Wheeling Wharf

Quick Facts

Location:

Wheeling, WV

Significance:

First multi-night stop of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Designation:

Wheeling National Heritage Area

MANAGED BY:

City of Wheeling

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Scenic View/Photo Spot

The expedition made their first multi-night stop at Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) between September 7 and 9, 1803. Lewis granted the extended stay, for “my men were fatiegued and I concluded it would be better to give them a days rest and let them wash their clothes…” Here, he received goods sent overland from Pittsburgh and purchased another pirogue to carry them. Lewis sent a letter to President Jefferson and met with both Colonel Thomas Rodney and Dr. William E. Patterson, the latter expressing interest in joining the expedition. He considered extending an offer to Patterson, but the doctor failed to show at the expedition’s time of departure on September 9.  

In the nineteenth century, Wheeling became an established market center, and industrialization along the waterfront severed public connection to the Ohio River. In the 1990s, the development of the Wheeling National Heritage Area resulted in the reclamation of the downtown site through the construction of Heritage Port. 

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.