Calumet Bluff

Last updated
Calumet Bluff
Calumet Bluff, Nebraska.jpg
Calumet Bluff, viewed
from Gavins Point Dam
USA Nebraska relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Calumet Bluff in Nebraska
CountryUnited States
Location Cedar County, Nebraska, U.S.
Coordinates 42°51′43″N97°29′06″W / 42.86194°N 97.48500°W / 42.86194; -97.48500 Coordinates: 42°51′43″N97°29′06″W / 42.86194°N 97.48500°W / 42.86194; -97.48500
Website
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Gavins Point Dam / Lewis and Clark Lake

Calumet Bluff is a hill about 180 feet high overlooking Lewis and Clark Lake and the Missouri River in Cedar County, Nebraska, U.S., where the Lewis and Clark Expedition held its first council with the Sioux Indians for two days in 1804. Today the Bluff forms the right or south abutment of the Gavins Point Dam. [1] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center and the Gavins Point Project Administration Offices on Calumet Bluff overlooking the dam. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The Lewis and Clark Expedition's Corps of Discovery camped below Calumet Bluff during the period of August 28 to September 1, 1804. In his diary, Clark noted the bluff was "Called White Bear Clift, one of those animals haveing been killed in a whole in it[sic]." [4] The bluff is often called "White Bear Cliff" in historical records, but is now more commonly called Calumet Bluffs. A "Calumet" refers to a peace pipe, [this is a misinterpretation, at that time it was a name given to a Golden Eagle; eagles nest on bluffs and their feathers were probably on the peace pipe]. [5] To this day, the bluff matches Lewis and Clark's description of it as "composed of a yellowish red, and brownish clay as hard as chalk."

It was at Calumet Bluff that the Corps had their first encounter with the Yankton-Sioux Tribe on August 30, 1804, meeting with them for two days. Folklore claims that a male child was born into the Yankton tribe while Lewis and Clark were meeting with them on Calumet Bluff. When he heard this, Capt. Lewis had the child brought forward and wrapped him in an American flag. Lewis predicted that the boy would become a leader of his tribe and a friend of the white men. The child grew up to be the famous Yankton Chief Padaniapapi, or "Struck By The Ree." [6]

Today, Calumet Bluff is a Federally-protected area by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a part of the Lewis and Clark Lake - Gavins Point Dam Project and is located along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The USACE maintains two scenic overlooks and the Calumet Bluff Trail - a 0.9 mile hiking trail along the bluffs overlooking the lake.

See also

Related Research Articles

Missouri River Major river in the central United States

The Missouri River is the longest river in North America. Rising in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, the Missouri flows east and south for 2,341 miles (3,767 km) before entering the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. The river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 km2), which includes parts of ten U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Although nominally considered a tributary of the Mississippi, the Missouri River above the confluence is much longer and carries a comparable volume of water. When combined with the lower Mississippi River, it forms the world's fourth longest river system.

Yankton County, South Dakota U.S. county in South Dakota

Yankton County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 22,438. Its county seat is Yankton. Yankton County comprises the Yankton, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Yankton, South Dakota City in South Dakota, United States

Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States.

Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

This is the timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the American West, 1803-1806.

Charles Floyd (explorer) American explorer and member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Charles Floyd was an American explorer, a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, and the quartermaster of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A native of Kentucky, he was a son of Robert Clark Floyd, a nephew of James John Floyd, a cousin of Virginia governor John Floyd, and possibly a relative of William Clark. He was one of the first men to join the expedition, and the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die during the expedition.

Fort Randall Dam Dam in Gregory County and Charles Mix County, South Dakota.

Fort Randall Dam is a 2.03 mi (3 km) long earthen dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lake Francis Case, the 11th largest reservoir in the U.S. The dam joins Gregory and Charles Mix County, South Dakota a distance of 880 river miles (1,416 km) upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and Hydroelectric power plant were constructed by and are currently operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Oahe Dam Dam in Hughes/Stanley counties, South Dakota

The Oahe Dam is a large earthen dam on the Missouri River, just north of Pierre, South Dakota, United States. The dam creates Lake Oahe, the fourth-largest man-made reservoir in the United States. The reservoir stretches 231 miles (372 km) up the course of the Missouri to Bismarck, North Dakota. The dam's power plant provides electricity for much of the north-central United States. It is named for the Oahe Indian Mission established among the Lakota Sioux in 1874.

Lake Oahe

Lake Oahe is a large reservoir behind Oahe Dam on the Missouri River; it begins in central South Dakota and continues north into North Dakota in the United States. The lake has an area of 370,000 acres (1,500 km2) and a maximum depth of 205 ft (62 m). By volume, it is the fourth-largest reservoir in the US. Lake Oahe has a length of approximately 231 mi (372 km) and has a shoreline of 2,250 mi (3,620 km). 51 recreation areas are located along Lake Oahe, and 1.5 million people visit the reservoir every year. The lake is named for the 1874 Oahe Indian Mission.

Floyd River

The Floyd River is a tributary of the Missouri River, 112 miles (180 km) long, in northwestern Iowa in the United States. It enters the Missouri at Sioux City, and is named for Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Gavins Point Dam Dam in Cedar County, Nebraska and Yankton County, South Dakota.

Gavins Point Dam is a 1.9 mi (3 km) long embankment rolled-earth and chalk-fill dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lewis and Clark Lake. The dam joins Cedar County, Nebraska with Yankton County, South Dakota a distance of 811.1 river miles (1,305 km) upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and hydroelectric power plant were constructed as the Gavins Point Project from 1952 to 1957 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan. The dam is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west or upstream of Yankton, South Dakota.

Lewis and Clark Lake Man-made lake in Nebraska and South Dakota, United States

Lewis and Clark Lake is a 31,400 acre (130 km²) reservoir located on the border of the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota on the Missouri River. The lake is approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length with over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 45 feet (14 m). The lake is impounded by Gavins Point Dam and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.

Missouri National Recreational River

The Missouri National Recreational River is a National Recreational River located on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota. The designation was first applied in 1978 to a 59-mile section of the Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam and Ponca State Park. In 1991, an additional 39-mile section between Fort Randall Dam and Niobrara, Nebraska, was added to the designation. These two stretches of the Missouri River are the only parts of the river between Montana and the mouth of the Missouri that remain undammed or unchannelized. The last 20 miles of the Niobrara River and 6 miles of Verdigre Creek were also added in 1991.

Lake Yankton (South Dakota)

Lake Yankton, also called Cottonwood Lake, is an artificial lake that was originally part of the main channel of the Missouri River on the border of the U.S. States of Nebraska and South Dakota, near Yankton, South Dakota. The lake has an approximate surface area of 250 acres (100 ha) and has a maximum depth of 18 feet (5.5 m). The lake is located immediately downstream (east) of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake, located just north of the current location of the main channel of the Missouri River.

Lewis & Clark Recreation Area

Lewis and Clark Recreation Area is a State Recreation Area in southeastern South Dakota, near Yankton. The Recreation Area is located on the northern shore of the 31,400-acre Lewis and Clark Lake, a large Missouri River Reservoir, impounded by Gavins Point Dam.

Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area (Nebraska)

Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area (SRA) is an 864-acre State Recreation Area located on the southern shore of Lewis and Clark Lake, in northeastern Nebraska. The recreation area is located in Knox County, approximately 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Crofton. The recreation area is managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Chief White Crane Recreation Area

Chief White Crane Recreation Area is a state recreation area in southeastern South Dakota, United States. It is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Yankton and located on the shores of the Missouri River and Lake Yankton. The recreation area is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake.

Pierson Ranch Recreation Area

Pierson Ranch Recreation Area is a state recreation area in Yankton County, South Dakota in the United States. The recreation area is 60 acres (24 ha) and lies directly below Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake and is adjacent to Lake Yankton. The area is open for year-round recreation including camping, swimming, fishing, hiking and boating. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Yankton.

Training Dike Recreation Area

Training Dike Recreation Area, also called Training Dike Day-Use Area is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public recreation area located immediately downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake on the north bank of the Missouri River. The area is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Yankton. The area is located mostly in Cedar County, Nebraska, with a small portion located in Yankton County, South Dakota.

Cottonwood Recreation Area (Nebraska)

Cottonwood Recreation Area is a public recreation area located in Cedar County, Nebraska, U.S.. It is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Yankton and located on the shores of Lake Yankton. The recreation area is located immediately downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake. It is named for Cottonwood Island, an original island located in the Missouri River, for the large groves of Cottonwood Trees that dominate the area. The recreation area is owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

References

  1. "Gavins Point Dam—Lewis & Clark Lake". National Park Service.
  2. "Lewis and Clark Visitor Center". VisitNebraska.com. Nebraska Tourism Commission. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  3. "Gavins Point Dam & Lewis & Clark Lake". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  4. "The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, September 1, 1804". University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
  5. Lewis and Clark Journal, August 21, 1805 see reference to Calumet in their journal from Thomas O'Neill and I have been telling the Park Service this for about 15 years!
  6. "Calumet Bluff". Missouri River Institute, University of South Dakota.

Further Information