Beasley Park Road
Charleston, Missouri
Located in Henry S. Whipple Park this Lewis and Clark monument consists of six columns supporting four murals that were from the 1903 Mississippi County courthouse that burned in 1997. Each column weighs one ton each and the 11.5 foot columns are made of limestone. The murals are titled “The Journal Writer”, “First Landing”, “Learning the Instruments”, and “Pushing Away”. The nations that once laid claim to the area are represented the flags of their day including the Spanish, the French, and the U.S. flag containing 15 stars and stripes which represented the number of states during the time of Lewis and Clark. The black granite map of the continental United States indicated the journey from Pittsburgh with a gold star at the location of the First Steps in what came to be known as Bird’s Point. Bird’s Point is located approximately 12 miles east on US 62 where the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has erected interpretive sign #1 in the state. From here visitors can view the Mississippi River from the west side as Lewis and Clark did in 1803.
Visiting the Lewis and Clark Monument
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
There is no charge to visit the Lewis and Clark Monument
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