Lewis and Clark in Kentucky – Henderson
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Historical Marker #2220 in Henderson County commemorates the famed explorers Lewis and Clark and their journey through Henderson County. Robert Frazer, who joined Lewis and Clark on their expedition, visited Henderson several times after the expedition.
Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their Corps of Discovery had their first encounter with Henderson in November 1803. Their historic excursion floated them down the Ohio River, which borders Henderson County. Documenting as they went, Lewis, Clark, and their crew traveled more than eight thousand miles to the Pacific Ocean.
The health of the travelers was a major issue on the expedition, and Robert Frazer holds the distinction of being the first man to be bled by Captain Lewis in 1804 after suffering sunstroke. His map of the Northwest is on display in the Library of Congress.
After the journey to the Pacific and the party returned to Virginia, Frazer moved to St. Louis. In October 1806, Frazer received a bond for land from Lewis and Clark for "having faithfully complied with the several stipulations of his agreement." In St. Louis and New Orleans he worked alongside the Louisiana Militia and the United States government to thwart the Aaron Burr conspirators. It was in his travels between St. Louis and Washington when he visited Henderson settler and Revolutionary War veteran, Samuel Hopkins, on two occasions in 1807.
Robert Frazer lived out the remainder of his life in Missouri, where he died in 1837.
Files
Map of the Northwest
Located in the Library of Congress, Robert Frazer drew this map of his journey on the Lewis and Clark expedition. He intended to release the map along with a journal. However, the journal was misplaced before it was released. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Ohio River
Lewis and Clark's expedition to the Pacific Ocean led them to travel down the Ohio River, including stops in Henderson, which borders the river. Courtesy of the University of Kentucky.
The Lewis and Clark National Forest
On their expedition, Captains Lewis and Clark discovered uncharted territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean, including what became this National Park in Montana named in their honor. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
William Clark
William Clark, pictured here, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition was the brother of George Rogers Clark. Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society.