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Bachelor Island, Washington.
View from Sauvie Island.
Image taken September 13, 2003.
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Bachelor Island ...
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Bachelor Island lies along the Washington shore of the Columbia River and stretches from River Mile (RM) 88 to RM 91.5. The island is part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and is accessible only by boat. It is closed to the public during the winter. The northern end of Bachelor Island features one of the largest Great Blue Heron rookeries in the Pacific Northwest. Numerous small lakes are located on Bachelor Island, the largest one being Canvasback Lake.
Bachelor Island Slough runs along the southeast side of Bachelor Island, merging with Lake River before merging with the Columbia.
Sauvie Island, Oregon, lies directly across the Columbia from Bachelor Island. On the ridge to the east of Bachelor island is the Washington community of Ridgefield.
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Bachelor Island, Washington, with Mount St. Helens in the distance.
View from Sauvie Island.
Image taken September 13, 2003.
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Bachelor Island Slough ...
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Bachelor Island Slough forms the southeast border of Bachelor Island, separating the island from the Washington State mainland at Ridgefield, Washington. The slough merges with Lake River approximately a mile from Lake River merging with the Columbia. An early name for Bachelor Island Slough was "Pigeon Creek".
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Bachelor Island and Lewis and Clark ...
In 1805 Lewis and Clark called the island "Green Bryor Isd", separated from the shore by a "narrow Chanel", today's Bachelor Island Slough, or possibly Lake River.
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"... N.30oW. 3 miles to the South West Side of an Island Seperated from the Stard. Side by a narrow channel river widens to about 1 1/2 miles Green bryor Isl..
[Clark, November 5, 1805, first draft]
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"... passed an Isld. Covered with tall trees & green briers Seperated from the Stard. Shore by a narrow Chanel at 9 miles I observed on the Chanel which passes on the Stard Side of this Island a Short distance above its lwoer point is Situated a large village, the front of which occupies nearly 1/4 of a mile fronting the Chanel, and closely Connected, I counted 14 houses in front here the river widens to about 1 1/2 miles."
[Clark, November 5, 1805]
In 1806 they called the island "Cath-lah-poh-tle Island" (March 29, 1806) upon their visiting a large village of 14 wooden houses and 900 inhabitants on the mainland.
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"... we set out & continued our rout between this island, which we now call Cath-lah-poh-tle after the nation, and the Lard shore."
[Lewis, March 29, 1806]
The draft map [Map#89, Moulton, Vol.1] labels the island "Green Bryor I.", and shows only 7 Indian houses. The route map [Map#79, Moulton, Vol.1] shows 14 houses labeled as the "Quath lahpolte Nation" (note, web author's spelling interpretation) but leaves the island unnamed.
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Columbia River as seen from the "ridge" at Ridgefield, Washington.
Looking down on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Columbia River (???) is just visible upper-middle left. Darker treed area upper-middle right is Bachelor Island. Lake River is not visible behind growth in the foreground.
Image taken, July 24, 2005.
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The Bachelors ...
From the "History of Clarke County Washington Territory.", Published by The Washington Publishing Company, 1885.
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"... BACHELORS' ISLAND.
This is called Columbia Island on the maps, but is more generally known as
Bachelors' Island, it having received this name from the fact that its
original settlers were three, unmarried men named S. Hendricks, B. O. Teal
and George Thing, who took possession in 1849 or 1850. In 1851 a man named
Northrup took up his abode on the island, and in 1853, George W. Burrow, a
pioneer of 1850, located on the farm now occupied by his son, John Burrow,
while, in 1854, Robert Conolly came to the place. Columbia or Bachelors'
Island is at present owned by John Burrow, G. E. Tyszkiewrtz and Messrs
Ladd & Reed of Portland.
..."
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Early Bachelor Island ...
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In 1805 Lewis and Clark called the island "Green Bryor Isd", separated from the shore by a "narrow Chanel", today's Bachelor Island Slough, or possibly Lake River. In 1806 they called the island "Cath-lah-poh-tle Island" (March 29, 1806) upon their visiting a large village of 14 wooden houses and 900 inhabitants on the mainland. (See more above.)
In 1841,
Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, called the island "Pasainks Island" and Bachelor Island Slough was "Piscou Creek".
In 1849 or 1850, three bachelors, S. Hendricks, B. O. Teal
and George Thing, settle on the island, giving rise to the name "Bachelors Island".
On Washington Territory's 1854 cadastral survey (tax survey) map of T4N R1W,
Bachelor Island is "Columbia Island" and
Lake River is "Vancouver Slough". Bachelor Island Slough is depicted but not named.
The 1860 and 1862 cadastral surveys however list Bachelor Island Slough as "Columbia Slough".
The 1863 Washington Territory's cadastral survey for Bachelor Island for T4N R1W, shows 5 claims --
George W. Burrows (Claim No.39),
Benjamin Teel (Claim No.40),
Robert Connelly (Claim No.41),
S. Hendricks (Claim No.42), and
George Thing (Claim No.43).
The 1881 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Chart No.5, "Kalama to Fales Landing", has "Bachelor's Island" and "Bachelor's Island Slough".
An 1888 Plat Map for "Bachelors Island" also shows 5 Donation Land Claims (DLC) --
the northernmost claim being that of G. Burrow (DLC),
B. Teele (DLC),
G.M. Irving (DLC),
H.Hendricks (DLC),
and the southernmost that of
R. Connoly (DLC).
In 1914 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Bachelor Island" the official name.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 5, 1805, first draft ...
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N. 30° W. 3 miles to the South West Side of an Island <near> Seperated
from the Stard. Side by a narrow channel river widens to
about 1½ miles Green bryor Isd. [Bachelor Island]
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Clark, November 5, 1805 ...
Rained all the after part of last night, rain continues this morning, I [s]lept but verry little last night [Post Office Lake, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge] for the noise Kept dureing the whole of the night by the Swans, Geese, white & Grey Brant Ducks &c. on a Small Sand Island [one of the islands of the Ridgefield Refuge] close under the Lard. Side; they were emensely noumerous, and their noise horid- we Set out <at about Sun rise> early here the river is not more than ¾ of a mile in width, passed a Small Prarie on the Stard. Side [???] passed 2 houses about ½ a mile from each other on the Lard. Side a Canoe came from the upper house, with 3 men in its mearly to view us, passed an Isld. Covered with tall trees & green briers [Bachelor Island] Seperated from the Stard. Shore by a narrow Chanel [Lake River or Bachelor Island Slough] at 9 [8?] miles I observed on the Chanel [Lake River or Bachelor Island Slough] which passes on the Stard Side of this Island [Bachelor Island] a Short distance above its lower point is Situated a large village [Cathlapotle Village, near where Lewis and Clark camped on March 29, 1806], the front of which occupies nearly ¼ of a mile fronting the Chanel, and closely Connected, I counted 14 houses in front here the river widens to about 1½ miles.
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about 1½ miles below this village on the Lard Side behind a rockey Sharp point [Warrior Point, Sauvie Island], we passed a Chanel ¼ of a mile wide [Multnomah Channel] which I take to be the one the Indian Canoe entered yesterday from the lower point of Immage Canoe Island [Hayden Island, at this point Lewis and Clark had not discovered Hayden Island and Sauvie Island were two separate islands]
a Some low clifts of rocks below this Chanel [St. Helens, Oregon],
a large Island Close under the Stard Side opposit [Lewis River floodplain, home of Woodland, Washington, possibly more of an "island" in 1805 ???], and 2 Small Islands, below [today's Burke and Martin Islands], here we met 2 canoes from below,- below those Islands a range of high hills form the Stard. Bank of the river [Martin Bluff], the Shore bold and rockey, Covered with a thick groth of Pine
an extensive low Island [Deer Island], Seperated from the Lard side by a narrow Chanel, on this Island we Stoped to Dine I walked out found it open & covered with <Small> grass interspersed with Small ponds, in which was great numbr. of foul, the remains of an old village on the lower part of this Island, I saw Several deer
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below the lower point of this Island [Deer Island] a range of high hills which runs S. E. forms the Lard. bank of the river the Shores bold and rockey & hills Covered with pine,
[Lewis and Clark are passing Goble, Oregon, and the area around the Trojan Nuclear Power Facility
The high hills leave the river on the Stard. Side a high bottom between the hill & river [Kalama, Washington]. We met 4 Canoes of Indians from below, in which there is 26 Indians, one of those Canoes is large, and ornimented with Images on the bow & Stern. That in the Bow the likeness of a Bear, and in Stern the picture of a man- we landed on the Lard. Side & camped [near Prescott Beach, Oregon] a little below the mouth of a creek [Kalama River] on the Stard. Side a little below the mouth of which is an Old Village which is now abandaned-; here the river is about one and a half miles wide. and deep, The high Hills which run in a N W. & S E. derection form both banks of the river the Shore boald and rockey, the hills rise gradually & are Covered with a thick groth of pine &c. The valley [Columbian Valley] which is from above the mouth of Quick Sand River [Sandy River] to this place may be computed at 60 miles wide on a Derect line, & extends a great Distanc to the right & left rich thickly Covered with tall timber, with a fiew Small Praries bordering on the river and on the Islands; Some fiew Standing Ponds & Several Small Streams of running water on either Side of the river; This is certainly a fertill and a handsom valley, at this time Crouded with Indians. The day proved Cloudy with rain the greater part of it, we are all wet cold and disagreeable- I saw but little appearance of frost in this valley which we call <Wap-pa-too Columbia> from the root or plants growing Spontaniously in this valley only
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We made 32 miles to day by estimation-
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Clark, March 30, 1806 ...
we got under way verry early [from their camp near Wapato Portage] and had not proceeded to the head of the island [Bachelor Island] before we met with the three men of the Clan-nar-min-a-mon's who met us yesterday brackfast at the upper point of the Island [Bachelor Island] we met Several of the Clackstar and Cath-lah-cum-up in two canoes.
Soon after we were overtaken by Several Canoes of different tribes who reside on each Side of the river the three above Tribes and the Clâh-in-na-ta cathy-lah-nah-qui-up & Cath-lah-com-mah-tup reside on each Side of Wappato inlet [Multnomah Channel] and back of Wappato Island [Sauvie Island] which Island is formed by a Small Chanel which passes from the Lower part of Image Canoe Island [Hayden Island] into an inlet which makes in from the S W. Side, and receves the water of a Creek which heads with the Kil a mox River. this wappato Island [Sauvie Island] is about 18 or 20 Miles long and in places from 6 to 10 miles wide high & furtile with ponds on different parts of it in which the nativs geather Wappato. nearly opposit the upper point of the Isld. behing which we encamped last night, or on the Wappato Isld. is Several Camps of the nativs catching Sturgion. about 5 miles Still higher up and on the N E. Side we halted for brackfast at the place which We had encamped the 4th of November last [near Post Office Lake, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge]. here we were visited by several canoes of Indians from two Towns a Short distance above on the Wappato Island [Sauvie Island]. the 1st of those Tribes Call themselves Clan-nah-quah and Situated about 2 miles above us, the other about a mile above Call themselves Mult-no-mah
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at 10 a. m. we Set out and had not proceeded far before we came to a landing place where there was Several large canoes hauled up, and Sitting in a canoe, appearantly waiting our arival with a view to join the fleet indian who was then along Side of us. this man informed he was a Shoto and that his nation resided a little distance from the river. we landed and one of the indians pointed to the Shoto village which is Situated back of Pond [Vancouver Lake] which lies parrelal with the river on the N E. Side nearly opposit the Clan-nah quah village. here we were also joined by Several Canoes loaded with the natives from the Island who Continued to accompany us untill about 4 oClock when they all returned and we proceeded on to the place the Indians Stole my Tomahawk 4th Novr. last [Hayden Island] and Encamped in a Small Prarie ["Jolie Prairie" where Fort Vancouver and Pearson Airpark would some day be located] above a large Pond on N. E and opposit the Center of image Canoe Island [Hayden Island]. capt Lewis walked out and Saw Several deer. Jo. Field Shot at Elk he killed and brought in a fine duck.
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we made 22 Miles only to day the wind and a Strong current being against us all day, with rain. discovered a high mountain S E. Covered with Snow which we call Mt. Jefferson [Mount Jefferson, Oregon]
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