The Clatsop traded food and goods with the expedition during the difficult winter months. Coboway visited the fort frequently and provided information about the local area. When the expedition departed in March 1806, Lewis gave Coboway a certificate and left a copy of the expedition roster posted at the fort.

Coboway was later given an English name, “Commissioner,” by American traders. The Clatsop people suffered devastating population decline in the early 19th century due to introduced diseases, and their territory was eventually absorbed by the broader Chinookan cultural sphere.

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“At this place we had wintered and remained from the 7th of Deer. 1805 to this day, and have lived as well as we had any right to expect.”

Before departing, Lewis posted a notice on the fort wall listing the expedition members and their route — hoping it might be found by any trading vessel that visited the coast. He also gave a copy to the Clatsop chief Coboway.

The return journey would prove faster but no less eventful, including the decision to split into two parties to explore more territory, Lewis’s violent encounter with Blackfeet warriors, and his accidental shooting by one of his own men.

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