Camp River Dubois
Hartford, IL
Camp River Dubois, IL was where the Corps of Discovery made preparations from December 1803 to May 1804 for the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and points west to the Pacific Ocean. The Corps left Camp River Dubois on Monday May 14th, 1804.

The Lewis & Clark State Historic Site is located south of where the original camp was located. In the museum the "Visions" gallery compares President Jefferson's visions of the west with those of the British, French, and Spanish Leaders. Period farming tools and images of Native Americans are found here. The Convergence Theatre presents a 12 minute video titled "Journey's Edge" designed to evoke the emotion of anticipation that the Corps must have felt before departure. The "Bound for the Westward" gallery contains a full size keel boat (55 feet long and over 30 feet tall). On one side, visitors can see the exterior of the boat and on the other, the interior showing supplies and equipment. Outside the museum is a recreated stockade that the Corps lived in while preparing for the exploration. This museum is located just south of Hartford, IL and north of I-270 on IL-3. Row 1--#2-4-Keel Boat, #5-6 examples of cargo. Row 2--#1-equipment used by Lewis & Clark, #2-the iron boat that didn't work, #3-6 cut away of the boat. Row 3--#1-cut away of supplies, #2-information about stockade, #3-5-outside of stockade, #6-main fire pits. L & C stayed in center three roomed building, others stayed in four similar one room barracks in each corner of stockade. Row 4--#1-sled used in winter, #2-wooden chimney, #3-5-Orderly room in L & C building, #6-L & C's room had full fireplace, Row 5--#1-L & C's room, #2-person telling about the stockade, #3-4-L & C building storage area, # 5-6-barracks with 6 two-person wide bunks. Row 6-#1-2-shows barracks with smoky fire pit and no chimney, #3-4-another recreated Camp Dubois that is north of State Historic Site in Wood River, it is located closer to where the real location is thought to be under the Mississippi River, #5-map shows possible location, #6-shows river ox bow bend that is no longer connected to Mississippi River..