Kasson Library Closed For Labor Day

The library will be closed Saturday, September 1st through Monday, September 3rd, for the Labor Day holiday.

Labor Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old. Over the years, it has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a general "last fling of summer" festival.

It grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City celebrating the working class. The parade was held on the first Monday in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day.

10th Anniversary of Princess Diana's Death

Once again this historical event people can tell you what they were doing when they heard the news. I listened to the news that evening at home and was dumbstruck at the news. There are not many time I shed tears for someone famous but I did for her.

Princess Diana's family solemnly marked the 10th anniversary of her death Friday at a service organized by her sons,Harry and his brother, Prince William, while admirers tied scores of bouquets, poems and portraits to the gates of her former home.

Britain's Princes William and Harry, sons of the late Princess Diana, arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Diana at the Guards' Chapel at Wellington Barracks in London, August 31, 2007.

"To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age, as others have experienced, is indescribably shocking and sad," Prince Harry said at the memorial service at the Guards' Chapel near Buckingham Palace. "It was an event which changed our lives forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night," said Harry, who was 12 when Diana died.

"But what is far more important to us now and into the future is that we remember our mother as she would wish to be remembered, as she was: fun-loving, generous, down to earth and entirely genuine," he said.

"To us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world," Prince Harry, her younger son, said in a eulogy. "When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivaled love of life, laughter, fun and folly," Harry said.

"She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love us to go unspoken or undemonstrated."

Seniors and Book On Wheels

Two weeks ago Kasson Public Library staff members, Outreach Librarian Paula Talbert and Library Director Bonnie Adams went to the senior facility and took pictures of the seniors that would result in a refrigerator magnet and a doorhanger.

Kasson Public Library Books on Wheels outreach program returned today to Prairie Meadows Senior Living facility with their pictures and finished the project. The seniors chose what their wanted they doorhanger to say and they were all excited about the finished project.

Below are pictures of the seniors:

Electronic Library For Minnesota—A World of Information

There is a wealth of magazines that our library has available for FREE to our library patrons and all you need is your library card.


ELM (Electronic Library for Minnesota) http://www.elm4you.org/ gives Minnesota residents online access to magazine, newspaper, and journal articles, eBooks (electronic books), and information from other reference sources—available to all Minnesota residents at no charge! ELM provides information about a vast array of topics, including consumer information, arts and humanities, current events, health, science, social science, politics, business and more. Access is possible both in the library and remotely from home, businesses and classrooms, or computer laboratories.

What is the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM)?
Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) is supported by appropriations from the Minnesota Legislature to provide Minnesotans with access to electronic information. Funds were appropriated to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and Minnesota Department Education for MINITEX and State Library Services & School Technology respectively to provide electronic access to general information databases.

The Legislative intent for this appropriation is to provide the best possible access to information resources across the educational spectrum (including K-12, higher education, state government and public libraries) on a statewide basis.

Listening to Books Is Not Cheating!

As I scan the web for articles I think might be of interest, I always check Sites and Soundbytes by Tasha Saecker http://www.greenlakelibrary.org/blog/. She usually has great sites to check out and I usually do and use them myself or point others to the sites she recommends.

Listening to books is not cheating is an article from the Baltimore Sun that speaks in defense of listening to audio versions of books as being just as legitimate a form of reading as turning pages.

I have used the audio books for long trips and sometimes my husband and I both listen to the audio books and other times I take my cd player. Kasson Public Library has a wide variety of audio books available to check out for two weeks. We have a very faithful following that use the audio books for commuting, family trips, exercising, or just walking around town. Stop by and look over our collection and chose one or two to try out. We have both cassettes and cd's.

Great Readers Abound at Kasson Public Library

One in four adults read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press poll released last week. Of those who did read, women and older people were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.

Sounds depressing doesn't it. Not at Kasson Public Library!

Kasson Public Library users are avid readers which bucks the national trend! In 2006 over 57,213 books and media items(dvd, cd's, audio books etc.) were checked out from our library. That 3,700 more items than in 2005. We also have about 43% of the people in our service area who have library cards. This summer 583 children registered for our summer reading program with 5,242 hours read up 674 from last year.

At the same time, book enthusiasts abound. Many in the survey reported reading dozens of books and said they couldn’t do without them. Many of Kasson Public Library Library patrons state, “I go into another world when I read." or “I've read so many sometimes I get the stories mixed up.”

Book lovers such as myself fully understand those two statements. I along with others get frantic when we don't have something to read. Many library user have told me they take out extra books so if they do not like one of the books they have others to fall back on.

It seems very clear that K-M and the surrounding area keeps on reading despite the national trend.

BOW Day Two Delivery of Books To Children

Our Books On Wheels (BOW) Daycare Summer Reading Program ended with the delivery of books that children could have for their own. Outreach Librarian Paula Talbert and Library Director Bonnie Adams traveled to three daycares (Rosie Lee, Sue Pongratz, and Tricia Musolf) today to bring two boxes of books for the children to chose and take home and read. All of the children were excited about a book that they could have to share with their families. Some children chose right away and other deliberated quite a while to get just the book they wanted.

One little boy at Sue's chose a halloween book and starting telling a great story about the book, even though he could not read yet. He made Paula and I laugh, he even used other voices for the characters. It always fun to visit the daycares and the daycares really appreciate the BOW program.



Rosie Lee's Daycare

Sue Pongratz's Daycare

Tricia Musolf Daycare

BOW Daycares Receive Books

Our Books On Wheels (BOW) Daycare Summer Reading Program ended today with the delivery of books that children could chose for themseves to take home and read. All of the children were excited about a book that they could have to share with their families. Some children chose right away and other deliberated quite a while to get just the book they wanted.

Outreach Librarian Paula Talbert and Library Director Bonnie Adams traveled to four daycares
today to bring two boxes of books for the children to chose from: Julie Wolfe, Deb Swarts, Lisa Ripley, and Yvonne Braun. All of the daycares that we visit every two weeks are always excited about the books that are delivered to help supplements their own libraries.

We will visit the other six daycares tommorrow to deliver the remaining books. Will post pictures of those visits tommorrow.






Deb Swarts Daycare children are enjoying their new books in
the next three pictures

Yvonne Braun's Daycare Readers

Outreach Librarian Paula Talbert with Yvonne Braun daycare children choosing their new books.

Julie Wolfe's Daycare

Lisa Ripley's Daycare

Check Out Color Palettes!!!

ColourLovers is a site that offers color palettes for you to look at. Nicely, the palettes include five colors and you can see how they work together. I would recommend using this site if you are searching for a new color for your website or for your living room. Handy, huh?

Hawaii Admitted as the 50th State

Hawaii (Aloha State)became the 50th state in 1959. Hawaii is the only island state and the southernmost state in the United States.

In 1796 King Kamehameha I united the islands into a single independent kingdom. In 1893 the Hawaiian monarch was deposed, and Hawaii became successively a republic in 1894, a U.S. possession in 1898, and a U.S. territory in 1900.

Hawaii’s place in modern world history was set on December 7, 1941, when a massive Japanese air attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor and other military installations in Hawaii precipitated the United States’ entry into World War II. Hawaii’s role as one of the forward bases of U.S. military power has continued to the present day.

National Homeless Animal Day

Animal homelessness and euthanasia are tragic problems in the United States. Year after year thousands of pets are given up because they are unwanted, inconvenient, or do not behave. Animal shelters, communities, and pets experience the terrible results, whether animals are abandoned on the street, in apartments, in the country or surrendered to a shelter. Many people adopt, but there are not enough homes for the number of animals that are born.

You can participate by helping to reduce pet homelessness and euthanasia. Prevent a litter by spaying or neutering your own pets before they have a chance to reproduce. Kittens just four months old are sexually mature and can become pregnant. Cats caring for a litter of kittens can become pregnant while they are still nursing. Educate your family and friends on the importance of spaying/neutering their pet.

In addition to spaying or neutering your pet, keep your pet for life. Learn about the types of animals and their characteristics before you bring home a pet. Take obedience training with your dog. It’s fun, and it just may save your dog’s life. If you care for a cat, obtain help for behavioral problems.

Finally, make sure your pet wears a dog license or a cat identification tag and has a microchip to ensure a one-way trip home if he gets lost.

Power of Quotation Marks In Searching the Internet

One of the best Internet skills that you can have is the use of quotation marks. Sure, you can go to Lyrics.com to get words to a song but why not put 4 or 5 consecutive words of the song between quotation marks and into Google and watch those lyrics pop up.

Quotation marks make Google and other search engines treat the phrase as one big word and a significant 4 or 5 word phrase is usually specific to a given literary work. Ah, the power of knowledge!!

"Wizard of Oz" Opened

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film and
one of the most beloved of all American films. It is everybody's cherished favorite, perennial fantasy film musical annually for Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or Easter time. It soon became a classic institution, and a rite of passage for everyone, and probably has been seen by more people than any other motion picture over multiple decades.

The Wizard of Oz is often ranked among the top ten best movies of all-time in popular polls, and has provided as many indelible quotes and images, entered upon the American cultural consciousness such as:The Yellow Brick Road, the Kansas twister), characters (e.g., Auntie Em, Toto, Dorothy, the Wicked Witch), quotes (e.g., "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!", "We're not in Kansas anymore," "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," or the film's final line: "There's no place like home"), and music ("Over the Rainbow") have become indelibly remembered,.

Its signature song, Over the Rainbow, sung by the young Judy Garland, has been voted the greatest movie song of all-time by the American Film Institute

30th Anniversary of Elvis' Death

As with all popular icons people can tell you what they were doing when Elvis died. I was 27, married, and living in Wisconsin, weeks earlier I turned down tickets to his concert(would have been a birthday present from my husband who is an even bigger Elvis Fan than I am), because I thought I had more time to see him in concert. Boy was I WRONG! I was shopping when I heard he had died, I thought it was a joke. Hard to believe, even with his problems, I thought he would live a long life. He would have been 72 years old this year and his albums are still selling as new generations discover his music and timelessness.

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), was an American singer, musician and actor. He is a cultural icon, often known simply as Elvis; also "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", or simply "The King".

His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.

“Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess.” -Elvis in 1956, talking about his way of moving on stage.

Some of Elvis Presley's accomplishments:

• Elvis Presley is the best selling solo artist in U.S. History.
• Elvis had the greatest number of consecutive #1 hits. (10)
• Elvis is second only to the Beatles in total of #1 hits. (18)
• Elvis has the most Multi-Plaintum albums. (25) (The Beatles have 24; Led Zepplin and Barbra Streisand have 13)
• Elvis has more Platinum albums than any other artist. (55) (The Beatles have 37; Barbra Streisand has 30)
• Elvis has more Gold albums than any other artist (97) (Barbra Streisand has 51; The Beatles have 42)Elvis has the most Gold singles (24)

No wonder they call him The King.

Woodstock 1969

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a historic event held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York from August 15 to August 18, 1969. The original Woodstock Festival of 1969 has proven to be unique and legendary. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in music history and yet to say it changed music history is an understatement; clearly, in retrospect, it was a landmark in American history.

Woodstock has been idealized in the American popular culture as one of peak events of the hippie movement — a festival where nearly 500,000 "flower children" came together to celebrate. At the time, it held the record for the largest music audience in the world.

For many, the festival exemplified the counterculture of the 1960s and the "hippie era." Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of the day appeared during the sometimes rainy weekend. Some of the musicians at Woodstock:Joan Baez, Snatana, Who, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.



Woodstock began as a profit-making venture; it only became a free festival after it became obvious that the concert was drawing hundreds of thousands more people than the organizers had prepared for, and that the fence had been torn down by eager, unticketed arrivals. Tickets for the event cost $18 in advance (approximately $100 today adjusted for inflation) and $24 at the gate for all three days.

Bet You Didn't Know this...

Trivia for August 14th

1896 - Gold was discovered in Canada's Yukon Territory. Within the next year more than 30,000 people rushed to the area to look for gold.

1935 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The act created unemployment insurance and pension plans for the elderly.

1945 - It was announced by U.S. President Truman that Japan had surrendered unconditionally. The surrender ended World War II.

Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel born on August 14, 1947 in New York City, is best known as Danielle Steel, and is one of the best selling authors in the United States and around the world. Best known for her mainstream drama novels Steel has sold more than 530 million copies of her books (as of 2005). Her novels have been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks and 22 have been adapted for television.

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Happy birthday (August 14, 1950) to wacky cartoonist Gary Larson the creator of The Far Side turns 56 today. His single comic strip appeared in many newspapers for fourteen years until Larson's retirement January 1, 1995.

He created a world entirely populated bythe lumpy, the big-nosed, the bespectacled,the bug-eyed and the foofy-haired.
With many of his cartoons having to do with scientific subjects, Larson has had a species of louse named for him —

the Strigiphilus garylarsoni. His name for a part of the stegosaurus, the thagomizer, was later adopted as its official term.

1953 - The whiffle ball was invented.

Annie Oakley's Birthday

Annie Oakley was born August 13, 1860 in Darke County, Ohio. Died: November 2, 1926 in Dayton, Ohio

Annie Oakley was frequently known as Little Miss Sure Shot, Annie Oakley was her most notable handle in life. Annie Oakley make money for her family with her sharp shooter skills bagging game and selling it to the local general store.

It wasn't until Annie Oakley beat Frank Butler, a expert sharp shooter, in a shooting match on Thanksgiving of 1875 that the world began to discover the expert sharp shooter Annie Oakley.
Annie Oakley married Frank in 1876. The two sharp shooter stars joined up with Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show in 1885. Frank became the manager for the sharp shooter "Annie Oakley " and traveled throughout America and Europe for 17 years with the Wild West Show.

Annie Get Your Gun is a musical tribute to Annie Oakley

IBM's First PC is 26!

August 12, 1981-IBM announces the IBM Personal Computer, the smallest and -- with a starting price of $1,565 -- the lowest-priced IBM computer to date. An immediate success, the IBM PC quickly becomes the industry standard, and was one of the reasons Time magazine chose the "personal computer" as its 1982 Man of the Year. The PC also launches a whole industry of "IBM-compatible" clones, software and accessory equipment.

Smile...Your On Candid Camera

Happy Birthday Candid Camera which debuted on television in 1948.

Baby Boomers like me remember Candid Camera with Allen Funt. How many times did people say, "You won't catch me doing anything like that!" And they did and it was hilarious!

For those that never had the opportunity to see the show the premise of the show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's famous catch phrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Smokey Bear Birthday

Smokey's debut poster was released on August 9, 1944, which is considered his birthday.

The living symbol of Smokey Bear was an American black bear who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the Capitan Gap fire, a wildfire that burned 17,000 acres in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. He was rescued by forest rangers fighting the wildfire.

At first he was called Hotfoot Teddy, but was later renamed Smokey, after the mascot. A local rancher who had been helping fight the fire took the cub home with him, but he needed veterinary aid. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Ranger Ray Bell took him to Santa Fe and along with his wife and children cared for the cub. The story was picked up by the national news services and Smokey became an instant celebrity. Soon after, Smokey was flown to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he lived for 26 years. Upon his death in November 1975, Smokey's remains were returned by the government to Capitan, New Mexico, and buried at what is now the Smokey Bear Historical Park.

Smokey Bear is a fictional character of the longest running public service campaign in United States history. The character's mission is to raise public awareness to protect America's forests. Since its inception, Smokey's forest fire prevention campaign has reduced the area lost annually from 22 million to 4 million acres.

Smokey's message "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" was created in 1944 by the Ad Council. In a recent study, 95% of those surveyed could finish the sentence when given the first words. In April 2001, Smokey's message was updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires."

Purple Heart Created On August 8th

The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington–then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving with the U.S Military-
1. In any action against an enemy of the United States.
2. In any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged.
3. While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
4. As a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces.
5. As the result of an act of any hostile foreign force
6. After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack.
7. After 28 March 1973, as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

Garrison Keillor's Birthday

Garrison Keillor (born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942 in Anoka, Minnesota) is an American author, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality.

After years of submitting stories to the New Yorker, Keillor finally began contributing to the magazine in 1969. In 1974, while researching a story about the Grand Ole Opry, he struck upon the idea for a folksy and humorous radio program. He launched the show, A Prairie Home Companion-named after the Prairie Home cemetery in Moorhead, Minnesota., on Minnesota Public Radio in 1974.

On July 6, 1974,Keillor hosted the first live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion at the Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College, Saint Paul. Producer Margaret Moos sold tickets for $1 for adults (50 cents for children), and the audience of 12 produced a total gate of something less than $8.

Today, A Prairie Home Companion is heard by over 4 million listeners each week on over 580 public radio stations, and is heard abroad on America One and the Armed Forces Networks In Europe and the Far East. Keillor remembers, "When the show started, it was something funny to do with my friends, and then it became an achievement that I hoped would be successful, and now it's a good way of life."

Betsy Byars Birthday

August 7 1928


Betsy Byars was born August 7, 1928 in Charlotte, North Carolina and some of her books are set in that area. She didn't start writing until her children were teenagers. Her first book, Clementine, was rejected by many publishers before it was accepted.

Betsy Byars has written over sixty books for young people (betsybyars.com/books.html). Her first published in 1962 and since then she has published regularly. She has won many awards. Among them are the Newbery Medal in 1971 for her novel The Summer of the Swans, the American Book Award in 1981 for The Night Swimmers, The Edgar (for the best mystery for young people) in 1992 for Wanted..Mud Blossom and the Regina Medal by the Catholic Library Association for the body of her work.


Betsy lives with her husband Ed on an air strip in South Carolina. They are both pilots, and the bottom floor of their house is a hangar so they can taxi out and take off, almost from their front yard. The top floor of the house? Betsy's studio!

Barbara Cooney's Birthday

Caroline Cooney was born on August 6, 1917 and died on March 14, 2000 at the age of 83.

Cooney is one of the most familiar names in children's literature. Illustrator and author supreme, she has won two Caldecott Awards (Chanticleer & the Fox and Ox-Cart Man ) and numerous other prizes for her work and for good reason. After receiving her second Caldecott, she began to write them as well and it's become hard to decide which she does better.

Barbara Cooney's distinguished career as an illustrator of children's books has resulted in the creation of more than 100 books. Two of her books, (Chanticleer and the Fox, 1958; and Oxcart man, 1979), have been awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal, the highest honor given for illustrated children's books in the United States.

Ms. Cooney compares a picture book to a string of beads. "The pictures may be beautiful jewels in themselves, but they don't hang together unless there is a string of them, which is the text, and that's the foremost thing". The jewels, or beads, of Barbara Cooney's illustrations, nonetheless, are a major factor in the ultimate quality and success of the books she illustrates. The care and skill applied to each drawing or painting created to illustrate the author's text epitomize her approach to art for children. Each book is carefully researched, and each image attempts to recreate the setting, time, or character being illustrated with honesty and integrity.

National Watermelon Day

This big fruit deserves it's own big day. And, so we give pause
to celebrate watermelons on National Watermelon Day. Sweet and tasty, watermelons are one of summer's favorite fruit. It's standard fare at picnics. While watermelon is over 90% water, it sure tastes good. And, what picnic would be complete without a seed spitting contest?

Farmers generally grow watermelon in rows, 8-12 feet apart, in raised beds 4-12 inches high composed of fertilized sand or sandy loam. Tiny watermelon plants are implanted in the beds. Honeybees must pollinate the yellow watermelon blossom. In a month, a vine may spread to as much as 6-8 feet. In 2 months, the vine shows its first watermelons and the crop is ready to harvest within 3 months. The rind of a watermelon is not as tough as it looks, so it is still handpicked. Watermelon pickers look for a pale or buttery yellow spot on the bottom, indicating ripeness.

Fun Facts

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
• Watermelon in 92% water.
• Watermelon is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).
  
  
  

Friends of the Kasson Library
Used Book Sale

Thursday, August 2 10-6 Friday, August 3 10-5

Hardbound Books .50 Paperback .25 Videos $1.00

Lincoln Penny Issued in 1909

The Lincoln Penny was first issued in 1909 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday. It was the first American coin to bear a president's image on its face, it replaced the "Indian Head" penny.


The back (reverse) of the penny pictures the Lincoln Memorial, a monument to Abraham Lincoln located in Washington, D. C. look closely at a real penny, you can see a tiny picture of Lincoln sitting inside the Lincoln Memorial.


Certain people felt a man of Lincoln's importance deserved to be on a higher denomination than a penny. The counter to this was that Lincoln was the common people's president; therefore the penny was the appropriate choice.

Famous American Birthdays

Key, Francis Scott 1779–1843, American poet.

The Star-spangled Banner American national anthem, beginning, “O say can you see by the dawn's early light.” The words were written by Francis Scott Key, a young Washington attorney who, during the War of 1812, sailed to the British fleet to obtain the release of a captured American. Key was detained by the British and witnessed from ship the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the night of Sept. 13–14, 1814. The fort withstood the attack, and the sight of the American flag flying at dawn inspired Key's verses, which were written on the way ashore in the morning. Although the army and the navy had for some years regarded “The Star-spangled Banner” as the national anthem, its designation as such first became official by executive order of President Wilson in 1916. This order was confirmed by act of Congress in 1931. The large flag that inspired the anthem, with 15 stars and stripes and originally 30-by-42-ft (9.1-by-12.8-m), has been in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution since 1912.

Clark, William, 1770–1838, American explorer, one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

He was an army officer (1792–96), serving in a number of engagements with Native Americans. In 1803 he was chosen by his friend Meriwether Lewis to accompany the overland expedition to the Pacific. His observations of nature enlarged the findings of the expedition; his journals and maps recorded its history. In 1807, after the expedition had returned, Clark was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs, with headquarters at St. Louis, and from 1813 to 1838 he was governor of Missouri Territory. During the War of 1812, he led (1814) an expedition against the British and Native Americans in the upper Mississippi valley; upon reaching Prairie du Chien, Wis., he built Fort Shelby.