People of the Illinois Country

Lewis and Clark met most of the prominent citizens in the small towns along the Mississippi River. Nicholas Jarrot offered to let them camp for the winter on one of his many properties at Wood River. John Hay offered his translation skills. William Morrison sold the corps supplies for their journey. Farmers sold turnips and other crops to the corps for their winter stay. Pierre Menard was a prominent business man of the area.

Other Illinois inhabitants featured in Lewis and Clark's adventures. Joseph Dickson was a fur tapper who intercepted the corps on their return trip down the Missouri in order to get information for his own trip west.