Our Daily Show Interview! Lewis and Clark Departure Days Weekend May 10-11
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
HARTFORD - Community members are invited to learn more about the Lewis and Clark expedition and 19th century life at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site.
Located at 1 Lewis and Clark Trail in Hartford, the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site will host their annual free Point of Departure Commemoration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, 2025. Attendees can interact with reenactors, presenters and artisans who will share more about life in the 1800s and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
“This is the event at Lewis and Clark State Historic Site for the year,” said organizer Ben Pollard. “We want people to come back and be excited when they’re talking about history.”
Pollard, Mike Bortko and Mike Kaufman have worked hard to organize this year’s Departure Day event. They are especially excited to welcome back Kurt Smith, who Bortko described as “the reigning Thomas Jefferson at Colonial Williamsburg.” Smith will present a lecture and answer questions in character as Thomas Jefferson.
This year, attendees can expect woodworking, blacksmithing, candle-making, leatherworking, gunsmithing and more demonstrations throughout both days. There will also be cannon and musket demonstrations, and the War of 1812 American 2nd Regiment Artillery will be on hand to answer questions about military service in the 19th century.
Bortko himself will be onsite with a replica of the “White Pirogue” boat, and he will share more about how the explorers navigated the river. He is eager to demystify the process for visitors.
“A 55-foot keelboat replica is in the museum proper,” Bortko explained. “We pull out the ‘White Pirogue’ out of our garage and set it up on the grounds. We talk about certainly the dimensions and how they propelled a 32-foot vehicle up the river against the current.”
Pollard noted that all of the artisans and presenters can adjust their presentations to any age group, and everyone is eager to answer questions. The event is completely free and targeted to families.
“It’s a real testament to how much of a family event this is,” he added. “I was a kid when this first started and I’m bringing my kids to this.”
Kaufman added that they are always looking for volunteers at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and with the Lewis and Clark Society of America, which supports the site. Kaufman volunteers every week in the gift shop, and he encourages more people to come out and help at the shop, the site or their events.
“You can find some great items there and it’s a great place to volunteer,” he said. “You’re actually helping the state and helping to tell living history and how our area developed and what happened here 225 years ago.”
For more information about the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site Point of Departure Commemoration, click here or visit their official website at CampDubois.com.
More like this:
