Life at Camp Dubois

Engraving from the 1810 publication of Patrick Gass’s journal showing members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition building Camp Dubois structures.

Library of Congress Printed and Photographs Division

William Clark and Meriwether Lewis spent the winter of 1803–1804 making final preparations for their expedition. Over the winter, they recruited more than two dozen additional men to the party. Clark stayed at Camp Dubois to train the men, while Lewis traveled around the region seeking information about the territory of the Upper Missouri.

What was life like at Camp Dubois? They spent the first few cold, winter weeks clearing land and constructing huts. With shelter in place, they began to prepare the boats, tools, and provisions needed for their journey. Men went out on hunting parties, bringing back turkeys, deer, and other animals to feed the crew. They also smoked, jerked, and dried meat for the trip—jerky would last much longer than fresh meat. A local woman offered to wash their clothes, for a fee, and they constructed a laundry structure for her. Sometimes the men drank too much.

Clark assigned special tasks to recruits with especially valuable skills, such as blacksmithing and carpentry. Men repaired guns and tools, as well as made sure the boats were water ready. Tapping trees for syrup to make into sugar was another task. Men assigned to such tasks received an extra ration of whiskey and an exemption from guard duty.

Because this was a military expedition, Clark conducted frequent firearms drills and marksmanship training. The men also practiced operating and maneuvering the keelboat and two pirogues they would take upriver.

Indigenous, French, and American river travelers often stopped at the camp to trade goods and information. On Christmas Day 1803, some visitors from a nearby Indigenous village came by to celebrate the holiday with the American, French, and Métis men spending the winter at the camp.

About this article: This article is part of series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.