Keywords
Meriwether Lewis, Reuben Lewis, Missouri River Fur Trade, Indian Agent, Arkansas Cherokees
Abstract
Reuben Lewis was born in 1777, the fourth and youngest child of William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether. Their oldest child, Jane, married and lived out her days at Locust Hill, the family estate in Virginia. The Lewis’ second child, baby Lucinda, died in infancy. Their third child, Meriwether – the closest in age and friendship to Reuben – became the famous first half of the Lewis and Clark Expedition which explored the uncharted West before he met his tragic and mysterious death on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee. While Reuben’s life has been rightly overshadowed by his older brother Meriwether’s achievements, Reuben’s accomplishments are also of significance. Reuben led and joined multiple fur-trade expeditions from 1809 to 1813, served as government Indian Agent to the Cherokees on the Arkansas River from 1817 to 1820, and finally returned home to care for his family including his mother Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks in her old age.
Original Publication Citation
Reber, Deveney, and Jay H. Buckley. “Forgotten Brother Reuben Lewis: Missouri River Fur Trader and Indian Agent for the Arkansas Cherokees.” We Proceeded On 49, no. 1 (February 2023): 20-50.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Buckley, Jay H. and Reber, Deveney, "Forgotten Brother Reuben Lewis: Missouri River Fur Trader and Indian Agent for the Arkansas Cherokees" (2023). Faculty Publications. 7424.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/7424
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2023-2
Publisher
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
History
Copyright Use Information
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