The Billings Gazette
November 9, 2002
Tom Scott marvels at the feat of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Now he wants to keep the legacy of the Corps of Discovery alive long after the upcoming bicentennial celebration ends.
But getting there will not only take willpower, but money.
That's why Scott, CEO of the Billings-based First Interstate Bank and First Interstate BancSystem, has arranged for a donation of $500,000 to support the Montana Lewis & Clark Legacy Campaign.
Scott said he was inspired by the need to prepare Montana for one of the biggest events in the state's history.
"This is an opportunity from 2004 to 2006 to showcase Montana," Scott said in a recent interview.
Other states are well on the way in planning events and providing resources for the future, Scott said. Now it's Montana's turn to do the same.
"It (the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial) is going to happen. We have a short period of time and we need to get this organized," he said.
Just before the turn of this century, late historian and author Stephen Ambrose admonished Montanans to brace for the future by embracing the past as plans are made for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration.
And it needs to involve more than a clever T-shirt design.
He said the state, along with its business and community leaders, must do more than wait for tourists to arrive then reap the financial benefits.
"It's not enough to sit there and say, 'Lewis and Clark came through here. I hope you enjoy it, folks. Have a good time,' " Ambrose said during a speech at Pompeys Pillar in September 1999.
Scott took that message to heart when he agreed to serve as chairman of the campaign and make the donation. It is the first step in collecting $14 million for historic preservation, education and cultural efforts across the state.
The Lewis and Clark expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore uncharted and newly acquired land in the Louisiana Territory, document its people, wildlife and plant life and seek a passage to the Pacific Ocean. The Corps of Discovery left St. Louis on May 14, 1804, and returned on Sept. 13, 1806. In July of that year, William Clark marked his stay in the area by engraving his name on the soft sandstone of Pompeys Pillar.
During the trip, the expedition spent nine total months in what is now Montana, traversing 2,000 miles in water and portaging its boats through prairie grass and rocky terrain. The men on the journey also catalogued more plant and animal species in Montana than anywhere else.
In addition, the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail passes through 36 of Montana's 56 counties and near all of the Indian reservations in the state.
To commemorate the expedition's 200th anniversary, a number of educational events and re-enactments are being planned. But, as Scott points out, leaders want to do more than re-create and remember.
"I see the Montana Lewis and Clark Legacy Campaign answering an educational and cultural need in Montana," he said. "By raising funds for these organizations around the state, we will create a legacy of lasting resources from which future generations of Montanans can gain knowledge and inspiration."
A key part of the Legacy Campaign will involve a cooperative approach to funding Lewis and Clark projects, instead of trying to sort out competing interests. That cooperative effort will produce programs, exhibits and experiences that will entice visitors long after the bicentennial is over, he said.
The Legacy Campaign has been organized by five of Montana's leading Lewis and Clark organizations. The groups will be working on several bicentennial commemoration projects in 2005 and 2006.
The five organizations represented in the Legacy Campaign are: The Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission, Helena; the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Foundation, Great Falls; Travelers' Rest Preservation and Heritage Association, Lolo; Pompeys Pillar Historical Association, Worden; and the Montana Historical Society, Helena.
For more information on the campaign, call (406) 457-9080.
Funding objectives
First Interstate Bank's $500,000 donation to the Montana Lewis & Clark Legacy Campaign will be used to help raise $14 million for Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemorative efforts. The campaign will provide money to projects for the commemoration and beyond.
Some of the objectives include:
A statewide network of roadside signs that organizers hope will provide an outdoor Lewis and Clark museum experience for travelers;
A variety of American Indian programs and facilities to promote understanding between cultures;
Pay for improvements at the state park and purchase interpretive materials at the Travelers' Rest historic site in Lolo;
Provide a long-term exhibit at the Montana Historical Society in Helena;
Expand programming and facilities at the Lewis and Clark National Trail Interpretive Center in Great Falls;
Complete an interpretive center and exhibits at Pompeys Pillar that tell the story of Clark on the Yellowstone.
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Dan Carter can be reached at 657-1251 or at dcarter@billingsgazette.com
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