"This little insignificant thing is the most important item carried on the (Lewis and Clark) expedition," proclaims Morehouse to a group of Victor High School students seated on the ground before him.
"It was way more important than their Harpers Ferry 1803 state-of-the-art firearms. It was more important than the most expensive piece of equipment they carried - the chronometer."
"The pen Š without it none of us would be here right now," he says.
As Morehouse talks to the first of what will be many school groups at Travelers' Rest State Park, he can't help but wonder if he'll be the one to touch their imagination and start a lifelong yearning to learn about that time in American history when everything changed.
After all, Morehouse was just an average high school student more than four decades ago when a history teacher "turned me on to Lewis and Clark and the era of the fur trader that followed." That interest would eventually lead to taking a job with the Bureau of Reclamation to manage Clark Canyon Reservoir near Dillon.
"The first thing that I noticed when I looked on a map to see where Dillon was located was the fact it was right on the Lewis and Clark Trail," he says. "My wife thought I was crazy to take a job just because it was on the Lewis and Clark Trail."
For the next 25 years, Morehouse helped preserve and develop the historic sites associated with Lewis and Clark around the reservoir. In his spare time, he'd pull on his period clothing and talk with anyone who'd listen about the era of the explorers.
"When I first came to Clark Canyon, there weren't a lot of people into Lewis and Clark, so I kind of pulled back for awhile," he said. "When 'Undaunted Courage' by Stephen Ambrose came out, that proved to be the spark that got people interested. After that, I was inundated with requests."
One thing led to another and before he knew it, Morehouse was part of a small group of men firing their muskets into the air at Monticello to open the commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
This summer he became part of the crew traveling with the National Park Service's Corps of Discovery II mobile exhibit that's retracing the route the explorers traveled 200 years ago. The exhibit is designed to provide visitors with an introduction to the Lewis and Clark story, including information on natural history, cultural resources and the people who lived there before, during and after the expedition.
On this day at Travelers' Rest State Park near Lolo - where the exhibit is parked through Sunday - Morehouse is dressed in the same style deerskin overalls with a fall front, linen shirt, moccasins and round-brimmed hat that the explorers would have worn.
"I'm going through the same metamorphosis that Lewis and Clark's men did as their clothes wore out along the trail. By now most of their clothing was made of deerskin. I'm working on a deerskin shirt right now."
When fire conditions permit, visitors to the exhibit may find Morehouse kneeling around a campfire that's heating a healthy portion of boiled beavertail or maybe some bison tongue.
"I like to let people taste all of that," he says.
And what might they expect from a big mouthful of beavertail?
"It tastes like grease. It's like eating a big chunk of fat. Of course, back then they craved fat. There are a lot of calories in fat and so beavertail is filled with calories."
He readily admits it's a bit of an acquired taste.
"I like it, but my doctor ordered me to not eat very much of it," says Morehouse. "He's wants me to watch my cholesterol."
The crowds along the Corps II route have been ideal, as far as Morehouse is concerned. The exhibit typically stays in a community from four days to two weeks.
"There were a lot of early projections of how many people would show up along the trail that just weren't realistic," he says. "People don't RSVP when they get ready to go on vacation. If you ignore those high estimates and get back to something realistic, then you'd have to say the crowds have been great."
Morehouse typically gets about a half-hour lunch break every day. The remainder is filled with group after group wandering up to a dugout canoe and table filled with the kinds of gear carried by the expedition.
"Each town we come to there's a whole new audience and you just never know when you might pass that spark on to some young person. I also get plenty of opportunities to learn more myself. Every point of the trail has its own local experts. They've been living along the trail for years and they know a lot."
"That's the great thing about the Lewis and Clark era," Morehouse says. "There's always so much more to learn ... I keep an open mind and my views have changed over time."
His son, Brett, a history teacher at Victor High School, recently put it all in perspective.
"He reminded me that history is not a science. Instead, history is really all in the eye of the interpreter. Every author tells you their side of the story and it's up to you to decide what to do with that. That's what makes history so interesting."
The great-, great-, great-grandson of William Clark hopes to fill in some of the blanks people might have about the famous expedition when they visit the encampment of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Mo.
Peyton "Bud" Clark is leading a group of men retracing the route of the expedition. Often as not, they set up their replica of Lewis and Clark's camp in the vicinity of the Corps of Discovery II exhibit.
Dressed in period clothing and filled with a variety of knowledge, the men want to give visitors a glimpse back in time as they walk through the camp.
"When children and adults walk into our encampment, we hope that it brings that era to life," said Clark. "Our camp may be a bit more elaborate than theirs, but it does give people a feel for the world of Lewis and Clark."
People can read the journals and get a good understanding of what the men faced during the long journey. But Clark readily admits there was so much more that the journals didn't describe.
It's important to remember that the expedition was a military endeavor, said Clark. The journals reflect that and readers sometimes need some help filling in between the lines.
"People coming into camp have a chance to see things and touch them," said Clark. "That can help fill in between the lines."
"The Lewis and Clark story is multifaceted," said Clark. "There's something there for everyone ... for instance, there's the unique story of the young Indian girl and her infant accompanying a military mission, which is absolutely unparalleled in history."
"The world of Lewis and Clark was a time of transition," said Clark. "It was a fascinating time."
Every member of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Mo. has their own reason for joining the cross-country adventure.
Dick Brumley of Lewistown was working as a Bureau of Land Management volunteer when the expedition came through town. Over the course of a few days, he guided the group to a number of important sites and before the end of their stay they asked him to join them.
The 67-year-old had recently faced down a bout of prostate cancer - "four days shy of three years to be exact" - and was anxious for adventure.
"It was one of those 15-second decisions," Brumley said. "I said yes."
Brumley traded in his jeans and flannel shirt for a pair of buckskin leggings and a period cotton shirt. Overnight he became expedition member John Colter, one of the nine Kentuckians that traveled with Lewis and Clark.
He'll spend the next three months traveling with the crew, living in a canvas tent, dealing with the elements - and having the time of his life. And when they get ready to turn east and head back toward St. Louis, Brumley will be there.
"Everyone gets along. Everyone works well together. Everyone has the same intentions," said Brumley. "We're following the journal as closely as we can. We try to camp as close to the same spot as Lewis and Clark did as possible."
Each day the group reads the journal about the adventures the first corps faced as they traveled west. Sometimes they're amazed at how their experiences mirror those who've gone before.
One day they read that an eagle soared over the expedition and the original explorers all agreed that was a good omen.
"We just finished reading that and an eagle flew overhead," Brumley says.
And then there was the day near Pelican Point when the journals referred to the blooming prickly pear.
Down in the valley around Tower Rock, there wasn't a single bloom to be found. But as the men struggled to the top of the formation, they discovered to their delight a single prickly pear in full bloom.
A day near Helena provided another surprise. The journal entry spoke of the original explorers gorging on berries from plentiful current bushes. Around camp, there's none.
That day came with the opportunity to paddle their dugout canoes out across the reservoir. As they landed on the other side, "there were currant bushes all around and they were ripe. We ate our fill," said Brumley.
Some might call it happenstance, but Brumley's sure there's more.
"It's just interesting to have the time to be able to pay attention to what's happening around you. It's just a fantastic adventure. I feel blessed that I've been asked to go. I've been able to do so many things that I never thought I'd have the opportunity to try."
"Sometimes it's overwhelming when you think of what they were able to accomplish," Brumley said. "There were so many challenges that they had to endure - weather, prickly pear, their clothes deteriorating. If it hadn't been for the Native Americans and God's intervention, they probably wouldn't have made it."
Clark believes the bicentennial commemoration will have a long-lasting legacy.
All along the route, he's seen communities come together in a variety of ways.
Some chose to roll up their sleeves and fix up waterfronts or build new facilities that people will enjoy for generations to come. Others, like the town of Lupis, Miss., population 12 or 13, decided to turn out at the local community hall to greet "these Lewis and Clark guys."
Closer to home, Lolo-area members of the Travelers' Rest Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, decided a few years back to find the actual site of the Lewis and Clark encampment. Their efforts led to the only scientifically verified encampment along the trail.
"That was a result of local citizens working together," said Mike Wallace, the chapter's president. "It all started with one member asking a question and it shows what local citizens can do to make a difference."
The commemoration of the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition has been a way for people across the country to unite, Clark said.
"In 2007, when we end this journey I believe we'll be able to look back and say that we've played a part in bringing the American family together, at least for a time," said Clark. "That's gratifying to us."
Reporter Perry Backus can be reached at 523-5259 or pbackus@missoulian.com.
Photographer Michael Gallacher can be reached at 523-5270 or mgallacher@missoulian.com.
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