Kids check out Camp DuBois

About Lewis&Clark

A rush to graduate so kid
can take two-year tour

A Belleville, Ill., youth has had his mind set on joining the two-year Lewis&Clark reenactment tour. But, he had a problem; he was still in school.

His answer: Speed up his studies and finish high school in two years.

Seventeen-year-old Josh Loftis said, "I wanted to graduate in two years so I could make the reenactment journey with my grandpa." He attended Faith Baptist School in Belleville.

Josh Loftis

Loftis and his grandfather, Bob Anderson, from Marysville, Ohio, are descendants of one of the crew member on the original 1804-06 exploration.

On the reenactment journey, Anderson is playing the role of his ancestor, George Shannon. Josh is one of the soldiers.

This winter, they've been camping at the newly-built Camp DuBois historic site in Wood River, Ill. That's the replica of the camp used by the Discovery crew during the winter of 1803-04. The location is across from where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi.

Their living conditions are very similar. The only heat is from a fireplace and the only light is from candles. Anderson said, "We try to keep it like it was 200 years ago."

Anderson and Loftis were on hand last month when 4th graders from Central Elementary School of Roxanna, Ill., came for a field trip. They were getting Lewis&Clark information before the reenactment crew breaks camp.

Justin Karpan

A full schedule of events has been set at Camp DuBois before the official departure date of Friday, May 14. (For information about those public events, see sidebar below.)

After the departure, the reenacters will move up the Missouri and on to the Pacific Ocean. They'll follow the original Discovery route and won't be back until 2006.

Josh and his grandfather are looking forward to "roughing it." But, some of the Central Elementary kids weren't quite sure they'd like to do that.

Nine-year-old Justin Karpan of East Alton, Ill., and 9-year-old Jane Pratt of Wood River said they're glad they won't be on the trip.

Jane Pratt

Jane has had no camp-out experience. She said, "I don't think I could last for two years." Also, she said she couldn't shoot animals for food. "I saw my cousin skin a squirrel one time. I didn't like it," she said.

Justin has had previous camping experience, including tent camping in the rain. He said his tent camping was usually at Pierre Marquette State Park on the Mississippi. He said his favorite part of camping is "sitting around the campfire and making 'smores'."

He said the family's camping trips now are with a 30-foot trailer.

About roughing it for two years, he said, "Probably not. I'd probably get bored."

Nate Voss

But, 10-year-old Nate Voss of Wood River said, "I like camping. I think I could last two years." He's camped in a tent and he thought he could do without modern technology.

"We have a no-TV rule at home now. TV goes off at 9 p.m every weekday and at 10 p.m. on the weekend," he said.

Nate said his favorite part of camping was "looking at the stars at night."

He thought the most interesting thing about the Camp DuBois field trip was learning about soap making. "They made their soap out of lye and animal fat," he said.

Jane's favorite was the rifle demonstrations by Josh Noftis. The kids saw two different types of firearms, a rifle and a musket. Jane said, "I thought it was pretty cool that they could shoot the musket three times in a minute."

She thought that was pretty good time. Each time the gun was fired, it had to be cleaned, loaded with new powder and shot before the next shot.

Justin was impressed by how primitive things were. "They must have had a rough time since they didn't have all our technology," he said.

But, the new Camp DuBois gives visitors a sense of that original camp.

From Clark's journal of 1803, here's the description of the original site:

"Dec. 12, 1803. It was December 12 when the Corps of Discovery arrived at the mouth of the DuBois River, Illinois, 18 miles above St. Louis. Proceeded up the river for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 miles to a high rise overlooking a very beautiful prairie to the east and proceeded to clear and build a camp."

Many Central Elementary kids said they'd like to come back to the camp during "departure day" events in May.

Robert Anderson talks to kids

The departure events schedule at Camp DuBois

A number of events are scheduled before, during and after the Lewis&Clark reenactors depart from Camp DuBois. The actual departure date is Friday, May 14.

Camp DuBois is located at the northeast corner of Illinois Rtes. 143 and 3 in Wood River.

For more information, call (618) 254-1993.

The departure schedule:

• May 1-2: Fifth annual Rendezvous at Camp DuBois. There will be a black powder shoot, pioneer demonstrations, a children's tent and more.
• May 7: Lewis&Clark Trivia Night at Memories Banquet Center in Wood River.
• May 12: Farewell to the Corps' dinner at Midtown Banquet Hall in Wood River.
• May 13: Lewis&Clark Bicentennial celebration at Benbow Park in Wood River.
• May 13: Ceremonial tree planting and National Guard display at Camp DuBois.
• May 14: Departure of Corps of Discovery from Camp DuBois.
• May 16: Haunted Campfire Tales with Troy Taylor at Camp DuBois in Wood River.