The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume 2 (of 3): To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, During the Years 1805-6-7.Coues, Elliott
History
The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume 2 (of 3): To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, During the Years 1805-6-7.
Coues, Elliott
Mississippi River -- Description and travel; New Mexico -- Description and travel; Pike, Zebulon Montgomery, 1779-1813 -- Travel -- West (U.S.); West (U.S.) -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Discovery and exploration; West (U.S.) -- History -- To 1848
[I-21] To an interesting locality--that of the old French village,
Côte sans Dessein, so called from the celebrated long narrow ledge of
rocks of the same name immediately above, isolated on the N. bank of
the river opposite Dodd's isl. In approaching the Osage, Pike maps two
streams from the N., respectively lettered "Gr. R. au vase" and "L. R.
au vase." The first of these is Grande Rivière au Vase or Grande
Rivière Vaseuse of the F., which appears on the best modern maps as Au
Vasse and Auxvasse r.--better talk English than such Missouri French
as this, and say Big Muddy r., as L. and C. did! This considerable
stream falls in a mile above Harrison's ldg., about 123½ m. by the
channel from the mouth of the Missouri. The other is Little Muddy r.
of L. and C., who translated Petite Rivière au Vase (or Petite Rivière
Vaseuse) better than those do who now style it Au Vasse cr. or
Auxvasse cr. This creek joins in the bottom-land another now called
Middle r. or cr., and the two fall in together a mile above the
village of St. Aubert, Callaway Co. Moreover: between the Big and the
Little Muddy there is a third creek, distinct from both the others,
falling in 1½ m. _below_ St. Aubert. This is simply called Muddy cr.
on the Mo. R. Comm. map; on that of the U. S. G. S. it is lettered
Ewing's cr. A branch of this is lettered by the U. S. G. S. East Wing
cr.--a name which I suspect originated in mistaking "Ewing" for "E.
Wing." On the S. side of the Missouri Pike passes two small streams,
both historically notable. The first of these is the one which L. and
C. called Grindstone cr., when they camped at its mouth May 30th,
1804; but it is now known as Deer cr. It falls in behind St. Aubert's
isl., a mile below St. Aubert station on the Mo. Pac. R. R., or the
village now called Medora, 126⅔ m. up the Mo. r. One Carr has or
had his home at the mouth of this creek. The other creek is 4¾ m.
above Grindstone or Deer cr., and 1¼ m. above Shipley's ldg.; it is
the one L. and C. called Bear cr., May 31st, 1804; Pike charted it
"Bear R.," and it is now called Bear or Loose cr. I suppose "Loose"
cr. to be a loose translation of F. R. à l'Ours or à l'Ourse,
according to whether it was a he-bear or a she-bear which the
Frenchman who first named the creek killed there. In any event this
stream has given name to the village of Loose Creek and to Bear Creek
isl., opposite its mouth. Four miles higher on the S., opposite the
foot of Dodd's isl., is the village of Dauphine at the place where one
Benêt, Bénite, Benoit, Bennet, Bonnet, Bonnot, or Bennight built his
mill, 15-20 years ago. Dauphine is almost exactly opposite the site of
the old French village above named, which started about 1808 and had a
dozen or more families in 1811. There is a sort of settlement in this
vicinity immediately at the lower end of the Côte sans Dessein, at one
time known as Bennet's ldg.; people named Gray, Crews, and Maddox live
or lived there. Behind the Côte are some small lakes or ponds
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account