Seaman (dog)

This article is about the dog. For other uses, see Seaman (disambiguation).
Seaman
Statue of Seaman at Fort Mandan, North Dakota
SpeciesDomestic dog
BreedNewfoundland
SexMale
BornPittsburgh, Pennsylvania (purchased)
Diedafter 1806
Years active1803–1806
Known forParticipation in Lewis and Clark Expedition.
OwnerMeriwether Lewis
OffspringNone known
Weight150 lb (68 kg) (estimated)
Statue of Seaman with Lewis and Clark in St. Charles, Missouri
Left to right: York, Seaman, Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea with her baby Pompey, statue by Robert Scriver, in the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretative Center, Great Falls, Montana.

Seaman, a Newfoundland dog, was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the first trip from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast and back. He was the only animal to complete the entire three-year trip.[1]

Seaman was purchased in 1803 specifically for the expedition by Captain Meriwether Lewis, while he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, awaiting completion of the boats for the voyage. He chose a Newfoundland, whose estimated weight is 150 pounds (68 kg) and for which he paid the high price of $20 (equivalent to $407 in 2023): half a month's pay for an Army captain. Working dogs, strong and easy to handle—Lewis describes Seaman as "docile"[2]—, he chose a Newfoundland because they do well on boats, are good swimmers, and can assist in water rescues.[3] His name reflects this.

There is no explicit description of Seaman's color or appearance. He is nowadays universally depicted as black or dark brown, the colors of most modern Newfoundlands,[4] but a survey by an art historian of the breed as it was depicted in paintings of the early nineteenth century found "not a single all-black [that] was called a Newfoundland". "In fact, all the early 19th century illustrations which I have found, and whose color I could authenticate[,] were white with black or dark areas and frecklings."[5]

  1. ^ "Seaman". National Park Service. April 10, 2015. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  2. ^ Lewis, Meriweather (September 11, 1803). Journal. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  3. ^ "Central Montana's 3 Famous Dogs". Central Montana Tourism. June 26, 2018. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ^ "What color was Seaman?", The Columbia River – A Photographic Journey, Sep 2016, archived from the original on 2020-11-27, retrieved 2021-10-12
  5. ^ Mellencamp, Emma H. (1976). "What Color is a Newfoundland and When?". Newfoundland Tide. 7 (4). Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2021-10-11.