Seaman (Dog)

Date: 1804 to 1806
Location: Louisana Territory
Surnames/tags: Lewis_And_Clark_Expedition Corps_of_Discovery

Seaman, a Newfoundland dog, became famous for being a member of the first American overland expedition from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast and back. He was the only domesticated animal to complete the entire trip.

Purchased by Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) for $20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seaman accompanied Lewis during the Corps of Discovery Expedition. A valuable member of the party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route.

Seaman and Lewis

...one of the Shawnees a respectable looking Indian offered me three beverskins for my dog with which he appeared much pleased, the dog was of the newfoundland breed one that I prised much for his docility and qualifications generally for my journey and of course there was no bargan, I had given 20$ for this dogg myself-
~ Meriwether Lewis, November 16, 1803^[1].

It is reported that Seaman remained with Lewis after the expedition concluded. However, definitive proof regarding his later life is lacking, and his recounted actions at the death of Lewis are speculative.

Watch: Dateline NBC, A Postcard from the Field: Lewis and Clark’s Four-Legged Friend Runtime 2:31^[2]

Mounuments
Monuments and statues that include Seaman can be found in:

• Idaho
  • Salmon
• Illinois
  • Cairo
• Iowa
  • Sioux City
• Missouri
  • St. Louis
  • St. Charles
  • Jefferson City
• Montana
  • Great Falls
• Nebraska
  • Lincoln
  • Fort Calhoun
• North Dakota
  • Washburn
• Oregon
  • Seaside
  • Cascade Locks
  • Saint Helens
• Washington
  • Washougal

Sources

1. ↑ The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 2005. U of Nebraska Press / U of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries-Electronic Text Center. 5 Oct. 2005 http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu
2. ↑ “A Postcard from the Field: Lewis and Clark’s Four-Legged Friend.” YouTube, Dateline NBC, 10 Aug. 2018, youtu.be/2qSUL0lasIc.

See Also:

• WikiPedia: Seaman (Dog)

• Myers, Laurie, and Michael Dooling. Lewis and Clark and Me a Dog's Tale. Henry Holt & Co., 2002. ISBN 0805063684

• Eubank, Patti Reeder. Seaman's Journal: on the Trail with Lewis and Clark. Ideals Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 0824954424