Camp Dubois

[1] In 1803, at Cahokia, Lewis and Clark had met a well known French citizen, Nicholas Jarrot, who owned 400 acres on the river du Bois, and he agreed to let them establish their camp there.

Captain Meriwether Lewis joined the camp several weeks later after gathering information about Upper Louisiana and the west from Cahokia, Kaskaskia, St. Louis and other locations.

Also during this time, Lewis took the opportunity to smooth relations with the Spanish authorities in St Louis to make the transfer of the Louisiana Purchase easier.

They had inspections, marched, stood guard duty and hunted to supplement their military rations.

The Historic Site contains a museum center and reconstructed replica of Camp Dubois.