Tag Archive: William Clark

Indian Chief Carving – Lincoln Memorial Bridge – Indiana

Indian Chief Carving - Lincoln Memorial Bridge - Indiana

The image of a Native American Indian Chief carved into a concrete pillar, at the head of the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana. The bridge is part of the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, and opened in 1933. The statues themselves (there are two), were installed in 1936. George Rogers Clark was an American surveyor, soldier, and military officer, who served during the American Revolutionary War. He is the older brother of William Clark, who is famous for his explorations the the American West, in particular the Pacific Northwest during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

York Statue, Lewis and Clark, Louisville, Kentucky

York Statue, Lewis and Clark, Louisville, Kentucky

A statue of York, the slave and body servant of William Clark, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on the Corps of Discovery expedition to the Pacific Ocean.  While he remained a slave throughout the expedition and after it was over, York played at times an equal to the white men he accompanied on the journey, including having a vote on key decisions the group made, such as where to make camp for the winter.  He was also entrusted with a firearm, something a slave back in Kentucky would not  be allowed access to. He also proved valuable as a scout and hunter for the group.

After the expedition Clark did not free York immediately from captivity as some other slave owners might have done. But eventually during a visit from Washington Irving, the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, William Clark agreed to free York. Not much is known of York after that, other than he started up a business as a wagoner. 

Lewis and Clark – Falls of the Ohio River – Indiana

Purchase Prints

In 1803, Merriweather Lewis and William Clark met in what is present day Clarksville, Indiana at the cabin of George Clark, William’s brother, to organize and plan what would become the Lewis and Clark expedition. The area today is known as the Falls of the Ohio, a cataract on the Ohio River, and the location of a famous fossil bed. The statue pictured is located near the location of the famous meeting, on the banks of the Ohio river.

Falls of the Ohio State Park – State of Indiana
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation