Celebrating the Fourth Western Style
Less than two months into their remarkable expedition to the Pacific Northwest, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark awoke on the Kansas side of the Missouri River and realized it was “independence” day, a time to celebrate the nation’s 28th birthday.
[We] “ussered [sic] in the day by a discharge of one shot from our bow piece [swivel cannon],” Clark wrote in his journal. During the day the party came across two unnamed streams and named them “4th of July 1804 Creek” and “Creek Independence.” The names didn’t stick. Historians say they were likely the two streams known today as White Clay Creek and Whiskey Creek. Both empty into the Missouri near Atchison, Kansas.
Except for Joseph Fields, whose snake-bitten foot was treated by Lewis using either slippery elm or Peruvian bark, everyone in the Corps of Discovery seems to have had a fine day. “We closed by a discharge from our bow piece, an extra gill of whiskey.”
You may be planning a less adventurous celebration of the Fourth, a day without naming bodies of water or engaging the wildlife – perhaps simply a gathering of family and friends for a backyard barbecue, or a quiet evening watching fireworks on TV. No matter how you observe the Fourth, I wish you a pleasant and entertaining holiday.
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Please note that our offices, along with the financial markets, will be closed Monday, July 4th, for the Independence Day holiday. Of course, you can access your account(s) using Raymond James Investor Access at any time, year-round.
