Following Formation

Lewis & Clark at Travelers’ Rest

As researchers worked to pin-point the location of the Travelers’ Rest campsite, they had an unlikely ally -- an 18th century Prussian Baron.
During the Revolutionary War, Baron William Frederick Von Steuben, at the request of George Washington, collaborated with the leaders of the Continental Army to create a manual of drill and field service regulations. The document that resulted became the foundation of military training and procedure for the United States Army.
Knowing that the Corps of Discovery was a military expedition, trained in the drills, inspection and discipline of the era, local archaeologists used Baron Von Steuben’s manual as an important reference for their work here.
Imagine the excitement when archaeologists discovered several features in the soil that directly related to the layout of the camp as prescribed by the Prussian Baron. The physical evidence found here indicates that Lewis and Clark closely followed military protocol after more than 6,000 miles of their epic journey.

Using Baron Von Steuben's descriptions and diagrams like the one shown to the right, along with the archaeological evidence discovered here in 2002, this illustration is an interpretation of what Travelers' Rest Camp might hav looked like on the Expedition's return in 1806.

Credit to: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=123254

Travelers Rest State Park

iNaturalist Observations

Travelers Rest State Park