St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project

These case files consist of approximately 100 court cases in which Meriwether Lewis, William Clark or other members of the Corps of Discovery are defendants, plaintiffs, or play a prominent role, such as Clark's partnerships in the St. Louis Missouri Fur Company and the Bank of Missouri. Also included are actions concerning claims against the estates of both Lewis and Clark. The majority of the cases are disputes concerning promissory notes, debts, and the payment and assignment of notes and debts.

The bulk of the series, 46 cases, consist of disputes concerning the business and financial activities of William Clark, territorial governor (1813-1820), commander of the territorial militia, Indian agent, unsuccessful candidate for public office and partner in the St. Louis Missouri Fur Company and the Bank of Missouri. Clark made his home in St. Louis from 1807, when he was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs by President Thomas Jefferson, to his death in 1838. Many of the actions are “assumpsit,” “trespass on the case,” or “debt on note,” characteristic of this period of Missouri's history when many transactions were conducted through the use of promissory notes rather than currency. Clark is usually the plaintiff in these actions, attempting to collect debts due him. There are also some cases concerning the slaves of William Clark.

The nine Meriwether Lewis cases compose a much smaller share of the series. Lewis was appointed territorial governor by President Jefferson in March 1807, but for the next year tried to administer the territory from Washington, D.C. Lewis died in 1809 on his way from St. Louis to the nation's capitol to defend some of his financial activities as governor. In these cases Lewis, or his estate, appear as defendant. Unlike Clark, who was a creditor, Lewis was deeply indebted for land purchases and a mining venture. These cases shed light on Lewis' financial position just prior to his death and indicate that Lewis contracted additional debt just before he set out on his journey.

This series also contains 26 cases that relate to Corps of Discovery members John Boley, John Collins, John Colter, George Drouillard, Etienne Malbouf, John Newman, Paul Primeau, Nathaniel Pryor, Isaac White, and Alexander Willard, who remained in the St. Louis area following the return of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1806. These cases date from 1808 to 1833 and illustrate the members' continuing social, commercial, legal, and financial relationships with their fellow citizens, as well as the frequency and diversity of financial interactions on the frontier. Only the case of John Colter vs. Edward Hempstead, Administrator of the Estate of Meriwether Lewis directly mentions the “Corps of Discovery.”