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Museum of Westward Expansion
Just below the famous arch of
St. Louis, Missouri, there is a visitor center, that is entered by
either side going down an outdoor ramp and inside the center sits
the Museum of Westward Expansion showcasing exhibits of the history
of the city's riverfront, as well as tram loading and unloading
areas. Tucker Theater, that was completed in 1968 and then restored,
30 years later, contains 285 seats and shows a documentary, Monument
to the Dream, about the arch's construction. The Odyssey Theater was
finished in 1993 and contains 255 seats and the first 70 mm film
theater to be put on National Park Service land and run by the
service. It shows films that come from a rotating play list and
located in the center as well are retail shops run by the Jefferson
National Parks Association. The Museum of Westward Expansion
contains some of the rarest relics from the Lewis and Clark era and
by exploring the magnificent exhibits here, you can learn about the
world of the American Indian and the 19th century pioneers that
helped shape the history of our American west. Inside the museum is
a fantastic timeline that allows you to travel back in time and
revisit the exciting and thrilling moments in our 19th century
history of the opening of the west that starts with the Louisiana
Purchase and continues to the final closing of the western lands in
1890. The timeline is divided into decade periods to make it easier
for you to view and keep in mind. The first decade begins with
1800-1810, naturally and explores the virtues and dangers that met
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark that led the famous expedition
into the western territories of this great nation during the period
from 1804 to 1806; since this decade time was called most
appropriately, the decade of exploration. Some of the important
events that occurred before this included the moving of the US
capitol from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. and by secret treaty
Spain cedes the Louisiana Territory to France; and the second census
is taken and there are 5,309,000 Americans living in the country, as
it was then in 1800. Then in 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the
third President of the United States, and the first to be held in
the new capitol and John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed
came to Licking County, Ohio with his famous bag of apple seeds. And
we can jump to 1803, when the country of France sells the entire
Louisiana Purchase to the United States for $15 million which
contains 828,000 square miles of the most wonderful land in the
world and Jefferson sends the famous pair of army officers, Lewis
and Clark on an expedition starting out in St. Louis and going all
the way to the Pacific Ocean. It was a remarkable and most memorable
occasion, although at the time, no one could or would imagine the
tremendous impact that purchase would have on the nation or the
world for that matter, as it would eventually realize. The
rest is readable in history books, or online, but either way, it is
an exciting and fantastic time. And it is constantly changing,
whether for the better or the worse, only history will decide that,
as we head into the future with high hopes, prayers and faith in our
God, who still continues to bless us, even though many have turned
away, He never will.
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