etic enue) Go INee bh) Cletuek Med TEN i) 
the last flood plain timber in the American bottoms between Alton and 
jester, consisting of about 150 acres adjacent to the Lewis & Clark Me- 
orial Park opposite the confluence. 
May I say further that nearly every newspaper and magazine through- 
it America has written about this little historic landmark at Wood River. 
recall an editorial in the Chicago American under date of Aug. 1, 1966, 
aded in large type, “Saving a Piece of History.” The Chicago Daily News 
litorial on Oct. 4, 1966, headed in large bold type, “Lewis & Clark Slept 
ere.” Yes, they not only slept here across from the confluence; they and 
eir party prepared and planned their expedition here from November 1803 
itil May 14, 1804. It was at 4:00 p.m. May 14, 1804, that the Lewis & Clark 
ty set forth to cross the Mississippi and up the Missouri and on and on. 
1ey faced 2,000 miles of hardships and danger. They lived off the land be- 
re them and conquered the northwest to the Pacific, the last leg of the 
orld’s greatest expedition ever to be conducted by man. Their finding has 
sulted in great wealth and beauty for America. 
Capper’s Weekly, Topeka, Kansas, in a front page article April 20, 1965, 
scribed it as ‘““America’s First Glory Trail” with a picture of the marker 
Wood River. The New York Times on Feb. 26, 1967, Sunday edition, car- 
ed a full page showing in deep black print the starting point of this ex- 
dition at Wood River. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Aug. 2, 1964, ran a 
ecture of the Riverside Memorial along with an article headed, “Simple 
arker Near Hartford Recalls Lewis & Clark Trek.” Practically all local 
ea newspapers have given excellent support for the further development 
this great historic confluence park. 
As you know, a controversy over the amount of land that should be used 
r industrial and park expansion was resolved to the satisfaction of all 
irties concerned some three years ago. The land expansion as agreed upon 
msists of about 300 acres owned by the United States Government and 
ider control of the Army Corps of Engineers, and only about 50 acres of 
ivately-owned land which joins the Great River Road, Route 3, extend- 
g to take in a part of the old stage coach road known as the Old Olden- 
irg Road. This land is all protected by a levee. 
May I add these closing remarks. When Mr. Rutherford and members of 
s board visited the park on Oct. 14 of this year, the area around the marker 
as flooded. This happened only one other time during October in 69 years 
history according to the Engineers. It has flooded at the park on other 
casions because the marker stands on land at 410 feet above mean sea 
vel. In the woods nearby, the land rests at 418 feet and did not flood this 
sar or last. The river bank, 200 yards below the park, is 420 feet and seldom 
ods. We all know that the picnic area at Marquette State Park floods, only 
leave the land more fertile as the water recedes. 
May I refer again to Oct. 14, the day Mr. Rutherford visited the park 
hich was flooded. Just 8 days later, on Oct. 22, 90 people camped at the 
irk on the same ground that was flooded on the 14th. They stayed 3 days. 
visited the campers during their stay. 
Governor Ogilvie, you have in your files a list that contains the names 
many supporting organizations to the confluence park enlargement plan 
ong with an appraisal of this site by a very competent authority. 
As I finalize these remarks, Madison County is nearing its 160th birthday. 
has 26 miles of riverfront on the Mississippi River. After all these years, 
t one single inch of this 26 miles has been set aside for public use and en- 
