Couple donates Lewis and Clark site to state

OSAGE CITY, Mo. -- A hill near the confluence of the Missouri and Osage rivers that is believed to have caught the eye of explorer William Clark has been donated to the state as a historic site.

Until now, the hill was owned by William and Carol Norton, who purchased the property in the mid-1970s not knowing of its historical significance.

They soon learned that the hill likely was explored by Clark and Meriwether Lewis during their 1804 expedition up the Missouri River.

Clark's journal described a 100-foot-high hill with a rock under it that had "a delightful prospect" of both rivers. The group arrived at the hill June 1, 1804, and took measurements and observations, according to the journal.

By donating the 13-acres of land to the state Department of Natural Resources, "others will be able to stand and feel the strength of what's here," said Carol Norton.