FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Stephen Powell, CEO, Greater St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau,

636-946-7776 or toll free 800-366-2427

www.historicstcharles.com

Signature Event Contact:
Ms. Venetia McEntire
636-947-7000 info@booneslick.com
Website: www.lewisandclarkstcharles.com

Saint Charles, Missouri prepares to host signature event during 2004 Lewis & Clark Bicentennial

Only 15 American communities have been selected by the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial as sites for national heritage signature events during the bicentennial commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 2003-2006.

St. Charles: Preparations Complete, the Expedition Faces West
St. Charles, Missouri
May 14-23, 2004

May 14th, 2004 marks the start of the national commemoration events in Saint Charles and the Annual Lewis and Clark Heritage Days Festival. A replica of Lewis & Clark’s keelboat will arrive in Saint Charles on May 15th from Camp River DuBois, just as it did 200 years ago with Captain Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Saint Charles is where Clark awaited the arrival of Captain Lewis from St. Louis on May 20th, 1804. The keelboat’s arrival kicks off over a week full of events commemorating the historic union and life in the early 1800s.

The St. Charles Corps of Discovery keelboat and pirogues will be on display throughout the event and crew members will be available to meet and talk with visitors as they prepare for the journey westward. Weekends will include colorful reveille and retreat ceremonies with over 25 fife and drum corps and military units from across the United States. The Lewis and Clark Heritage Days Festival is the largest of its kind in the country.

An authentic reenactment of Lewis & Clark's encampment will be a focal point of the event. The reenactment will include reconstructed buildings and interpreters in authentic dress representing the village of St. Charles and its 450 inhabitants in 1804. Foods from the time period, over 60 booths of 19th century crafts, musters, a Native American encampment, and horse and carriage parades will continue through the event, giving visitors the opportunity to step back in time and experience life as Lewis & Clark did.

The event concludes May 23, 2004, with this Missouri riverfront community bidding farewell to the keelboat and pirogues, manned by the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles crew, as they head upriver and away from civilization.

Following is a tentative schedule of events. Changes and additions to the schedule can be found on the following websites: www.historicstcharles.com or www.lewisandclarkstcharles.com:

St. Charles Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission

Preparations Complete, the Expedition Faces West

National Signature Event

May 14 - 23, 2004

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles at a Glance:

(Reenacting the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery)

May 15: Arrive at Frontier Park at approximately 3:00 PM

May 15-23: Encamped in Frontier Park; demonstrations, programs for schools and general public

May 21, 10:00 AM: Dedication of the William Clark Monument in Bellefontaine Cemetery. An honor guard from the Discovery Expedition will participate in the ceremony.

May 21, 3:30 PM: Ceremonial departure commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the original departure

May 23, 3:00 PM: Departure from St. Charles and journey up the Missouri River

Descriptions of Ongoing and Daily Events

Ongoing Events

All events are free unless indicated otherwise.

Dates: May 9 – June 20

The River Barge will leave St. Louis, then enter and cruise up the Missouri River to St. Charles. Reservations required. For information, call: 1-888-GO-BARGE. On the internet, go to www.riverbarge.com or email reservations@riverbarge.com

The St. Charles County Historical Society, in conjunction with several other organizations in the county, will present an exposition of St. Charles County. Elements of the exposition will consist of a celebration of the descendants of 1804 residents, historical exhibits, and programs depicting period reenactments. The exhibits will feature the significant events and people that shaped the county before, during, and after the Expedition.

Dates: May 14 – 23; Mon.-Sat., 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sun., 12 Noon – 5:00 PM

Location: Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center, Bishop’s Landing, 1050 South Riverside Drive Phone: 636-947-3199

This site includes Lewis and Clark museum exhibits, nature displays, book store and gift shop. Self-guided tours of the museum are available. Admission fees for museum: Adults - $2.00; under 17 - $1.00.

Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center, Bishop’s Landing, 1050 South Riverside Drive

The exhibit is produced by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The maps compare the path of the Missouri River today and its path through the state of Missouri in 1804. It also includes locations of Lewis and Clark campsites in Missouri.

Lewis and Clark Panel Exhibit

Location: Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center, Bishop’s Landing, 1050 South Riverside Drive

Exhibit produced by the Missouri Historical Society. Panels show items from the traveling Lewis and Clark Exhibit.

Tours of First State Capitol

Location: First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site, 200 South Main Street Phone: 636-940-3322

Missouri’s state capitol was located in St. Charles from 1821 – 1826. The original capitol building has been refurbished to that time period. One hour guided tours are presented. Admission fees: Adults - $2.50; under 12 - $1.50.

Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, a group recreating the Lewis and Clark Expedition, arrives at the riverfront at about noon on Saturday, May 15. During their stay, they will conduct various programs related to the boats and other aspects of the journey. They will depart St. Charles on May 23. Weekday programs are free and open to the public and registered school groups. For schools to register, call 636-947-3199.

Location: South Main Street

Portrayals of everyday life in 1804 St. Charles: Buying and selling of products, food preparation, social events, and many more.

Portraying the Spanish military that protected the St. Charles area up until the time of the Louisiana Purchase, members of the Milicia de San Carlos present a program of demonstrations illustrating military and civilian activities of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Scheduled demonstrations include cannon firing, bullet making, spinning of thread, and more. Programs are free and open to the public and registered school groups. Schools can register by calling 636-947-3199.

Bureau of Land Management: Early 1800s Land and Survey Office

Interactive programs demonstrate surveying techniques as used by Lewis and Clark and surveying techniques as used today. While the Monday – Friday, May 17 – 21, programs are geared to school groups, the general public is also welcome. Programs on Saturday and Sunday, May 22 – 23 are open to the public. Schools can register for the weekday programs by calling 636-947-3199.

Corps II houses a self guided tour of the National Park Service’s traveling Lewis and Clark Museum. Aspects of the expedition are presented from the points of view of the explorers and the Native Americans they met.

Nationally known and local area speakers present programs related to the many aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A listing and schedule of speakers will be announced soon.

The Pow Wow is an annual event in Portage des Sioux, north of St. Charles on Hwy. 94. Native American dances, music, and skills are presented. A speakers’ seminar is also scheduled. Call 636-753-2335 for information.

‘Mercantile Hall’ Exhibitor Tent

‘Mercantile Hall’ includes exhibits from other National Signature Events, vendors with Lewis and Clark memorabilia, and exhibits by various government and private organizations.

Call 636-946-7776 or 800-366-2427, or email slindgren@global-spectrum.com for information about being a vendor/exhibitor.

Note: Most of these events are scheduled to occur both weekends, unless otherwise noted.

Ceremony in which Native American symbols are presented and the colonial flags of Spain and France are raised, along with the 1804 U. S. Star Spangled Banner. Participation by military reenactment groups, fife and drum corps, and Native American representatives.

St. Charles’ Lewis and Clark National Signature Event: Preparations Complete, the Expedition Faces West formally opens. Participation by representatives of the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council, St. Charles Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission, Mayor, City Council members, and more.

Ongoing demonstrations of early 1800s skills by various artisans: blacksmith, potter, basket maker, broom maker, bow maker, silversmith, candlemaker, pewtersmith, wigwam builder, leather tanner, spinner, weaver, Windsor chair maker, surgeon, and more.

Games, toys, and activities of the early 1800s are demonstrated. Participation by the public is encouraged.

Location: Begins at South Main St. and Boone’s Lick Rd; moves north on Main to Jefferson St.

The parade includes horse drawn carriages and carts, mounted horses, military reenactment groups, fife and drum corps, and more.

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles reenacts the arrival of the Corps of Discovery using full-scale replicas of the keelboat and two pirogues. They will then set up camp in Frontier Park and will participate in events through May 23. Exact arrival time and location will depend on river conditions.

The Morgan Horse Club showcases the characteristics and skills of this American horse breed.

Largest Fife & Drum Corps Muster west of the Mississippi. Each participating corps will present a show of military and popular tunes of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Hosted by the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps of St. Charles.

Demonstrations show military tactics and use of weapons. Participants include military groups representing Spanish, French, British, and American forces of the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and War of 1812. Program includes the demonstration of muskets and artillery.

Lowering of the flags. Participation by military reenactment groups and fife and drum corps.

Meal and entertainment on the River Barge. Reservations required. For information, call: 1-888-GO-BARGE. On the internet, go to www.riverbarge.com or email reservations@riverbarge.com

The St. Charles Municipal Band presents a concert of patriotic music. Cannon fire accompanies the 1812 Overture finale.

Worship service conducted in nondenominational fashion. Music and inspirational readings.

The mass commemorates the one attended by twenty members of the Corps of Discovery.

150 – 200 members of individual fife and drum corps combine into a single massed band to parade through Main Street and in Frontier Park.

The National Geodetic Survey and the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors unveil a commemorative survey marker commissioned especially for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.

Begins with a flintlock musket reliability shoot. Each participant fires blank rounds until his or her weapon fails to fire, which leads to disqualification. Prize awarded to the winner. The Tru Dengler Memorial Skillet Throw follows the reliability shoot. Ladies toss a #10 cast iron skillet. Prizes awarded for distance and accuracy.

The St. Charles-based Missouri Choral Society, with support from the Crescendo Concert Series, presents two performances of A Celebration of Early American Folk Music: Music from the time of Lewis and Clark's historic exploration. Admission is free. The Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of Gamble and Watson Streets. From the main event area, take Jefferson Street west. After crossing the intersection at Kingshighway, Jefferson becomes Watson. Follow Watson to Gamble. For more information call Missouri Choral Society at 314-849-1912 or e-mail kgg@networkusa.net

The American Indian Center of the Midwest presents a competition Pow Wow open to all Tribes. Friday’s are set-up and preparation. On Saturday, there will be opening ceremonies, competition dancing, and a symposium in which scholars will discuss issues relevant to the Lewis and Clark period. Sunday includes dancing, awards, and closing ceremonies. Call 636-753-2335 for information.

Several Missouri based authors will have their Lewis and Clark related books available for signing. Scheduled authors include Carolyn Gilman, Jim Denny, Jim Harlan, Bob Moore and Michael Haynes.

Discovery Expedition of St. Charles makes its final departure from St. Charles as the keelboat and two pirogues head up the Missouri River and into the wilderness.

Members of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles and the Milicia de San Carlos will raise the 15 star U. S. flag, Missouri state flag, and St. Charles city flag each morning and retire them each evening.

The BLM presents “The Surly Surveyor”, an interactive program for students. The program illustrates surveying techniques as used by Lewis and Clark. The general public is also invited. School groups must pre-register. Call 636-947-3199 for information.

Re-enactors portraying the Corps of Discovery will present student oriented programs illustrating aspects of the expedition, including the full-scale replicas of the keelboat and two pirogues. The general public is also invited. School groups must pre-register. Call 636-947-3199 for information.

Members of the Milicia de San Carlos conduct student oriented demonstrations of military and civilian skills of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries including cannon and musket firing, bullet making, spinning and carding wool, and more. The general public is also invited. School groups must pre-register. Call 636-947-3199 for information

Location: Begins at Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, 230 South Main Street

Take a guided tour of historic South Main Street; nine blocks are on the National Historic Register. The architecture ranges from the Colonial to the Victorian period. Fees: 1.50 per adult and .75 for children. Call 636-946-7776 or 800-366-2427 for information and reservations.

This ceremony honors the first day of release for the new Lewis & Clark Commemorative Stamp.

A reception for descendants of 1804 St. Charles residents and descendants of members of the Corps of Discovery is sponsored by the St. Charles County Historical Society. Descendants may qualify by applying for the Lewis and Clark Era Descendants Project (description below). For information and applications, call the Historical Society at 636-946-9828, or email at scchs@mail.win.org. More information is also available at the Society’s website: www.win.org/library/other/historical_society

The Lewis and Clark Era Descendant Project has been initiated to identify and honor the descendants of residents of St. Charles County in 1804 – 06 when the Corps of Discovery was in the region. The Descendant Project is an opportunity for descendants of residents who lived within the current boundaries of St. Charles County during the Lewis and Clark era to be certified by the St. Charles County Historical Society. The application fee is $5.00 and qualifying direct descendants will be awarded a certificate and will be honored by the St. Charles Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission at ceremonies during the National Signature Event in St. Charles from May 14 to 23, 2004.

The Symphony presents a program of eighteenth and nineteenth music. Also included is a recently composed “Lewis and Clark: A Symphonic Poem for Chamber Orchestra”. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

The Municipal Band begins their Summer Concert Series with a program of patriotic and popular music. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

The recently refurbished monument marks William Clark’s gravesite. Participants in the ceremony include Clark’s descendants and an honor guard from the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles.

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles reenacts the departure of the Corps of Discovery from St. Charles on the 200^th anniversary of the event. The Discovery Expedition will return after the ceremonial departure to participate in the events continuing on May 22^nd and 23^rd.

The meal includes a number of dishes prepared as they would have been in 1804. Reservations required. Information about time, reservations, and cost will be available soon.