History people half-know · St. Charles
The legend: The famous expedition began its push up the Missouri River from the little river town of St. Charles in May 1804.
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What Is Actually True
- The National Park Service says the Corps of Discovery left St. Charles on Monday, May 21, 1804, after a five-day stop.
- Nearly 50 men under William Clark had waited since May 16 for Meriwether Lewis, who joined on May 20 after about 25 miles by land from St. Louis.
- They launched a keelboat and several pirogues around 3:30 p.m.; headwinds and heavy rain held them to about three miles that day.
- Missouri State Parks says the Katy Trail from Cooper County to St. Charles County is an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
This one is history, not a legend: the true story people half-know.
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Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/legends/lewis-and-clark-st-charles/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.