World United States North Dakota Williston

stillhowlyn's travels 2009

The search for history leads to Juneberries! Sep 8, 2009

The purpose of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06 along the Missouri River was to look for a water route across North America and the uncharted west to the Pacific Ocean. We decided to spend the day visiting the various historic sites near the Williston area. The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center tells the story of the confluence of these two mighty rivers, as well as provides the same magnificent view that Lewis and Clark Expedition members enjoyed when they visited in 1805 and 1806. I guess we were expecting a dramatic convergence from a lofty view such as the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers at Canyonlands NP near Moab, UT but this was quite flat and slowly meandering with very little of photographic interest. The Interpretive Center was very impressive. Fort Buford, located at the confluence, was a major link in American military strategy and eventually housed six companies of infantry and cavalry, including the “Buffalo Soldiers” as the Indians called the black servicemen. The fort’s soldiers policed the international boundary, guarded railway construction crews, and provided escorts for steamers and wagon trains. We found the cemetery of particular interest! John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company built Fort Union, also near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. The post soon became headquarters for trading beaver furs and buffalo hides with the Native tribes. The company’s policy of helping travelers visit its posts brought many adventurers, scientists, artists and priests to Fort Union, some arriving onboard the first steamboats on the Upper Missouri. So after all this driving, about 130 miles round-trip, it was getting late and we were getting hungry so treated ourselves to dinner at Lund’s Landing Lodge on Whitetail Bay, about 5 miles east of our campsite at Lewis & Clark State Park. The lodge, marina and restaurant have been run by the Torgerson family for over 20 years and we enjoyed the finest home-cooked meal of pan-fried Walleye, the local freshwater fish, and meat loaf with all the trimmings! Yummy good comfort food! But Lund’s is famous for its Juneberry pie, large slices of which we both enjoyed for dessert along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The Juneberry is a native fruitbearing shrub of the Northern Great Plains, its berries ripening in July and August for the picking. The sweet, nutty almond flavor is both luscious and unique.

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