Journey to Grinder’s Stand
The Final Journey of Meriwether Lewis

St. Louis, called the Gateway to the West for good reason, is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Though 1809 presents a much different beginning to a journey than 1803.

This vibrant city is home to a remarkable collection of historic sites, museums, monuments, and interpretive centers that celebrate the Corps of Discovery and its enduring legacy. Begin your journey at Gateway Arch National Park, where the Museum of Westward Expansion offers an immersive introduction to the expedition’s role in shaping the American frontier. The iconic Gateway Arch itself—built between 1963 and 1965 and standing 630 feet tall—symbolizes the city’s central role in westward expansion. A major renovation completed in 2018 revitalized the surrounding park and expanded the underground museum.

Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park remains one of the most iconic and influential places in the settlement of the United States. After the Louisiana Purchase, this once French-influenced area became more influenced from the British settlers but visitors are still able to see the French influence of the park from the Bauvais-Amoureux House, one of only known surviving poteaux-en-terre style houses.

Visitors must also look at the Jean-Baptiste Valle House which is one of the first rose gardens west of the Mississippi River. Visitors can also enjoy a visit to the Green Tree Tavern which is open from dawn to dusk and they can enjoy a ranger-led tour of the structure which once served as a home, business, and lodge.

he Red House Interpretive Center is located in downtown Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Originally built in 1797 by community founder and French-Canadian, Louis Lorimier, the structure overlooks the banks of the Missouri River. Although the original building was destroyed by a tornado in 1850, the site was rebuilt in 2003 thanks to many volunteers using the poteaux-sur-solle (“post-on-sil”) technique once favored by French settlers.

In the early 19th Century, the “red house” was the best-known trading post between St. Louis, MO, and Memphis, TN. It also served as a fledgling community and government center for the area. In November of 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped to visit with Lorimier’s family and purchase supplies for the expedition ahead.

The reconstructed house displays several exhibits depicting the lives of the area’s early settlers. Visitors can peruse 19th-century merchandise in Lorimier’s Trading Post or visit the Lorimier Room to see how a home of this period may have been decorated. In the Girardeau Room, a large map of the territory under the control of Don Louis Lorimier for the Spanish Government is on display. Visitors can also walk through the Historic Gardens on the north side of the house which contains flowers, vegetables, and herbs typical of a garden in 1803.

ocated on the Mississippi River in the former Kendall Saloon at the foot of Main Street, the New Madrid Historical Museum reflects the history of this river town from the Mississippian period up through the early 20th century. The great earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 are well documented in the Museum’s collections as is the potential for future seismic activity.

Lewis arrived at Fort Pickering about two in the afternoon on 15 September. Captain Russell immediately realized that the governor was ill and mentally unstable. He placed Lewis under arrest, put the distinguished guest under the care of the surgeon’s mate W.C. Smith, and installed Lewis in the captain’s own quarters. In his letter to former president Jefferson of 4 January 1810, Russell wrote, “He came here on the 15th September last . . . . His condition rendered it necessary that he should be stoped until he would recover which I done.”

Founded in 1998 and operated by the Pontotoc County Historical Society, the Town Square Museum offers visitors glimpses of yesteryear. The museum features a large collection of historical exhibits, documents, books and memorabilia. It also houses showcased displays of antique items and artifacts depicting the lifestyles, traditions, and artistry of families and businesses in the community, dating back to it’s founding days. It is the only working historical post office in the nation. You can retrace the steps of the Chickasaws or learn of the hardships of the pioneers or remember the days of listening for the sound of a train whistle as the ribbons of steel brought distant travelers to this county.

Named for a Chickasaw word meaning “tree root,” Tockshish was a community of American Indians and American settlers along the Natchez Trace. John McIntosh, British agent to the Choctaws, first settled there before 1770.

In 1801, McIntosh’s settlement was designated as the second post office between Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez, Mississippi. It became a relay station where postriders exchanged weary horses for fresh ones. The post office is now gone; only the name recalls the time when hoof-beats marked the arrival of mail bags that had left Nashville bound for Natchez.

George Colbert operated a ferry across the Tennessee River from 1800 to 1819. His stand, or inn, offered travelers a warm meal and shelter during their journey on the Old Trace. Colbert looked after his own well being and once charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his Tennessee Army across the river.The site of his stand is a short 50 yards up the path from the parking area. An additional 20 minute stroll will take you along the Old Trace to the bluff overlook and back.

Lewis died on October 11, 1809, at Grinder’s Stand. He was buried the same day by a traveling companion. Initially, the grave was unmarked except for a “post fence” built in 1810 to protect it.

In 1848, the State of Tennessee erected a monument over Lewis’s grave. It featured a broken column, a common symbol at the time to signify a life cut short. The monument was built with funds provided by the Tennessee legislature. The site was incorporated into the Natchez Trace Parkway, and the Meriwether Lewis National Monument was established by the federal government in 1925. The monument, along with the remains of Grinder’s Stand, are the focal points of the park.

The original headstones were replaced with flat ones in the 1920s and restored in the early 2000s. The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration also constructed a replica of Grinder’s Stand and a cabin museum near the site in the 1930s.

The Meriwether Lewis Monument and Gravesite is a popular destination for those interested in Lewis and Clark’s expedition and the history of the Natchez Trace. The surrounding park offers hiking trails, picnic areas, and a free primitive campground.