William Clark

This American soldier, together with the famous Meriwether Lewis, secretary to Thomas Jefferson, led the expedition that explored the upper Louisiana Territory to the Pacific coast. Starting near Wood River, Illinois in May 1804, the expedition pushed north and west to the Pacific Ocean by boat, horseback and on foot.

After two years and four months they returned to St. Louis. In 1809, Meriwether Lewis started back to Washington, D.C. to report to President Jefferson but never made it. He was either murdered or committed suicide – neither was proven, and the crime remains unsolved. Clark remained in St. Louis and became the Indian Agent for Missouri Territory.