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The confluence of the Bad River and the Missouri River is at present day Fort Pierre, just across from the State Capitol. If you've never been to this part of South Dakota before, here are several things to keep in mind. First, Fort Pierre and Pierre are two separate cities, divided by the Missouri River. In fact, Fort Pierre keeps Mountain Time, while Pierre is on Central. Finally, Pierre is pronounced "Peer," in case you didn't know. (But I can't explain the lack of apostrophe in the name Fischers Lilly Park). With the geography lesson out of the way, let's press on.

Tense Moments

Recall that Thomas Jefferson had commanded Lewis & Clark to establish friendly relations with whomever they met along the way. For the most part, they seem to have done a pretty good job of that. The motive was probably more to ensure lucrative trade later on, but the thought was nice.

Anyway, things almost fell apart when the Corps of Discovery landed near this historic spot in South Dakota.

Here they came upon a party of Teton Sioux, one of the more powerful groups of Plains Indians. Things apparently began amicably enough with a smoke on the peace pipe, and of course one of Meriwether's speeches. This was followed by a tour of the keelboat, which I gather impressed the residents considerably, probably due to its size. When returning from the tour, several rambunctious young men tried to stir things up a bit by restraining the shuttle pirogue.

Reading between the lines, it seems that neither Lewis nor Clark tolerated horsing around of any kind. Umbrage was taken, and the Corps drew its weapons, as did the Teton Sioux. There was a tense moment, and then Chief Black Buffalo was able to defuse the situation somehow.

The photo above (click on the thumbnail to enlarge it) shows the historical marker commemorating (if that's the right word) this confrontation. You'll find it at Fischers Lilly Park, in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. In just a moment we'll cross the river and look at it from the eastern side.

A Sleepless Night

Apparently the whole episode was so disconcerting, that the Corps of Discovery elected to move across the river to set up camp. They called it Bad Humor Island, for obvious reasons. Today, it's known as LaFramboise Island and is accessible from the Pierre side.

This episode along the Lewis & Clark Trail really stands out, making a trip here to learn more about it very worthwhile. After all, this is one of the few times that the Corps encountered antipathy or raised their fists in anger. Learning of it tells us something about the officers, but equally so about the Indians and a way of life which vanished less than a hundred years later.

In the picture to the left, we're looking across the Missouri to the mouth of the Bad River (just to the left of the large white house), and hence Fischers Lilly Park. This is the view you'll see from LaFramboise Island. The historical placard calls out some of the chief aspects of the confrontation.

If you decide to visit, be sure to see the spot from both sides of the Missouri. Fischer Lilly is a beautiful city park with all sorts of amenities. Or if you feel the need for more nature, head across to LaFramboise Island. Rather remarkably, this is more-or-less right in the city of Pierre, and yet after just a minute's hike you'll completely forget that. We really felt cut off and away from it all.

Our Trip to Pierre

I'll have to confess a prejudice. Over the past dozen years I've been having a blast touring South Dakota, as a quick check of this Web site confirms. In all that time, however, I've always avoided Pierre. The reason was simple; I thought of it as a capitol city. If I'm going to unbend and truly enjoy a vacation, I don't want to see large knots of people, traffic jams and Interstate exchanges. A trip to St. Paul, Sacramento or Des Moines would hardly be relaxing, so why would Pierre be any different?

Well, was I ever wrong! Both Pierre and Fort Pierre are wide open, friendly, with magnificent parks and humane driving. We only had a day-and-a-half here, and quickly discovered we needed more time to enjoy it all. To recap with a few additions, we had a riot:

• walking Fischers Lilly Park and seeing the historical marker
• hiking the trails at LaFramboise Island
• studying the Verendrye marker in Fort Pierre
• birding at Farm Island State Park
• chatting with the enthusiastic folks at the Fort Pierre National Grassland headquarters
• learning the trees at the Isaac Walton Arboretum
• marveling at the beauty of the Missouri

Best of all, it's close to the Fort Pierre National Grassland, one of my all time favorites. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Fort Pierre Motel, our homebase during this hot July night. What a neat place with all sorts of amenities such as a gazebo, microwaves, refrigerators and a very hospitable manager. We'll be back!

• Federal
  • Fort Pierre National Grassland
  • Missouri National Recreational River
  
  
• State
  • Farm Island State Recreation Area
  • LaFramboise Island Nature Area
  • South Dakota State Parks
  • South Dakota Tourism
  
  
• Municipal
  • Pierre Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• Other Interesting Sites
  • Fort Pierre Motel
  • Recent Protest at the Bad River
  • Teton Sioux Indian Tribe History
  • US Army Web Page on the Bad River Incident
  • Verendrye Monument