If you drive west on 8th Street for 2.5 miles to Fort Mandan Road, then south for 0.4 miles on Fort Mandan Road in Washburn, North Dakota, you’ll come across a six foot tall statue of a Newfoundland overlooking the Missouri River at a spot where the Corps of Discovery wintered in 1804-1805. The double steel sculpture created by Tom Neary was dedicated in 2006 to honor Seaman, the dog that Meriwether Lewis brought along on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Missouri River flood of 2011 put “Seaman,” at risk. While staff and volunteers sandbagged the area, the 1,400 statue was moved by crane to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center two miles away. Around 2012, flood waters receded enough to return the statue to its place at Seaman’s Overlook with the help of a $1000.00 donation from the Newfoundland Club of America. Breed clubs do more than hold dog shows! They contribute to research, breed studies, and efforts like saving a statue. You needn’t compete with your dog to belong to your dog’s breed club, and it matters.