History of Rocheport, Missouri
Where the small town of Rocheport, population 208, is now snugly nestled amid a tight valley and towering limestone bluffs, several Indian tribes once dwelled. During the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804-1806, this general area was noted in William Clark's journal, dated June 7, 1804.
... Set out early passed the head of the Island opposit which we Camped last night, and brackfast at the Mouth of a large Creek on the S.S. of 30 yds wide called big Monetou, from the pt. of the Isd. or Course of last night to the mouth of this Creek is N 61 degrees W, 4 1/2 ms. a Short distance above the mouth of this Creek, is Several Courious Paintings and Carveings in the projecting rock of Limestone inlade with white red and blue flint, of a verry good quality, the Indians have taken of this flint great quantities. We landed at this Inscription and found it a Den of rattle Snakes, we had not landed 3 minutes before three verry large Snakes wer observed on the Crevices of the rocks and Killed--at the mouth of the last mentioned Creek Capt. Lewis took four or five men and went to some Licks or Springs of Salt water from two to four miles up the Creek on Rt. side the water of those springs are not Strong, Say from 4 to 600 Gs. of water for a Bushel of Salt ...
After reaching the Pacific Ocean, the Corps of Discovery retraced their journey and passed the Rocheport area again on September 19, 1806.
A great Lewis and Clark sign is posted by the Department of Natural Resources at the entrance to the Katy Trail Tunnel in Rocheport.
Various Mid-Missouri Manitous reprinted from William Clark's journal dated June 5, 1804. Manitou is a French version of an Algonquian word for spirit. These petroglyphs, or manitous, shown at right, were observed on the Missouri River bluffs in Mid-Missouri. Although several faint images still appear above Torbett Springs and the Lewis and Clark Cave, approximately 4 miles south of town on the Katy Trail, the pictographs noted by Lewis and Clark are no longer visible. Most likely they were blasted away by the MK&T Railroad during construction of the railroad.
For more information, order the book "Lewis and Clark in the Boonslick Region."