Unveiling scheduled for July 4
Two new display panels are being installed at the Sacajawea’s Rest Park, a small pocket park located right on Main Street in Downtown Darby. The panels depict the two of the national historic trails that pass through Darby. One depicts the entire length of the trail taken by the Lewis & Clark Expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, highlighting on the map where certain events occurred along the way. The map includes a “you are here” arrow pointed at Darby. The park honors the memory of Sacajawea, the only woman among the Corps of Discovery and a key player in the success of the journey. A second display map tells the history of the Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail illustrating and commemorating the 1,170-mile journey that the Nimiipuu, (Nez Perce) took as they fled the U.S. military from the Walla Walla valley through the Bitterroot, and through the Yellowstone before turning north to the Canadian border where a couple hundred managed to make it across the border to Sitting Bull’s Camp.
The creation and installation of the display panels is part of the long ongoing work of the South Valley Civic Group in upgrading the pocket park since it first opened in 2017. It is home to an impressive bronze statue of Sacajawea and her baby Baptiste made by artist Jim Demetro. The group secured a $1,200 grant from the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation to pay for the installation of the new display panels and, like all else, some willing volunteers to help actually do it. In this case that included Ted Hall, Joe Toolson, Patrick Treacy and Dan Templeis, who cut holes into the existing concrete to hold the base of the new metal display stands and then cemented them in.
Laura Owings-Smith, president of the South Valley Civic Group, said that the new display panels would be officially unveiled for public viewing at the Sacajawea’s Rest Park’s annual 4th of July “Sacajawea Honoring Day.” The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park and includes some scheduled speakers, beginning with Ted Hall. Hall will talk about the history of the area from the Pleistocene Era up to today, including the time it spent under water, the times the Corps of Discovery passed through, the times the Nez Perce passed through and more. Andre Way will talk about the sacred pipe and Laura Owings-Smith will talk about the Four Directions and their importance in Native life.
According to Owings-Smith, there will be vendors and a raffle as part of the festivities. The raffle prize is a float trip in the Bitterroot River with fishing guide Mike Moline from the Bitterroot Trout Shop. An art contest is also held in conjunction with the event for children 18 years of age and younger. The artwork submitted has to include Seaman, the dog that accompanied Lewis and Clark on their journey. The Bitterroot Rodders Car Club will also be showing up in Darby for the festivities.
That’s Sunday, July 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sacajawea’s Rest Park in Darby.