Last updated: September 5, 2023
Place
Elk Point Election Site
George Catlin, Elk Grazing on an Autumn Prairie, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art
Quick Facts
Location:
S Harrison St, Elk Point, SD 57025
Significance:
Approximate site of first U.S. election west of the Mississippi.
Designation:
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, City Park
Amenities
10 listed
Electrical Hookup - Boat/RV, Fire Pit, Parking - Auto, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Picnic Table, Playground, Recreational Field, Restroom, Showers, Water - Drinking/Potable
After Sergeant Charles Floyd’s death on August 20, 1804, one of the three squads of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was left without a leader. Sergeants served as a link in the military expedition’s chain of command. Privates could not communicate directly with Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They reported to their squad sergeant, who then conveyed the information to the captains. Each squad was also responsible setting up camp and cooking for its members.
Two days after Floyd’s death, Clark ordered a vote to select a new sergeant for the second squad. Three men stood out for promotion: William Bratton, Patrick Gass, and George Gibson. The journals do not provide details about what was said during election proceedings, but Gass won by an overwhelming nineteen of twenty-seven possible votes (York, who was enslaved by Clark, was likely not allowed to vote).
Gass’s sense of humor and straight talk may have been an attraction for the men. In the official promotion order on August 26, Lewis praised “the capacity, deligence and integrety of Sergt. Gass.”
Historians have sometimes called the election at Elk Point the first U.S. election held west of the Mississippi River.
About this article: This article is part of series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”
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