North Water Street
Commerce, Missouri
The following is the text from the Lewis and Clark marker located along the riverfront in Commerce, Missouri:
Louis Houck gives the following description of Tywappity Bottom in his 1908 History of Missouri: The extensive bottom on the west bank of the Mississippi opposite the mouth of the Ohio from the Scott County Hills to St. James Bayou … on the south and extending westward to Little River, was then and still is known as Tywappity bottom, the word being variously spelled ‘Theouapita,’ ‘Tiwappity.’ It was in this bottom of the river … that in 1788 a village by the name of Za-wa-pi-ta was formed not far from the present town of Commerce, which … consisted of 30 to 50 families, the settlers all being Americans and induced by the Spanish officials to come over the river by liberal land grants … [The bottom] was then covered with great forests, interspersed with small prairies, numerous lakes … and many sluggish streams called bayous … Part of this bottom produced rushes eight feet high, so large and thick that it was difficult for a man to make his way among them.
After spending a week in the vicinity of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, co-leaders Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their party headed up the Mississippi River. On November 22, 1803 they pulled ashore at a point just below present day Commerce where there was a settlement of American families. The settlement was in a high thickly wooded bottom that was known as Tywappity Bottom. Lewis pulled in at the upper habitation to visit Charles Findlay, who claimed to own the land. Lewis mentions speaking with “Mr. Findley.” He learned that the Tywappity settlement contained fifteen families. The elevation at the river bank at Finflay’s farm was 32 and 1/2 feet, according to Lewis’ measurement.
They then continued on upriver passing several keelboats along the way. On the banks of the river, they observed remarkably tall stands of what Lewis called “sand or scrubbing Rush,” (also known as scouring rush or horsetail, or more properly Equisetum hyemale). Lewis had never seen this plant grow to such thickness or great heights. He measured one stalk and found it to be eight feet, 2 inches in length and 3 and 1/8 inches in circumference. He found it to grow as thickly as stalks of luxuriant wheat.
As the party came to the upper end of Tywappity Bottom, Lewis saw a handsome farm and the beginning of a highland (the Commerce Hills) which was the highest land he had seen since entering the Mississippi River. He also noticed large house-sized rocks scattered along the rising ground that were partially embedded in the ground. That evening, the boats pulled in to camp for the night on a “slate rock” that formed a beach along the east bank of the river.
Visit our special Lewis and Clark Section to learn more about the Corps of Discovery’s experience during their stay in the Middle Mississippi River Valley. greatriverroad.com’s special coverage includes information on all of the region’s sites and events as well as supplemental articles relating to the expedition’s experience during the winter of 1803-04.
Visiting the Tywappity Bottom Interpretive Marker
The Tywappity Bottom Interpretive Marker can be visited at any time
There is no charge to visit the Tywappity Bottom Interpretive Marker
Learn more about the Scott County area