Last updated: December 13, 2023
Place
Lewis Buys Seaman
Senator John Heinz History Center
Quick Facts
Location:
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Significance:
Meriwether Lewis purchased his dog, Seaman, somewhere along the Ohio River, and Seaman traveled down the River with Lewis and crew.
Designation:
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
1 listed
Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board
Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums
Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
One of those new recruits may have been a dog.
Lewis purchased a Newfoundland dog in September 1803 for $20 (roughly $500 in 2022 dollars). Why?
Newfoundland dogs are known to be intelligent, hard-working, loyal, and well-tempered animals, as well as good hunters and swimmers. This meant Seaman could handle a mostly river-bound journey and help with hunting, all while being good-natured.
Seaman especially loved to chase squirrels in the river. Maybe he loved it even more because of how much his human liked eating them. Day after day on the Ohio River, Lewis saw squirrels swimming across the river—almost always from the north to the south shore, he observed. Most days, Seaman would hop in the river and chase after a few.
After he swam his heart out, Seaman would return to the boat, sopping wet. Maybe Lewis would have to help hoist him back onto the boat, or maybe he’d jump himself, heavy fur and all. He may have been proud to please his human with a squirrel offering, and perhaps excited to hop back again into the river and go chase some more.
About this article: This article is part of a series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”