Day 2 continues my bike ride this year along the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804. Fittingly, my route is along Highway 1804. The Missouri River in this area (and for my enter ride this year) is named Lake Sakakawea, after the Indian maiden who accompanied Lewis & Clark and served as a scout and interpreter. The Lake is a reservoir created by erection of the Garrison Dam, which was completed in 1956 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam provides hydroelectric power and flood control for the Missouri River. The dam is the largest of six dams on the river. Lake Sakakawea is the largest body of water entirely in North Dakota, and the third largest reservoir in the US. It is 178 miles long. Creation of the reservoir forced the displacement of two Native American villages and the communities of White Shield and New Town were created. My route today went through White Shield, a community of about 200 souls.
Highway 1804 travels along the north shore of the lake, but does not get very near the shoreline in this area. The photo above was my best view of the lake today. Another photo shows a creek which winds its way toward Lake Sakakawea.
The most interesting sight of the day was a sign showing Jesse White, a Native American who won the award of Mr. Basketball in 2021. I found this to be quite inspirational! White played at White Shield High School, a school with 39 students. His height is listed at 5' 11", the only Mr. Basketball ever in North Dakota under 6 feet. He ended up being the second highest scorer all time in North Dakota! Most of the prior winners came from the larger cities in North Dakota, like Bismarck, Fargo, Dickinson, etc. which is what I would expect. To win that award while playing at such a small school, another Hoosiers story, in real life. White is attending the North Dakota State College of Science and playing basketball there.
Military cemetery at Grand Shield. All grave markers were identical, placed in perfect rows.
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