History isn't always as clean as a textbook makes it out to be. We like to think of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as the first people to ever step foot on the wild "undiscovered" banks of the Missouri River. But when the Corps of Discovery rolled up to what we now call Bon Homme in late August 1804, they weren't exactly trekking through a blank map. Honestly, they were basically following a trail of breadcrumbs left by French fur traders who had been living, working, and dying there for decades.
You've probably heard of Lewis and Clark Lake. It's a massive, beautiful reservoir on the border of South Dakota and Nebraska. But most folks don't realize that submerged under all that blue water is the ghost of Bon Homme Island, a place that was a huge deal long before a single American soldier showed up with a compass.
The "Good Man" Who Got There First
The name "Bon Homme" literally translates from French to "Good Man." It’s a bit of a mystery, but local lore and some pretty solid historical records suggest it was a nickname given by the Yankton Sioux to a French fur trader. We don't even know his real name. He lived on a 4,000-acre island in the Missouri River during the late 1700s. He must’ve been a decent guy because the name stuck for over two centuries.
When Lewis and Clark arrived on September 1, 1804, they already knew about the place. They called it "Bon Humme" in their journals. They spent time exploring the island and the ancient earthworks nearby. Clark, who was obsessed with mapping everything, spent hours measuring what he thought were old fortifications. He actually thought he’d found the ruins of an ancient city.
In reality? He was probably looking at natural sand ridges shaped by the river’s current. It’s funny to think about a world-class explorer getting fooled by a pile of dirt, but that’s the reality of the frontier. You see what you want to see.
The Island That Vanished
If you go looking for Bon Homme Island today, you won’t find it. It's gone.
Basically, the Army Corps of Engineers built the Gavins Point Dam in the 1950s. When they closed the gates and the water started rising, it created Lewis and Clark Lake. The island—the original site of the fur trade and the camp where the expedition rested—was swallowed up. It's sitting under about 40 feet of water now.
There’s something a little sad about that. This island was the "interstate highway" of the 18th-century fur trade. It was a bustling hub where Native Americans and Europeans traded beaver pelts for beads and metal tools. Now, it’s just a memory for divers and historians.
The Hutterite Connection
After Lewis and Clark moved on, the area didn't just go quiet. In 1874, a group of Hutterites—a communal religious group originally from Europe—settled right on the north shore of the river near the old island. This was the Bon Homme Colony, and it’s actually the "mother colony" for all Hutterites in North America.
They are still there. You can actually see some of the original buildings made of "chalk rock" (a type of local limestone) that have survived since the late 19th century. One of the old trading posts is still standing. It’s wild to think that while the island is underwater, the stone walls built just a few decades after the explorers passed through are still being used as houses and shops.
Why You Should Care About Bon Homme Today
Most people visit Lewis and Clark Lake for the boating or the fishing. It’s a great spot for that. But if you’re standing on the South Dakota side, near the Springfield landing, you’re looking out over a spot where the entire course of North American history shifted.
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- The Grand Council: Just downstream at Calumet Bluff, Lewis and Clark had their first formal meeting with the Yankton Sioux. It was a tense, high-stakes diplomatic summit that set the tone for the rest of their journey.
- The Landscape: The "Burning Bluffs" nearby were a mystery to the explorers. They saw smoke rising from the ground and thought it was volcanic. It was actually just lignite coal catching fire through spontaneous combustion.
- The Wildlife: This is one of the best spots in the country to see Bald Eagles in the winter. They hang out below the dam because the water doesn't freeze, making it an easy fishing spot.
What to Do Next
If you want to actually see this history, don't just stay in the campground.
- Visit the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center: It’s sitting right on top of Calumet Bluff. They have a theater and exhibits that explain the geology and the 1804 encounter.
- Drive the Bon Homme Road: It leads you down toward the old village site. You can’t go onto the Hutterite Colony without an invitation, but the surrounding landscape still looks a lot like it did when the keelboat was being pushed upriver.
- Check out the Springfield Landing: This gives you the best vantage point over the area where Bon Homme Island used to be.
The "Bon" in the Lewis and Clark story isn't just a French name on a map. It’s a reminder that the West was already a busy, complicated place long before it was "won."
Practical Next Steps:
Plan your visit for late August to match the anniversary of the expedition's arrival. Start at the Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska/South Dakota border. Make sure to bring binoculars—the chalkstone bluffs are steep, and the birdwatching is world-class. If you're into photography, the "Golden Hour" on the chalkstone cliffs is unbeatable for capturing the same light Clark described in his journals.