LEWIS AND
CLARK KEELBOAT REPLICA BEING RESTORED
THANKS TO OMAHA WORLD HERALD AND AUTHOR VERONICA ROSMAN FOR
THIS ARTICLE FROM THE MARCH 14, 2000 EDITION
RE-CREATING HISTORY:
Above A.C. "Butch" Bouvier begins restoration work on
the back of a 55-foot-long keelboat replica at Lewis and Clark
State Park near Onawa, Iowa. Bouvier built the replica 15 year's
ago for the park's annual Lewis and Clark Festival. TOP: The boat
before its lauch in 1988.
LEWIS AND CLARK
KEELBOAT REPLICA BEING RESTORED
Onawa, Iowa - In its current state, the Discovery looks more like
the original keelboat from the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition
than what it is - a replica built just 15 years ago. The wood
once a rich oak color has dulled to an ash gray. The cabin is
warped and crooked. The waterproof caulking leaks. In fact, the
keelboat would sink like a rock if it were put in water. That
won't be the case by June if A.C "Butch" Bouvier has
anything to say about it. Bouiver, who started building the
replica in 1985, has returned after a four-year absence to help
restore the 55-foot keelboat in time for it to sail again during
the Lewis and Clark State Park's annual festival June 9 through
11. Aided by partner Pat Thoreson, Bouvier has about three months
to restore the keelboat to its former glory. To do that, they
will remove and replace the hull, install new boards, fill
cracks, add new caulking, repair the cabin and stain the vessel
back to its original color. For Bouvier, the project is a
long overdue reunion.
"This was the first boat I built. It's my sweetheart,"
Bouvier said. "Why wouldn't I come back and fix her
up?" Bouvier said his replica is believed to have been the
first authentic Lewis and Clark keelboat replica in the world.
The original expedition keelboat was built in 1803 and used by
Capt. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to transport supplies up
the Missouri River during the explorers' historic trek across
America's western frontier. The idea to build a replica keelboat
started in 1984 as an addition to the Lewis and Clark festival.
Park ranger Ron Williams tracked down Bouvier, a Council Bluffs
wood craftsman, and asked him about building a model of the
keelboat. The 3-foot-long model, which still sits in the park
office, was just the beginning, Bouvier said. Then he decided to
build the real thing. "I've always been interested in
1800s woodworking, so this was right up my alley,' he said.
Backed by a lumber donation from the Iowa State Conservation
Commission and a group of volunteers, Bouvier started work on the
keelboat. Before the boat was completed, the volunteers put in
more than 3,000 hours of labor.
The keelboat made its maiden voyage during the festival in 1988.
It was then put on display at the State Park along with replicas
of two Lewis and Clark support vessels. Because the Lewis
and Clark expedition has often been referred to as of "Corps
of Discovery," Bouvier gave the name Discovery to his
keelboat. But contrary to popular belief, the original expedition
keelboat was never named. Following Bouvier's lead on naming the
boat, the volunteer group adopted the name Friends of
Discovery. Bouvier maintained the keelboat for several
years, erasing damage done to the vessel by wind, rain, sun and
snow. Then in 1996, Bouvier decided to pursue other
interests and resigned from the group.
"I didn't leave bitterly," Bouvier said. "And I
told them what to do to keep it up. "Despite Bouvier's
instructions, the keelboat quickly deteriorated. It sailed in the
1997 festival but was retired following the voyage after it sank
to the bottom of a shallow part of the lake. When Bouvier
returned to the project, the keelboat's run-down condition
saddened him. But he refuses to lay blame on anyone. "They
tried to maintain it," he said. "It was just too big a
job. "Still smitten with his first boat project, Bouvier
agreed to restore the keelboat. This time, however, his services
aren't free. He signed a contract with the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources that will pay him $20,000 for the restoration
work. He plans to use the money to help get his new historic
boat-building business, L&C Replicas, off the ground.
Having Bouvier back and getting the keelboat restored is an
important step for Friends of Discovery, said Vice President
Frank Rush. "Thousands of people every year come to see the
boat, and it's important that it leave a good impression on
them," Rush said.
The restoration is also important, he said, because the group is
trying to fund a $4.5 million visitors center project that would
house the keelboat and several other replicas. "If we don't
keep the keelboat inside from now on," Rush said, "then
this restoration work is a waste."