Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Nick Kelly, Jacque Kelly, Elizabth Kelly, John Kelly
Date: May 18, 2025
Meriwether Lewis visited here in 1803 as part of his preparations for the Lewis & Clark Expedition. He stopped here while traveling down the Ohio River, collecting fossilized bones for President Thomas Jefferson which were believed to be remains of ancient, giant animals.
After the expedition, Jefferson continued his interest with the fossils at Big Bone Lick. William Clark, accompanied by his brother George Rogers Clark, conducted a major excavation at the site in 1807, collecting a large number of bones and teeth.
The site is now known as the “Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology” due to the significant fossil collections and discoveries made at Big Bone Lick by Lewis & Clark and others. Big Bone Lick Historic Site is named a National Natural Landmark, one of only 16 so named in the USA.
