Images of the Lewis & Clark Trail

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Click here for a satellite photo of Old Baldy

Beautiful Nebraska Sunset

NOTES OF INTEREST
There is a painting of "Old Baldy" in the Joslyn Art Mueseum in Omaha, NE. It was done by Bodner in 1831 when he accompanied the German Lord, Maximilian, on a trip by boat up the Missouri River from St. Louis, Missouri to Montana. Bodner painted hundreds of pictures for Maximilian on that trip. The paintings of Bodner's were found in a German castle after the sencond World War and they were returned to the United States to be placed in the Joslyn Art Museum.

HERE IS A JOURNAL EXCERPT ABOUT OLD BALDY
September 7, 1804
As we descended from this dome, we arrived at a spot, on the gradual descent of the hill, nearly four acres in extent, and covered with small holes: these are the residence of a little animal [prairie dog], called by the French petit chien (little dog), who sit erect near the mouth, and make a whistling noise, but when alarmed take refuge in their holes. In order to bring them out, we poured into one of the holes five barrels of water without filling it, but we dislodged and caught the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet, we found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half way to the bottom: we discovered, however, two frogs in the hole, and near it we killed a dark rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie dog: we were also informed, though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort of lizard, and a snake, live habitually with these animals. The petit chien are justly named, as they resemble a small dog in some particulars, though they have also some points of similarity to the squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that the ear is shorter, the tail like that of the ground-squirrel, the toe-nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray.
 

September 7, 1804
William Clark
... discovered a Village of Small animals that burrow in the grown (those animals are Called by the french Petite Chien) Killed one and Caught one live by poreing a great quantity of Water in his hole we attempted to dig to the beds of one of those animals, ...
... Contains great numbers of holes on the top of which those little animals Set erect make a Whistleing noise and whin allarmed Step into their hole.