The Great Louisiana Purchase bought by Thomas Jefferson from France in 1803 helped expand the United States' boundaries immensely. Explored by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the territory had much to offer. Though, the two explorers weren't alone in their journey across the nation. They had many less known accompanists with them along the way. Without the help of John Colter, an excellent marksmen and scout, and Old Toby, a knowledgeable guide, the expedition may have become quite more troublesome and near impossible for the two frontiersmen and the Corp of Discovery to complete.
The Shoshone tribe was very obliging to the travelers from the civilized world. Old Toby, a Shoshone Indian guide, helped lead the travelers through one of the biggest challenges an American had ever faced--The Great Divide. The terrain is so rugged and boggling that even top today, over two hundred years later, the land is still nearly unsettled.
The western trail of Lewis and Clark's exploration...
Toby asleep
The enigmatic Colter Stone, with the inscription "...Through the demanding and harsh terrain, the crew consumed the last of much of their food as well as breaking and losing many other supplies.
Upon descent from the divide, the travelers slipped along a hillside and were greeted by an enormous tribe of about four hundred people that had even more horses. Luckily for the Corp, Old Toby was able to ease the relations amongst the two suspicious groups and helped the expedition to earn enough trust for reasonable trades. Old Toby also was able to help the crew by making a map of the rivers in the area which would help the travelers many times along the journey. The guide was so knowledgeable and efficient, it almost became a tragedy when he was scared away from the journeymen on October 13, 1803, due to a treacherous area of river rapids. Some historians today...