Gary Moulton is the editor of the Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a 13-volume edition of the journals that was released in 1999 and took 20 years to put together.

SEASIDE and ASTORIA — In 1979, Gary Moulton began a venture to publish a completely re-edited version of the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals at the University of Nebraska. The 20-year project wrapped in 1999 with a 13-volume edition of the journals, the most comprehensive works of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in print today.

A top Lewis and Clark historian and this month’s scholar-in-residence at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Moulton will make two presentations in the local area.

First, he will speak at the Seaside Public Library at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13. His talk will focus on Lewis and Clark history in and around the Seaside area, which will include the salt making camp as well as the whale expedition over Tillamook Head. The event is free, will take place in the library’s Community Room and seating is on a first-come basis.

Then, at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, Moulton will give the special free presentation “Editing the Journals of Lewis and Clark” in the Fort Clatsop visitor center’s Netul River Room.

This presentation looks at the history of the journals kept by Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and four enlisted men of the expedition as they crossed the continent from 1804 to 1806. The men of the Corps of Discovery wrote more than one million words during their voyage of nearly 2.5 years. The journals are filled with accounts of high drama, but also contain elaborate notes on scientific inquiry: natural history, ethnographic investigation and geographic revelations.

The story of the journals is almost as interesting as the history of the expedition itself. Meticulously written and carefully preserved during the arduous trans-continental crossing, the journals reside today in several archives across the country, principally at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia and the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. A discussion of this scattered distribution will form the main part of Moulton’s presentation at Fort Clatsop. The talk will also investigate individual journalists and their writings, examine the nature and quality of journal keeping, and address questions about missing journals. Finally, the talk will evaluate previous editors’ work and explain the need for the recent edition.

The new edition numbers 12 regular volumes, including an atlas of maps, the journals of Lewis, Clark, John Ordway, Charles Floyd, Patrick Glass and Joseph Whitehouse. There is also be a volume of the expedition’s botanical specimens, plus a comprehensive index. During his editing process, Moulton had to decipher the hand-written text of these journals from micro film or the original texts to get the most accurate reading possible. This proved to be a real challenge with poor penmanship, improper spelling and the age of the entries. (Clark spelled the Indian tribe “Sioux” 27 different ways).

Moulton is the Thomas C. Sorensen Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. His editing of the Lewis and Clark journals received support from the UNL Center for Great Plains Studies, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Moulton consulted for Ken Burns’ film “Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery,” the U.S. Mint’s design of the one-dollar Sacagawea coin, National Geographic’s Lewis and Clark IMAX film, and Maya Lin’s Confluence Project. He has taught courses in American history, the American West and Nebraska history, and he has directed research and editing seminars as well as graduate students. He also enjoys leading Lewis and Clark Trail tours.

The Seaside Public Library is located at 1131 Broadway. For more information call 503-738-6742 or visit www.seasidelibarry.org. Moulton’s appearance at Fort Clatsop is sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the park. For more information, call the park at 503-861-2471.