"Arrival at Camp River Dubois" December 13 - 14 at Lewis and Clark

HARTFORD, IL - The 205th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's arrival at their Illinois winter camp will be celebrated during "Arrival at Camp River Dubois" scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14 at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford, Illinois. Activities will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Interpretive Center and at the replica of Camp River Dubois. The event is free and open to the public.

Several re-enactors portraying the soldiers of the Expedition will share the difficulties, harshness, and boredom of living at the camp during the winter of 1803-04. The men of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were dedicated to the success of the mission, and throughout Lewis and Clark referred to these men as "The Detachment." The present day "Detachment" is a group of living history enthusiasts who create a window of history to help visitors see the everyday lives of these soldiers. The "Detachment" will participate in a shooting demonstration, prepare supper, and perform laundry, guard and other "fatigue duties." Visitors are free to roam the camp and talk to these volunteers.

Several exhibitors will be inside the Interpretive Center. These include Glenn Weaver, whose Native American artifacts were collected throughout Madison and Jersey Counties, including the present location of the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site; Paul Imes, who will exhibit the medical tools used by Captain Lewis on the Expedition; Michael Stout, who will display carpenter tools of the late 18th and early 19th century; Rex Maynard will display the accoutrements of a new Lewis and Clark Expedition recruit; and Allison Bacon will exhibit furs from the animals inhabiting the region.

"Decorative Paintings," is an exhibition by Missouri's renowned artist Carolyn Bacon. She will present her work in still-life and landscapes painted in oils and acrylics on a variety of surfaces. These works may be viewed for two days only in the Interpretive Center - Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14. A reception is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday so visitors may meet and talk with Ms. Bacon.

Bacon graduated from Southeast Missouri State University and started her professional career as a school librarian, retiring after 31 years. She took several classes in tole painting, and 39 years later is still creating these unique works of art. Tole painting is the general term historically used to describe decorative painting on tin surfaces, especially in New England and by the Pennsylvania Germans. Decorative painters like Ms. Bacon now paint on a variety of surfaces. Bacon has painted ornaments for the White House Christmas tree and attended a gathering where she was praised for her work by First Lady Laura Bush. She has traveled throughout the United States and the world teaching, demonstrating, and exhibiting her creations.

The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, marks Site Number One on the National Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail. It features an Interpretive Center about the Illinois role in the Expedition, as well as an accurate reconstruction of the camp from where the Expedition began. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for free public tours, and is located along Illinois Route 3 a few miles north of I-270 in Hartford, Illinois. The site will be closed December 25 and January 1 for the holidays.