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The Lewis Clark Valley has a wealth of history starting with the Native Americans that inhabited the valley hundreds of years ago. Exploration by Lewis & Clark in 1805 made this a camping stop on their trek to the mouth of the Columbia River. Gold was discovered in 1860 in Clearwater County and the cry of "Gold!" changed the land forever. In 1863, Lewiston was made the capital of the Idaho Territory. As Lewiston's economy expanded and thrived on agricultural and natural resource based industry, Clarkston began to carve a nitch with a ferry landing and developed ranches in the Grande Ronde area which added a strong farm to market economy. By the 1940's, although the river remained and integral part of both communities, improved highways rendered steamboats obsolete. In the 1970's after completion of 4 hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake, slack water came to the Lewis-Clark Valley. Port districts were established and millions of dollars in local products were sent downstream to world markets. With the slack water, a new form of recreation was added to the already abundant outdoor recreation of the area. |
