Lewis and Clark State Historic Site to commemorate explorers' arrival at Camp River Dubois Dec. 13-14

SPRINGFIELD - The 222nd anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's arrival at their Illinois winter encampment will be commemorated Dec. 13-14 at Camp River Dubois at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Madison County.

Activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the site's interpretive center. The event is free and open to the public.

Reenactors and demonstrators will interpret life for the Lewis and Clark Expedition soldiers while wintering at Camp River Dubois from December 1803 to May 1804. Visitors will see how the training and preparation at Camp River Dubois forged the Corps of Discovery and prepared it for a strenuous journey.

Soldiers in period uniforms will share their equipment and experiences from that era. The War of 1812 artillery unit will display and interpret their cannon and equipment. Some of the Expedition soldiers went on to serve during this conflict. A replica of one of the Expedition's boats, the White Pirogue, will help visitors experience the scale of the Expedition.

Exhibitors will share unique elements of the early 19th century. Steve Bollini will discuss the hunting and fishing that fed soldiers at Camp River Dubois. Jeffrey Edison will explore York's role as the only enslaved member of the expedition. Mark West will discuss historic tools needed to build and repair Expedition equipment. Other skilled artisans will discuss the industrious skills required to turn raw materials into clothing in the early 1800s.

St. Nicholas will be there between 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day. Children are invited to take pictures with St. Nicholas and see how gifts were shared with children in the early 1800s. This tradition goes back to the French colonial communities in the early Illinois Country.

The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site is in Hartford in Madison County. The interpretive center and reconstructed Camp River Dubois reveal the important role Illinois played in the Corp of Discovery's preparations as they wintered from December 1803 to May 1804. The site's winter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The site is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and supported by the Lewis and Clark Society of America.