Mayor Proclaims Lewis & Clark Boat House Day in honor of 20 years on the Missouri’s Banks

Mayor of St. Charles proclaims Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum Day, July 1, 2023

WHEREAS: For 20 years, the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum has shared the history of the epic Expedition in the spot where the famous explorers camped in May 1804;

WHEREAS: The museum traces its roots to 1985, when Mimi and Darold Jackson opened the Lewis & Clark Center, an educational museum telling the story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition on Main Street and to the historical research and craftsmanship of Glen Bishop who created replicas of the explorers’ boats;

WHEREAS: The museum is rated as one of the top attractions in St. Charles, with more than 25,000 annual visitors and status as an official destination on the National Park Service’s Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. By virtue of its location, the museum is a welcome destination for travelers on the National Trail, the Katy Trail and the Missouri River – including serving as the finish line for canoeists and kayakers paddling from Kansas City in the MR340 each year;

WHEREAS: The museum is a favorite destination for school and senior groups, hosting more than 200 school groups annually, developing a series of films based on key episodes in the Expedition, and using its location on the banks of the Missouri to educate about the history and science behind the life of the river;

WHEREAS: The Boat House was created along the banks of the Missouri River in order to serve as dry dock for three full-size replica historic boats and to be home for the museum’s displays and artifacts and headquarters of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, a crew of re-enactors and historians who re-enacted the full journey of Lewis & Clark from 2003-2006;

WHEREAS: This anniversary year, the Museum has embarked on a capital campaign to expand its classroom space and improve exhibits, lighting, garden and event space and celebrating the many volunteers, founders and partners who have contributed along the way;

WHEREAS: The mission of the Lewis & Clark Boat House, Museum and Discovery Expedition of St. Charles is to provide genuine living history and museum experiences that promote education and the study of our national heritage during the period surrounding the historic Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1803-1806;

WHEREAS: The organization strives to educate all people who visit the Boat House and Museum on the challenges faced by the Corps of Discovery, their recordings of new floral and fauna, their encounters with the many indigenous people, and the story of the organization’s Bicentennial re-enactment.

WHEREAS: The Museum is a proud and active partner with the City of St. Charles, the County of St. Charles, our Chamber of Commerce and many festivals and civic organizations.

NOW THEREFORE I, Daniel J. Borgmeyer, Mayor of the City of St. Charles, Mo, do hereby declare July 1, 2023, “Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum Day” and heartily congratulate the Museum on its milestone anniversary and its most welcome presence as a landmark on our historic waterfront.

Celebrating 20 years on the banks of the Missouri River!