The Madison River Valley in Montana was named in 1805 in honor of James Madison by Capt. Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Montpelier's exhibit 'James Madison: Secretary of State in an Age of Expansion and Exploration' opens Jan. 19 and will run through early next year. Visit the Photo Place

Lewis and Clark journey marks 200 years

By PEGGY CARLSON

Date published: 1/16/2003

Part of an occasional series.

THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Jan. 18, 1803, was the day that President Thomas Jefferson sent a confidential message to Congress requesting $2,500 to fund an expedition up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific Ocean. It was the foundation of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

This Saturday, exactly 200 years later, marks the commencement of the National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. Although events are scheduled throughout the year--in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Montana and Oregon--the opening ceremonies will be, appropriately, at Jefferson's home, Monticello.

The centerpiece of the bicentennial observance at Monticello is the exhibit, "Framing the West at Monticello: Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition," a major installation in the entrance hall of Jefferson's hilltop home.

The exhibit approximates the appearance of Jefferson's Indian Hall, circa 1807-1809, when he displayed natural history specimens and American Indian-made objects sent or brought back by members of the expedition.

The display includes items from Monticello's permanent collections, pieces on loan from other locations, and historically accurate re-creations of objects that have been lost over time, including reproductions of Indian artifacts made using traditional methods and natural materials.

The exhibit opens today and runs through Dec. 31.

Tickets for the opening event itself on Saturday are no longer available, but the mansion reopens this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. for public tours. After that, Monticello will be open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Through Sunday, there are a number of related activities at other locations in the Charlottesville area:

Culbreth Theater, University of Virginia, 8-10 p.m., "Lewis and Clark: The Journal of the Corps of Discovery." Enjoy Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan's film as they screen and discuss one of the episodes from their four-part public-TV documentary. Admission is $7; tickets may be purchased at the door or online at vafilm.com.

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Date published: 1/16/2003