Sioux City, Iowa - Big Monument to Lewis and Clark's Only Fatality

Sioux City is forever connected to the Lewis and Clark expedition by the fact that the only person to actually die on the expedition, Sgt. Floyd, expired here. Historians believe he probably died of appendicitis. A 100 foot obelisk, reminiscent of the Washington Monument, marks the spot of his final resting place, overlooking the Missouri River.

His body was moved three times, and the third time, a society in the early 1900s decided that his grave needed a suitable homage. They raised all kinds of money, and this giant phallic symbol is the result. BTW, there is also an excellent Lewis and Clark interpretive center right off of I-29 here, along the riverfront. [La Donna, 07/04/2004]

[RA: The interpretive center, 900 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City, features a statue of Lewis, Clark, and their heroic dog, Seaman. The nearby Sgt. Floyd Riverboat Museum exhibits a life-sized forensic reconstruction of Sgt. Floyd.]