River Falls Reads 2004
River Falls Public Library

A One Book, One Community Project
Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery Expedition

Undaunted Courage
by Stephen Ambrose
and
The Essential Lewis & Clark
edited by Landon Y. Jones

February 1 - March 14, 2004

Books on sale at the Library
Copies also available for check-out

• Featured Lewis and Clark books

• Featured Lewis and Clark web pages

• Children's books about Lewis and Clark

• All events, with the exception of the Omni Theater trip, are free and open to the public.
• Watch for announcements of additional programs and activities.

LEWIS & CLARK DISCUSSION GROUPS

All groups will meet at the River Falls Public Library. Discussions are intended to be lively, fun, and educational. No preparation required. Snacks provided!

Other discussion groups will be announced as plans are finalized.

LEWIS AND CLARK EVENTS

Thursday, February 5 at 7 p.m.
OVERVIEW OF THE EXPEDITION
Why in the world would any sane person set out on a 2000 mile journey into unknown territory in a canoe? Find out what premeditated the Corps of Discovery expedition-the whos, whys, whats, and wherefores.
Presented by Kirby Symes, retired social studies and history teacher.

Thursday, February 12 at 7 p.m.
WISCONSIN CIRCA 1800
For most people Wisconsin as mysterious as the Pacific Ocean. Who lived in the state? What drew others to Wisconsin? What did Wisconsin look like?
Presented by Dr. Kurt Leichtle, UW-RF History Department

Tuesday, February 17 at 7 p.m.
STORIES FOR THE WINTER OF 1804
Become acquainted with the many native peoples that Lewis & Clark encountered through Creation stories and multi-sensory activities.
Presented by Julie Kenefick.

Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m.
PACK YOUR CAR & GO!
Scott Mulhern and his family spent their summer vacation traveling along the Lewis & Clark Trail. See photos, hear about must-see spots, places to skip, and great resources to use for planning your own expedition!

Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
VOYAGEURS FUR TRADERS CAMP REENACTMENT GROUP AT PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Les Voyageurs du Val du Chippewa, an educational group organized to promote a greater awareness and understanding of the social and cultural history of the Fur Trade Era through the use of living history techniques, will be ‘setting up camp’ on the south lawn of the River Falls Public Library Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Experience life and learn the very important place fur trading held in the U.S. and Canadian history. There will be several short talks throughout the day as well. The program is open to the public.

Saturday, February 28 at 10:30 a.m.
FOLLOWING LEWIS & CLARK: Landscape Changes Along the Rivers
Follow the Lewis and Clark trail as it looks now with a view to what it might have been like when the Corps of Discovery traveled it. The program will focus on changes in the natural and human landscapes since the expedition, including animal and vegetation distributions, agriculture and forestry, large dams, and towns and cities.
Presented by Dr. Marguerite Forest, UW-RF Geography Department

Tuesday, March 2 at 4 p.m.
TEEN BOOK DISCUSSION
Middle- and high school students are invited to join in a book discussion contrasting Scott O'Dell's STREAMS TO THE RIVER, RIVER TO THE SEA, and Joseph Bruchac's SACAJAWEA. Sacajawea, the only female member of the expedition, is the focus of both books. Copies are free and yours to keep. Stop by the desk in the Children's Library for more information and to receive your books.

Saturday, March 6 at p.m.
FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY & LEWIS & CLARK TRIVIA CONTEST
Sample some of the foods eaten by the Corps. Try some buffalo or portable soup! (No, we won't be serving dog or horse!) There will also be a 'just for fun' trivia contest---you don't even have to read the books, although it will be helpful! Bring your own team (up to 6) or join with other attendees at the event. 'Prizes' will be awarded.

Sunday, March 7 - Bus leaves at 12:40 p.m. for the 2 p.m. showing
OMNI THEATER TRIP
We will be taking a chartered bus to the Omni Theater at the Science Museum in St. Paul to view "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West." Tickets prices are $14 for adults and $12 for senior citizens (65+) and children (12 and under). This price includes the bus trip and the film. Seating is limited--please reserve your place early!

Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m.
CORPS OF DISCOVERY PUPPET SHOW
An original show staged by members of the River Falls Drama Club from Heartland School. The members have researched and written the script, and built their own puppets and scenery. This will be a portion of the full production that will be performed at the Library in May.

DISPLAYS

• Animals and pelts loaned by Dave Brummel of Aves Taxidermy & Cheese
• Map recreated by Corey Kling, Meyer Middle School
• Canoe courtesy of KinniCreek Bed & Breakfast

The Corps of Discovery
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and -- by way of the Snake and mighty Columbia -- down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights.  With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West and when they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.

The journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark remain the single most important document in the history of American exploration. Through these tales of adventure we see the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and western rivers the way Lewis and Clark first observed them--majestic, pristine, uncharted, and awe-inspiring. We are in moccasins of Lewis and Clark as they witness other wonders no European-Americans had ever seen before: new creatures such as antelope, prairie dogs, and, most memorably, grizzly bears.

Also included are the explorers' encounters with Native Americans, featuring the amazing reunion between Sacagawea and her brother, a Shoshone chief who secured the expedition's safe passage over the Continental Divide.

Questions to ponder…

• What are some of the elements that can make a nonfiction book "read like fiction"?  Does Undaunted Courage have those elements? What value is there is making history "entertaining"? What harm is there?
• How do we view the 18th century American's desire for land and their relentless drive West?
• Compare the social conventions of Lewis's time with our own-in particular the social standing and treatment of women, blacks, and Indians. Did the harsh physical environment that people endured affect the attitudes of the time in the arena of racial and sexual equality?
• There were many firsts in this expedition: the first white men to explore territory west of the Rockies; York is the first black man these Indians had ever seen; the scientific discovery of many of the flora and fauna specimens. What are some other firsts revealed by these books?
• Is there any present day equivalent to the Corps of Discovery?
• What did Undaunted Courage teach you about the Early American Republic? Was the argument convincing? Well-supported?

What is RIVER FALLS READS?
This project is modeled on one created by a librarian in Seattle, Washington. The idea is to create connections among a diverse population by providing a common thread through reading. Join in and enjoy!

Want to join the expedition?
We're looking for volunteers to help with various events. If you can spare an hour of time to set up chairs, run copies or make phone calls, hang posters, etc. or if you have a great idea for a program, call the library at 425-0905.

The cost of this event is being underwritten by the River Falls Library Foundation.