York Cares for Clark

“The Naming of Mt. Jefferson,” a 7-foot-tall bronze statue by Michael Florin Dente, includes York, on the far right.  The sculpture stands on the University of Portland campus in Portland, Oregon. 

Creative Commons. 

York, William Clark’s personal slave, is noted several times in the journal writings as being a concerned caregiver. He not only nursed Charles Floyd prior to the sergeant’s untimely death in August 1804, he is also documented as helping his master in June 1804.

Clark wrote in his June 3 entry, “I have a bad Cold with a Sore throat.” He notes a few days later that York swam the Missouri River to a sand bar to collect “…a Sufficient quantity wild Creases [Cresses] or Tung [Tongue] grass.”

Cress (Lepidium sativum) was an herbal remedy administered in cases of asthma and on-going coughs. Tongue grass was likely the common chickweed, which was thought to have helped with pulmonary ailments. Both could have aided Clark’s cold and sore throat.