link to part 23 to take you back to when we were here in 2020.
Two million years ago the Missouri River used to flow into Hudson Bay. Then about 600,000 years ago, some glaciers came along and blocked the way north, so the river took a turn to the southeast. It has been flowing this direction ever since. Amazing what glaciers will do.
walk along the river
Before the European colonization of North America, the use of animals for food and clothing seem to have been in balance with wildlife populations. Once native people could trade pelts for cloth, blankets, iron goods, and guns, the harvest of fur-bearing animals increased rapidly and soon wiped out local populations.
The beaver’s soft underhairs were shaved from pelts and felted for hats and other uses. Many beaver populations were wiped out by the mid-1800s, but in the past 75 years, beavers have repopulated most of their former habitats.
The beaver dam in front of you has been maintained for many years. Beavers mate for life and live in colonies of one or two family groups, which usually include adult pairs, kits, and yearlings. The deep water behind the dam provides a storage area for winter food.
William Clark wrote on August 3, 1806, as he was exploring the Yellowstone River on his way home, about what he saw about the beaver and otter.
the confluence
Above the floodplain a vast prairie stretched for miles, with only an occasional range of hills and woody ravines to break up the skyline. The confluence area was a favored hunting ground for numerous Native American tribes, who came from all direction to partake of its bountiful fish and wildlife resources.
For many generations, Native peoples came from all directions for the abundant bison and other game, using only seasonal settlements in order to follow migrating herds. As a result, this area was significant for both intertribal trade and hostilities.
During the winter at Fort Mandan, Lewis and Clark heard much about the Yellowstone River and its confluence with the Missouri River from native hunters. The American Fur Company built Fort Union Trading Post, at a place commended by Clark, to serve the Assiniboine and other Northern Plains tribes. For much of its long history (1828-1867), it served as the westernmost port for shipping furs by steamboat to the East. [More about this fort being the center for trading in the next post.]
Today the Army Corps of Engineers manage the water flow of the Missouri River from six major reservoirs to supply water for downstream needs. The Yellowstone River, in contrast, remains the largest free-flowing river in the country.
Lewis continued to write on April 24, 1805, “. . . [the rivers] which occasionally unmasked by the wood on their borders disclose their meanderings for many miles in their passage through these delightfull tracts of country.”
The Yellowstone and Missouri River Confluence remains largely undeveloped because it was within the military reservation of Fort Buford. If Fort Buford had not been built here the confluence area would most likely have been the site of a city such as Williston. We didn’t go to Fort Buford today, but we did visit on our previous trip. If you would like to learn more, here’s our blog post that covers this important fort, especially as to how it was part of Sitting Bull’s surrender.
a real look at the 2 rivers
Now on to Fort Union Trading Post just down the road from where we are today.
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