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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Expedition is about President
3 Thomas Jefferson's dream, the planning and preparation
4 required for an early 19th-century military expedition, and
5 then finally about the expedition itself; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Both geographically and historically, the
7 territory now known as Illinois played a significant role in
8 the Lewis and Clark story; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Beginning with their arrival near present-day
10 Cairo in November of 1803, and ending with their official
11 departure from Wood River on May 14, 1804, the Corps of
12 Discovery spent more than six months in what is now the State
13 of Illinois; and
 
14     WHEREAS, On November 11, 1803, the Captains of the Corps
15 arrived with about 20 men at Fort Massac, near present day
16 Metropolis, Illinois; and
 
17     WHEREAS, This western outpost of the United States Army
18 provided logistical support and a central location for
19 recruiting military and civilian volunteers; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The Corps arrived at Fort Kaskaskia, near
21 present-day Ellis Grove, Illinois, on November 27th, where they
22 socialized with local citizens and recruited additional
23 volunteers; and
 
24     WHEREAS, On December 12, 1803, the Corps, now over 40 men,
25 landed at Wood River and established Camp River Dubois; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Camp River Dubois would be the Corps' temporary
27 home until their departure on May 14, 1804; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Corps used their time at Camp River Dubois to
2 drill, practice marksmanship, and acquire and stow the supplies
3 needed for the long expedition; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Expanding the Lewis and Clark National Historic
5 Trail to include additional sites associated with the
6 preparation and return phase of the expedition would provide
7 additional tourism to southern Illinois; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Legislation has been filed in the United States
9 Congress to create the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
10 Extension Act of 2006; and
 
11     WHEREAS, This legislation amends the National Trails
12 System Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic
13 Trail to include additional sites associated with the
14 preparation and return phase of the expedition; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The extended route would include designated Lewis
16 and Clark sites in Virginia, the District of Columbia,
17 Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio,
18 Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The legislation requires a suitability and
20 feasibility study be completed to include the extended route
21 within one year from the date funds are first made available
22 for that purpose; and
 
23     WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
24 supports recognition of a continuous trail across the country
25 on the National Park Service's official trail map and the right
26 to post the official trail signs; and
 
27     WHEREAS, The extension of the Lewis and Clark National
28 Historic Trail from coast to coast would complete the story and
29 expose a broader base of Americans to the educational and

 

 

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1 cultural aspects of the expedition; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
3 believes that the status quo does not adequately recognize
4 Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, where he dreamed his
5 vision for America, Washington, D.C., where he shared his dream
6 with Meriwether Lewis, or a variety of other significant places
7 throughout the Eastern Legacy states; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
9 partners with the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Land
10 Management, and the Forest Service in caring for the Lewis and
11 Clark National Historic Trail and also supports scholarship,
12 educational efforts, and research on the expedition;
13 therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16 we support and urge the United States Congress to pass
17 legislation calling for federal approval of extension of the
18 Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to each member of the Illinois Congressional
21 delegation, the Speaker of the United States House of
22 Representatives, and the Majority Leader of the United States
23 Senate.