290304 Lewis & Clark: The Whale at Seaside (Part 3 of 3)

The third part in the Lewis & Clark trilogy wrapped up the story of the Corps of Discovery by describing the last part of their journey west, all the way out to the coast, and then some incidents in the story of their return trip.

Once more, the February, 1929, issue of the Great Northern Goat magazine carried a brief explanation of the episode:

“The first March program will revert back to Lewis and Clark, telling something of their experiences while on the Pacific Coast and their adventures on the return journey, particularly Captain Lewis’ fight with the Indians in the upper Marias River country.

This will complete the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and on the following week the scene of the broadcast will be in far off California, land of sunshine and flowers.”

 

From the Visitor’s Bureau web site of the coastal town of Seaside, Oregon, we have this story of some of the activities of the Corps of Discovery near that location:

“In February 1806, Captain Lewis, with a party including Sacagawea and her husband Charbonneau, viewed the salt makers' camp and proceeded on to climb Tillamook Head in search of a large beached whale said to be on the sand south of the headland. They found the whale carcass and before returning, named a nearby creek the Ecola, the Indian word for whale. The salt makers' cairn is the westernmost encampment site of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and is an honored monument in Seaside."

 

With a long and arduous journey remaining to return home, the Corps of Discovery needed to restock their exhausted supply of salt to flavor their food and also help preserve some of their meat supplies. This they accomplished by developing a "salt works" at present-day Seaside. 


Photo postcard of the Salt Cairn (salt works) memorial at Seaside, Oregon. This enclosure was erected courtesy of the Great Northern Railway and dedicated on July 21, 1926, during the proceedings of the GN-sponsored Columbia River Historical Expedition.  (postcard from author's collection)

 

Although difficult to make out, this is an enlargement of the set of plaques visible in the photo above showing the Seaside Salt Cairn enclosure. The upper plaque reads "Site of Lewis and Clark Salt Camp 1805-6; Oregon Historical Society  Custodian". The lower plaque says "This enclosure was erected by the Great Northern Railway; A.D. 1926."

 

The NBC continuity writer assigned to this account (usually E.H. Bierstadt during the first season) typically wrote up the dialog, musical bridges, and so forth, and ensured a minute or two was left open at the beginning and ending of the show for the sponsor – the Great Northern Railway – to make whatever promotional pitch they desired. The opening and closing credits, as they were called, were wired to the NBC staff in New York City. This often happened only a day or two before the broadcast aired. The announcer did not usually need much time to rehearse the credits – just time enough for verification of name pronunciations and such, as needed, plus a chance to rehearse the complete production to confirm the overall timing of the show.

The head of the GN’s Advertising Department at the time, W.R. “Bob” Mills, wired the closing credits to Raymond Knight at NBC on March 1, 1929. These exact words might not have been spoken at the conclusion of the March 4, 1929, broadcast, but here is what was submitted to be aired:

“When you travel on the Oriental Limited over the Great Northern Railway to or from the vacation lands of Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park, Rainier National Park, The Mount Baker region, and the other recreational areas in the Pacific Northwest next summer you will pass a monument at Meriwether, Montana, erected to mark the farthest north point reached by Captain Lewis and his party as narrated in this evening’s program. You are cordially invited to spend your summer vacation this year in the Northwest and travel on the railway built by James J. Hill. Attractive booklets concerning personally escorted tours through this region will be mailed upon application to the Passenger Traffic Department, Great Northern Railway, Saint Paul, Minnesota, or the station to which you are listening.”

The monument at Meriwether was a tribute to Captain Lewis, and was erected near the site of his group’s Camp Disappointment – so named because it was hoped their exploration of the tributaries to the Missouri River would prove to lie north of the 50^th parallel, thus increasing the total coverage of the Louisiana Purchase. This was not the case. Nevertheless, this spot marked the northernmost location of the exploration of the Corps of Discovery. Lewis and the small contingent of men who were travelling with him at this point encountered some young Indian men, probably Blackfeet. A skirmish ensued, and two of the three young men were killed.

Vintage postcard showing the Meriwether Monument as it looked when erected in 1925 near Lewis's Camp Disappointment. (author's collection)

It seems there remains some antipathy toward Lewis & Clark on the part of certain Native Americans. No doubt the explorers’ epic journey signaled less excitement about a growing nation (of mostly transplanted Europeans) than it did a foreboding taste of bad times ahead. Whatever the motivation, there does not seem to be much interest in the Meriwether Monument these days among those who live in the area. Since it was erected by the Great Northern Railway, as part of the proceedings of the Upper Missouri Historical Expedition of 1925, the monument has suffered an ignominious fate. The bullet-ridden, pockmarked surface of the monolith is largely defaced with spray paint graffiti. Not everyone views history from the same perspective.