For immediate release:

History Detective Uncovers Forgotten Letter

Meriwether Lewis Wrote Before Expedition

Even though national interest in Lewis and Clark peaked during the bicentennial of their journey in 2003-2006, one persistent woman in Maryland keeps on looking for hidden records of that historic event. Just such a discovery involves a letter written by Meriwether Lewis to military agent William Linnard in Philadelphia on June 6, 1803. By all indications, this letter was heretofore unknown to Lewis and Clark authors, scholars, aficionados, students and fans. The contents serve to correct a few misconceptions and fill in several critical gaps regarding the preparation phase of the Corps of Discovery.

“Through this letter we meet some interesting historical figures and gain an understanding of where and when Lewis traveled by land and how he acquired, packed and shipped his supplies from Philadelphia and Harpers Ferry to Pittsburgh,” says Lorna Hainesworth, who will share how she uncovered the original document in four Oregon appearances Tuesday, March 23, 1:00–2:30 pm at Jackson County Library in Medford; ( 205 S. Central Ave., 541-774-8689); Thursday, March 25, 7:00–8:30 pm at Mission Mill Museum (Dye House) in Salem (1313 Mill St. S.E., 503-585-7012); Monday, March 29, 7:00–8:30 pm at Tualatin Heritage Center in Tualatin (8700 SW Sweek Drive, 503-885-1926); and Wednesday, March 31, 1:00–2:30 pm at Fort Clatsop in the Netul River Room (92343 Fort Clatsop Rd., 503-861-2471).

Hainesworth will share her journey of discovery of the “Lewis to Linnard Letter” along with related documents using a PowerPoint presentation and live narrative about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and why she thinks this saga is still relevant today. Images of original documents are included in the presentation. Attendees receive a transcript of each letter mentioned.

Lorna challenges us all to be vigilant for historical records that are waiting to be found. She is a member of the board of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and is active in several local chapters of the organization. The Oregon Chapter is sponsoring this free public event.

Lorna's interest in the Lewis and Clark Expedition began with her visit to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, 10 years ago. She conducted an intensive study of the Corps of Discovery which formed the basis for her own expedition of discovery. In 2004, she retraced the Lewis and Clark Trail, beginning in Washington D.C. and ending at the Pacific Coast.

For more information, email Larry McClure larry.mcclure@gmail.com or Mark Johnson markbarb2@comcast.net.

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LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL HERITAGE FOUNDATION, INC.NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
November 30, 2010
Contact:
Jim Mallory, President
(859) 278-7723 or pmjlmallory@insightbb.com
Stephen Forrest, Director of Operations and Member Services
(406) 204-4728 or sforrest@gmail.com

Stephen Forrest to lead Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation

Great Falls, Mont. – The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation board of directors has hired Montana native Stephen Forrest as its Director of Operations and Member Services. He will assume the position in January 15, 2010.

Forrest brings extensive experience in the non-profit sector and fiscal management to the national membership organization. He is internationally recognized as an innovative and skilled historical educator, historic preservationist and policy advocate.

Since 2008, he has served as a lecturer at St. Clare’s, Hertford, and St. Catherine’s Colleges, University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Prior to that, he was a faculty member in history and education at Montana State University – Great Falls.

Forrest holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in history from the University of Oxford and a Doctor of Education in adult education from Oklahoma State University. These are in addition to his Master of Arts in history from the London School of Economics and his undergraduate degrees from the University of Montana.

In addition to managing non-profits, Forrest has worked with Native American, African American and Latino American communities, along with people from more than 20 countries. Forrest has developed a variety of educational programs, including university-degrees and for-credit classes, and numerous educational partnerships between educational institutions and community agencies. He also has served as a speaker and panel moderator for popular and academic audiences on American history, Native American history, Irish history, community development and education. He has coordinated lecture series and speaking engagements for national and international scholars. His personal scholarly interests include the impact of the sense of place in history, Jeffersonian education, and the integration of history, anthropology and geography.

As director of operations and member services, Forrest is responsible for the overall operation of the Foundation’s programs and supervision of the staff. He is responsible for financial reporting; recruiting, retaining and strengthening our relationships with members and chapters; developing relationships and working with volunteers and partner organizations; and coordination with chapters hosting the Foundation’s annual and regional meetings. Forrest will work with the Board of Directors to develop an annual operations plan and with staff members to establish priorities and work plans.

“Lewis and Clark stand as one of America’s great epic stories,” Forrest said. “Helping preserve and protect the story and trail by becoming part of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation is a great honor.”

The Foundation was established in 1969 and has headquarters in Great Falls, Mont. It partners with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in caring for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. In addition, the Foundation supports scholarship, education and research on the expedition. The Foundation has more than 2,000 members and is known worldwide as the "Keepers of the Story and Stewards of the Trail.” It publishes the quarterly, scholarly journal, “We Proceeded On.”

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Ghosts of Celilo Debuts

Ten years in the making, The Ghosts of Celilo will appear in Portland’s Newmark Theatre Sept. 27 thru Oct. 14th. Artists Repertory Theatre will present this compelling historical musical with six members of the Trail Band as the "orchestra". Marv Ross wrote it with Thomas Morning Owl, Arlie Neskahi, and Chenoa Egawa—three Native American singer/writers, with help from Tom Hampson from ONABEN. They interviewed many people on the river (native and non-native) about their memories of Celilo Falls; one goal was to mix traditional musical theatre genres with NW Native American music.

Marv writes: “About our third year and seventh plot into this project, we interview the late Nathan Jim from the Warm Springs people. He told us about being kidnapped at Celilo Falls by a fishtruck driver when he was a boy and ending up at an Indian boarding school. At the school, his "Indian-ness" was taken away from him and he became very homesick, but was required by law to attend this government-run missionary school. His dream was to escape the school and get back to Celilo to catch fish. His story became the essential seed of our plot. The other thing we heard from some native people on the river is the belief that spirits live under the water where Celilo Falls once roared. So, our story begins in the present at the bottom of the Columbia River where 4 ghosts (two native/ two whites) have been stuck on the last rotting remnants of old fishing platforms buried by the slackwater of the dam 50 years ago. They have lost their memories and blame each other for being stuck there. Then, something from the railroad bridge (still above Celilo Lake) is thrown down to them and this object (an old child's toy whistle) triggers their memories. They each reveal a shameful secret and as they tell it, their memories "come to life" and they become actors in their own memories. When the four stories are told it becomes evident that they all were responsible in some way for two boys being kidnapped at Celilo and taken to the boarding school.”

Celilo Falls played an important part in the Lewis & Clark story, and chapter members have followed the progress of this musical work as it has developed. Many will recognize Chenoa Egawa as the young actress who created the title role of Sacagawea in the Oregon Children’s Theatre musical in 2003, for which Marv Ross wrote the music.

See the Ghosts of Celilo and ART websites for more information:
http://www.ghostsofcelilo.com/index.html
http://www.artistsrep.org

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November 5, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (201 words)
Contact: Jay Rasmussen (503) 640-9493

Clark's Mountain to honor famed explorer

The Oregon Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation announced today the successful completion of their quest to honor explorer William Clark by having the peak of Tillamook Head named as "Clark's Mountain." Chapter secretary Glen Kirkpatrick received a letter confirming the official acceptance of this proposal from Mr. Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary of the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.

The peak of Tillamook Head rises over 1250 feet above sea level and is a very prominent geographic feature of the northern Oregon Coast. William Clark described Tillamook Head on November 18, 1805 as he and Meriwether Lewis looked south across the mouth of the Columbia River from Cape Disappointment. On January 10, 1806 shortly after Clark's return from a trip over the mountain in search of a beached whale, Captain Lewis took the liberty of naming the mountain after his esteemed colleague as "Clark's Mountain and Point of View."

The Oregon Chapter is a non-profit group that works to advance public awareness of the historic, social and cultural significance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is one of 38 chapters of the national Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc.

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