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Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, at mouth.
The Clatskanie River merging into Wallace Slough.
Image taken February 21, 2005.
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Clatskanie River ...
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The Clatskanie River is a tributary of Beaver Slough.
The mouth of Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough enters
Wallace Slough near the upstream end of
Wallace Island,
at Columbia River Mile (RM) 50.
Wallace Slough separates Wallace Island from the Oregon shore. Four miles upstream on the Columbia is Crims Island and four miles downstream is Puget Island. Beaver Slough is just one of the many sloughs meandering through this Oregon section of the Columbia River flood plain. Westport Slough is a major slough downstream of Beaver Slough, and McLean and Larson Sloughs are upstream.
The town of Clatskanie, Oregon, is located on the Clatskanie River, four miles upstream from the mouth of the Clatskanie/Beaver Slough drainage. On March 25, 1806, Lewis and Clark camped on the western bank of "a Small Creek", located in the area of today's Clatskanie/Beaver Slough mouth.
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Reflection, Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, at mouth.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Early Clatskanie ...
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According to the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce (2004):
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"Clatskanie was named after the Tlatskanai tribe of American Indian, who lived in the hills south of the Clatskanie River in the upper Nehalem Valley. The Tlatskanai, linguistically an Athapascan tribe, originally lived in the flat lands bordering the Chehalis River in Washington State. As game became scarce and their food supply diminished, they left the area, heading south, and crossed the Columbia River to occupy the hills traditionally occupied by the Chinook Indians, who were a large Indian tribe living along the Oregon Coast. After driving away the more peaceful Chinook Indians, the Tlatskanai established themselves within the Clatskanie-Westport area, and extended their numbers into the head of the Nehalem.
The word "Tlatskanai" was used by these Indians to denote the route they took to get to a particular meeting place, applying to particular steams and not to others. White men carelessly applied this work to the name of the steam. One source lists "Tlatskanai" as meaning "swift running water." The Clatskanie is indeed a swift beautiful steam. Other names that existed for the Tlatskanai were the Clackstar, Klatskanai and Klaatshan, among others."
In 1810 Captain Nathan Winship attempted to settle on the Oregon side of the Columbia across from today's
Oak Point, Washington. Local flooding and unfriendly Indians forced him to relocate. In 1852 four men including E.G. Bryants traveled down the Columbia to settle in the Clatskanie area. E.G. Bryant named his town "Bryantville". Bryantville became a part of Clatskanie when Columbia County was formed in 1854. In 1871, the Clatskanie Post Office first showed up on official lists. The Astoria-Portland Railroad arrived in 1898 and in 1918 the Columbia River Highway was completed, linking Clatskanie to Portland and Astoria.
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Clatskanie in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... Descending, the highway crosses ubiquitous BEAVER CREEK, 51.4 m. Within the next 15 miles westward the road spans the stream a dozen times. The country now presents wide expanses of logged off land.
CLATSKANIE (cor. Ind., Tlatskanie), 64.8 m. (16 alt., 739 pop.), bears the name of a small tribe of Indians that formerly inhabited the region. The town is on the Clatskanie River near its confluence with the Columbia and is surrounded by rich bottom lands devoted to dairying and raising vegetables for canning. In 1852 E. G. Bryant took up the land upon which a settlement grew up with the name of Bryantsville. In 1870 the name of the town was changed to Clatskanie and it was incorporated as a city in 1891. State Fisheries Station No. 5, for restocking the river with fingerling salmon, is at this point.
..."
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Point Adams Station ...
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Salmon, Point Adams Station, Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, at mouth.
Image taken February 21, 2005.
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Salmon, Point Adams Station, Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, at mouth.
Image taken February 21, 2005.
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"Fanny's Bottom" ...
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On the Lewis and Clark journey maps,
Crims Island is shown as a single island and called "Fanny's Island", while the large "eligant bottom on the South side" is part of the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough/Westport Slough flood plain. It is shown on one map as "Fannys Valley" [Map #81, Moulton, Vol.1] while another map [Map#89] leaves the island and the bottom unnamed. In their text, Lewis and Clark call this area "Fanny's Bottom".
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"... after dinner I walked on Shore through an eligant bottom on the South Side opposit to Fannys Island. This bottom we also Call fannys bottom it is extensive and an open leavel plain except near the river bank which is high dry rich oak land. I saw Some deer & Elk at a distance in the Prarie. ..."
[Clark, March 26, 1806]
On current USGS topographic maps and NOAA nautical charts, the Crims island complex is split into "Crims Island" (the main island on the south), and "Gull Island" (a smaller island to the north side of Crims), and two smaller unnamed islands off the upstream tip of Crims Island and one off the downstream tip. The "Fannys Bottom" area is a flat area containing many sloughs, including the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, and
Westport Slough which drains the western half of the "bottom".
Across from the downstream tip of Crims Island on the Washington State side is
Oak Point and Abernathy Point.
Port Westward, once the original "Oak Point", is located the downstream point of the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough delta.
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"Fannys Bottom", Bradbury Slough, and Crims Island, Oregon.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Campsite of March 25, 1806 ...
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Lewis and Clark's campsite of March 25, 1806, was on the western bank of the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough (altho possibly a different slough/mouth of the Clatskanie of 200 years ago), across from the upstream end of Wallace Island. Across the river on the Washington bank was Lewis and Clark's campsite of November 6, 1805, at Cape Horn (Wahkiakum County).
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"... it was with some difficulty that we could find a spot proper for an encampment, the shore being a swamp for several miles back; at length late in the evening opposite to the place we had encamped on the 6th of November last; we found the entrance of a small creek which afforded us a safe harbour from the wind and encamped. &nbps; the ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment.
... "
[Lewis, March 25, 1806]
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"... the winds in the evening was verry hard, it was with Some dificuelty that we Could find a Spot proper for an encampment, the Shore being a Swamp for Several miles back; at length late in the evening opposit to the place we had encamped on the 6th of Novr. last; we found the enterance of a Small Creek which offered us a Safe harbour from the Winds and Encamped. the Ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment. ..."
[Clark, March 25, 1806]
Lewis and Clark's previous campsite was at Aldrich Point, Oregon, and their campsite of March 26, 1806, was on Walker Island.
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Mount St. Helens and the Clatskanie Delta ...
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Views of Mount St. Helens can be seen along the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough delta.
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Mount St. Helens and farmland, from flood plain west of the Clatskanie River.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
"... it was with some difficulty that we could find a spot proper for an encampment, the shore being a swamp for several miles back ..."
[Lewis, March 25, 1806]
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Mount St. Helens and farmland, from flood plain west of the Clatskanie River.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Clatskanie River in Clatskanie ...
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Clatskanie River, Oregon, looking downstream from Clatskanie City Park.
Image taken February 11, 2004.
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Clatskanie River, Oregon, looking upstream from Clatskanie City Park.
Image taken February 11, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, March 25, 1806 ...
Last night and this morning are cool wend hard a head and tide going out, after an early brackfast we proceeded on [from their camp near Aldrich Point] about 4 miles and came too on the south side to worm and dry our Selves a little. Soon after we had landed two Indians Came from a War kia cum village on the opposite Side with 2 dogs and a fiew Wappato to Sell neither of which we bought.
Som Clatsops passed down in a Canoe loaded with fish and Wappato. as the wind was hard a head and tide against us we Concluded to delay untill the return of the tide which we expected at 1 oClock, at which hour we Set out
...
we crossed over to an Island [Puget Island] on which was a Cath lahmah fishing Camp of one Lodge; here we found <one> 3 man two woman and a couple of boys who must have for Some time for the purpose of taking Sturgeon which they do by trolling. they had 10 or 12 very fine Sturgeon which had not been long taken; [White Sturgeon]
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we remained at this place about half an hour and then Continued our rout. the winds in the evening was verry hard, it was with Some dificuelty that we Could find a Spot proper for an encampment, the Shore being a Swamp for Several miles back; at length late in the evening opposit to the place we had encamped on the 6th of Novr. last [near Cape Horn, Wahkiakum County]; we fouond the enterance of a Small Creek [one of the many mouths/sloughs/drainages of the Clatskanie River system, near Wallace Island and Wallace Slough] which offered us a Safe harbour from the Winds and Encamped. the Ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment.
here we found another party of Cathlahmahs about 10 in number, who had established a temporary residence for the purpose of fishing and takeing Seal
...
here we found Drewyer and the 2 Fields' who had been Seperated from us Since Morning; they had passed on the North Side of the large Island [Puget Island] which was much nearest. the bottom lands are Covered with a Species of Arspine, the Growth with a broad leaf which resembles ash except the leaf. the under brush red willow, broad leafed Willow, Seven bark, Goose berry, Green bryor, and the larged leaf thorn; the latter is Now in blume, the nativs inform us that it bears a <leaf> fruit about an Inch in diamieter which is a good to eate. the red willow and 7 bark begin to put foth their leaves. The green bryor which I have before mentioned retains leaves all winter. made 15 Miles.
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Lewis, March 25, 1806 ...
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The morning being disagreeably cold we remained and took breakfast. at 7 A. M. we set out [from their camp near Aldrich Point] and continued our rout along the South Coast of the river against the wind and a strong current, our progress was of course but slow. at noon we halted and dined.
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after dinner we passed the river to a large Island [Puget Island] 2 and continued our rout allong the side of the same about a mile when we arrived at a Cathlahmah fishing cam of one lodge; here we found 3 men 2 women and a couple of boys,
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they had a good stock of fish on board, but did not seem disposed to sell them. we remained at this place [Puget Island] about half an hour and then continued our rout up the Island to it's head and passed to the south side. the wind in the evening was very hard. it was with some difficulty that we could find a spot proper for an encampment, the shore being a swamp for several miles back; at length late in the evening opposite to the place we had encamped on the 6th of November last [Cape Horn, Wahkiakum County]; we found the entrance of a small creek [one of the many mouths/sloughs of the Clatskanie River system] which afforded us a safe harbour from the wind and encamped. the ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment. here we found another party of Cathlahmahs about 10 in number who had established a temperary residence for the purpose of fishing and taking seal.
... :
here we found Drewyer and the Feildses who had been seperated from us since morning; they had passed on the North side of the large Island [Puget Island] which was much nearer. the bottom lands are covered with cottonwood, the growth with a broad leaf which resembles ash except the leaf. the underbrush red willow, broad leafed willow, sevenbark, goosburry, green bryer & the larged leafed thorn; the latter is now in bloom; the natives inform us that it bears a freut about an inch in diameter which is good to eat.—
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Clark, March 26, 1806 ...
The wind blew So hard untill 8 A M. that we detained [at their camp on the Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough, across from the upstream tip of Wallace Island], we gave a Medal to a Man by the name of Wal-lal-le a principal man among the Cath lah mahs, he appeared very thankfull for the honor Confured on him and presented us with a large Sturgion [Columbia River White Sturgeon]. we Continued our rout up the river to an old Village on the South Side where we halted for dinner. we met on the way the principal Chief of the Cathlahmahs, Sâh-hâh-wâh-cop, who had been up the river on a trading voyage, he gave us some Wappato and fish, we also purchased Some Wappato Soon after halted for dinner at an Old Village <at> on the South point opposit the lower pt. of Fannys Island [Crims Island].
...
here our hunters joined us haveing killed 3 Eagles and a large Wild goose. I had now an oppertunity of Comparing the bald <and> with the grey Eagle; I found the grey Eagle about ¼ largest, its legs and feet were dark which those of the bald eagle were of a fine orrange yellow; the iris of the eye is also of a dark yellowish brown, while that of the Grey is of a light Silvery colour with a Slight admixture of yellow.
after dinner I walked on Shore through an eligant bottom on the South Side [Clatskanie River/Beaver Slough Delta] opposit to Fannys Island [Crims Island].
This bottom we also Call fannys bottom it is extensive and an open leavel plain except near the river bank which is high dry rich oak land. I saw Some deer & Elk at a distance in the Prarie. we continued untill late in the evening and encamped on a Small Island near the Middle of the river [Walker Island] haveing made 18 Miles. 2 Indians Visited us this evining.
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