 |
|
Ocean In View Nickel only slightly off courseThe Ocean In View Nickel shown above quotes a journal entry of Captain William Clark that was a bit off geographically, but “spot on” in its sentiment. On November 7, 1805 Clark wrote, "Ocian in view O! The Joy!" Lewis and Clark had finally reached the Pacific – or nearly had. What Clark actually viewed was the broad mouth of the Columbia River, but shortly thereafter their expedition, dubbed the Corps of Discovery by President Thomas Jefferson, would truly have the “ocean in view”.With an arduous journey completed, and having reached the Pacific Ocean, their objective, Lewis and Clark prudently settled in for the winter months. It had been thought possible, at least in the planning stage, that the Corps would ship out on a trading vessel bound for the East around Cape Horn – Jefferson had made the necessary arrangements through Consuls along the projected route -- should this prove a practical alternative. However, stormy seas, typical during winter, all but ruled this out. No ships were available, and none were ever seen. The return trip would be mostly a retracing of their route out. In March of 1806 the long journey back commenced. Lewis and Clark reached St Louis in September. The view depicted on the reversed side of the Ocean In View coin is taken from a photograph submitted by Andrew E. Cier a photographer who lives near Astoria, Oregon, close to Fort Clatsop which the Corps constructed for winter shelter. The Ocean In View Nickel was introduced to the public on August 5, 2005 at Cape Disappointment, Washington. There was little disappointment in the crowd of 950 people that attended the ceremony. It was, after all, the first time a nickel had been launched on the West Coast. The map displayed above was sketched by William Clark shortly after the expedition had arrived on the coast. The image of the coin is from the United States Mint.
|
