Click image to enlarge
|
Columbia River looking upstream from Fishers Landing, Washington.
Mount Hood, Oregon, is in the background. Greenery on right is Government Island.
Image taken October 21, 2005.
|
Fishers Landing ...
|
Fishers Landing (and the community of Fisher) is at Columbia River Mile (RM) 115, directly across from Government Island, and approximately 2 miles upstream of the Vancouver Trout Hatchery and the Interstate 205 Bridge.
The "landing" is 3 miles downstream of Lady Island and Camas, Washington. In the late 1800s Fishers Landing was a steamboat landing. In the early 1900s to the late 1960s it was the Washington end of a ferry which went across to Government Island. Today there is a community park and beach, and not much left of the old ferry landing.
Fishers Landing was named for Solomon W. Fisher who, in the 1850s, filed a Donation Land Claim on 160 acres on
Government Island, and 160 acres on the north side of the Columbia River, 8 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. The settlement of "Fisher" developed, which later became commonly known as "Fishers Landing". Today "Fisher" is still located along the banks of the Columbia River, while the "Fishers Landing" name refers to a high-tech community development on the hill above Fisher.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Pilings, Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken October 21, 2005.
|
Fisher ...
In 1850 the Fisher Family left Missouri by wagon train to settle in the Pacific Northwest. From "Columbian.com" Website (2005):
-
"... It was in 1850 that the six brothers and sisters of the famous family left Missouri by wagon train. They included Solomon, John, Adam, Job, Ann Jemima and Rachel. Ann Jemima was married to William Mortimer Simmons while Rachel was to marry H.M. Knapp, another well-known pioneer of the east county area. William and Ann Simmons brought five children with them, two of whom died on the trail, and took out a donation land claim east of 164th Avenue. Solomon also took out a claim, lying west of 164th. Adam Fisher's claim lay to the north, taking in what is now Cascade Park. Solomon, who was to become the best-known member of the family, established a riverboat landing at the foot of 164th Avenue. This evolved into a community called Fisher's Landing, which at one time was considered for the county seat. The entire area today is known as Fisher's Landing, although the docks and most of the historic buildings are long gone. ..."
["Columbian.com" Website, 2005]
|
Views of Fishers Landing ...
Click image to enlarge
|
Beach, Fishers Landing, Washington.
Interstate 205 Bridge is in the background.
Image taken November 23, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Beach, Fishers Landing, Washington.
Interstate 205 Bridge is in the background.
Image taken October 25, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Trader on the beach, Fishers Landing, Washington.
Interstate 205 Bridge is in the background.
Image taken October 25, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Rocks at Fishers Landing as seen from downstream.
Government Island is in the background.
Image taken October 25, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
No Parking, Standing, or Stopping sign, Fishers Landing.
Image taken October 25, 2005.
|
Government Island to Fishers Landing Ferry ...
|
A ferry once ran between Government Island and Fishers Landing.
The 1948 NOAA Chart "Columbia River Vancouver to Bonneville" shows "Fisher" as the Washington end of a ferry, with the Government Island end of the ferry located on the downstream side of today's Jewitt Lake drainage, near today's "Government Island Dock". Upstream on Government Island was located "Bartlett Ldg." A road extended from Bartlett Landing across Government Island to the southern shore.
The 1966 NOAA Chart #6156, "Columbia River Vancouver to Bonneville", also shows the ferry between Fisher and Government Island, with a road heading across the island from the Government Island ferry location. The 1969 and 1971 editions still show the ferry, however the 1973 edition shows no ferry.
The 1975 edition shows simply a "ramp" located at the point of land at Fisher, while the 1977 edition has no "ramp".
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Government Island old ferry landing as seen from Fishers Landing.
Image taken November 23, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Piling remains, Fishers Landing, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken October 25, 2005.
|
Early Fishers Landing ...
|
Throughout the years the community of Fisher has been known as
"Fishers Landing", "Fishers", and "Fishers Wharf".
In 1914 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made the name "Fisher" official, named for Solomon W. Fisher, an early-day trader and the first postmaster.
According to "Columbian.com" Website (2005), in an article of Clark County names, at one time Fisher was even called "Pumpkin Center", a name placed there by a businessman, but which (fortunately in this webauthor's opinion) never stuck.
The 1852 Cadastral Survey (tax survey) for T1N R2E shows a road from the area of todays Lieser Point, follows the Columbia River until it reaches the Hudson's Bay Company Mills (today the location of the Vancouver Trout Hatchery), swings inland and then heads once again south ending at the location of today's Fishers Landing.
The first settlers in the area were William and Jemima Simmons who filed a Donation Land Claim (DLC) on property east of 164th which ran from the Columbia River north to the Mill Plain area.
Solomon Fisher meanwhile filed for a DLC on the west side of 164th, and established a settlement called "Fisher's Landing".
A post office was established at Fisher's Landing in 1858, with Solomon Fisher being postmaster. This Post Office closed in 1870.
In 1880, residents of the Fisher's area petitioned for another post office, and in 1881 one was opened, again with Solomon Fisher as postmaster. This Post Office was named Fisher's. In 1894 the name was shortened to Fisher. This post office closed in 1917.
The 1863 Cadastral Survey (Tax Survey) for T1N R2E, shows
S.W. Fisher having a DLC of 160.39 acres (Claim No.41), of sections 1 and 12. Just to the east is the DLC of Wm. M Simmons, for 243.13 acres (Claim No.43).
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office Records Website (2007) shows
Solomon W. Fisher being granted title to 160.39 acres of T1N R2E Sections 1 and 12, on September 1, 1865, under the 1850 Oregon-Donation Act. Solomon W. Fisher was also granted title to 12.4 acres of T1N R2E section 1, on July 2, 1866, under the 1820 Sale-Cash Entry.
There is also a listing for an Adam Fisher being granted title to 162.01 acres of T1N R2E Section 1,
on December 3, 1859, under the 1850 Oregon-Donation Act.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office Records Website (2007) shows Amy J. Simmons and Willaim M. Simmons being granted title to 639.86 acres of T1N R2E Sections 1, 6, 7, and 12,
on December 22, 1865, under the 1850 Oregon-Donation Act.
Steamers stopped at Fisher's Landing to load cordwood for fuel. A sawmill existed a Hudson's Bay Company mill near today's Vancouver Trout Hatchery and wood was towed upriver to Fisher's Landing or nearby Remington Landing (today the site of Gentry's Landing, a marina and moorage).
The 1888 plat map for Clark County had "Fisher's Landing" mapped on east side of what is now 164th, and "S. Fisher" owning Donation Land Claim (DLC) property on the west side of what is now 164th. No ferry is depicted on this map other than the
"Steam Ferry" downstream between Vancouver and the Oregon shore upstream of Hayden Island.
Early maps of Washington made by The George F. Cram Company show the development of the early Columbia River communities east of Vancouver.
Cram's 1883 "Rail road & township map of Washington" shows "Vancouver" and the "Fisher's P.O.".
The 1889 "Railroad and county map of Washington" shows "Vancouver", "Vancouver Barracks", and the "Fisher's".
The 1904 "Map of Washington" shows "Vancouver" and "Vancouver Sta." with "Fisher" to the east.
Cram's 1911 map however lists "Vancouver" and "V. Sta.", "Image", "Ellsworth", and then "Fisher".
Their 1925 map of Washington shows only "Vancouver", "Ellseworth", and "Fisher".
In 1914 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Fisher" the official name.
|
|
Mount Hood from Fishers Landing ...
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Mount Hood, Oregon, from Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken October 21, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Mount Hood, Oregon, from Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken November 17, 2005.
|
Mount St. Helens from Fishers Landing ...
|
Views of Mount St. Helens can be seen from the ridge above Fishers Landing. That ridge is also the home to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory, established in the early 1980s in response to the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Early morning, Mount St. Helens, from top of hill at Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken January 3, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Evening sunset, Mount St. Helens with steam, from top of hill at Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken October 13, 2004.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Mount St. Helens eruption plume, from Fishers Landing, Washington.
Taken at approximately 5:30 pm.
Image taken March 8, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Mount St. Helens ash plume, from Fishers Landing, Washington.
Image taken November 22, 2005.
|
|
From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
|
Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
|
The Fog So thick [typical of the Pacific Northwest in the fall and spring] this morning that we could not See a man 50 Steps off, this fog detained us untill 10 oClock at which time we Set out [from their camp at Rooster Rock], ...
I walked on the Sand beech Lard. Side, opposit the canoes as they passed allong. The under groth rushes, vines &c. in the bottoms too thick to pass through, at 3 miles I arrived at the enterance of a river [Sandy River] which appeared to Scatter over a Sand bar, the bottom of which I could See quite across and did not appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick Sand, and impassable- I called to the Canoes to put to Shore, I got into the Canoe and landed below the mouth, & Capt Lewis and my Self walked up this river about 1½ miles to examine this river which we found to be a verry Considerable Stream Dischargeing its waters through 2 Chanels which forms an Island [Sandy River Delta, which has had various names throughout history] of about 3 miles in length on the river and 1½ miles wide, composed of Corse Sand which is thrown out of this quick Sand river Compressing the waters of the Columbia and throwing the whole Current of its waters against its Northern banks, within a Chanel of ½ a mile wide, Several Small Islands 1 mile up this river, This Stream has much the appearance of the River Platt: roleing its quick Sands into the bottoms with great velocity after which it is divided into 2 Chanels by a large Sand bar before mentioned, the narrowest part of this River is 120 yards-on the Opposit Side of the Columbia a <large Creek> falls in [Washougal River] above this Creek on the Same Side is a Small prarie [location of Washougal, Washington, and Cottonwood Beach, now the home of Captain William Clark Park]. extensive low country on each Side thickly timbered.
The Quick Sand river [Sandy River] appears to pass through the low countrey at the foot of those high range of mountains in a Southerly direction,- The large Creeks which fall into the Columbia on the Stard. Side [Washougal River] rise in the Same range of mountains to the N. N. E. and pass through Some ridgey land- A Mountain which we Suppose to be Mt. Hood [Mount Hood, Oregon] is S. 85° E about 47 miles distant from the mouth of quick sand river [Sandy River] This mtn. is Covered with Snow and in the range of mountains which we have passed through and is of a Conical form but rugid- after takeing dinner at the mouth of this river [Sandy River] we proceeded on passed the head of a Island [Lady Island] near the lard Side [???] back of which on the Same Side and near the head a large Creek falls in [Washougal River, today the town of Camas, Washington, lies between Lady Island and the Washougal River], and nearly opposit & 3 miles below the upper mouth of quick Sand river is the lower mouth, [for?] This Island is 3½ miles long, has rocks at the upper point, Some timber on the borders of this Island in the middle open and ponney. Some rugid rocks in the middle of the Stream opposit this Island. <proceeded in> to Center of a large Island in the middle of the river which we call Dimond Isld. [Government Island] from its appearance, here we met 15 Indn men in 2 canoes from below, they informed us they Saw 3 vestles below &c. &c. we landed on the North Side of this Dimond Island and Encamped [on the north side of Government Island, perhaps opposite Fishers Landing], Capt. L walked out with his gun on the Island, Sent out hunters & fowlers- below quick Sand River [Sandy River] the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of the river [on the Oregon side this area is the eastern end of the Columbia Slough, located on the floodplain of the Willamette River with the Columbia River], the Islands open & Some ponds river wide and emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction Such as Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks, white guls, comerants & plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter in the river [Harbor Seals] -
a Canoe arrived from the village below the last rapid ...
Capt Lewis borrowed a Small Canoe of those Indians & 4 men took her across to a Small lake in the Isld. ...
... :
note the mountain we Saw from near the forks proves to be Mount Hood
[Mount Hood, Oregon]
|
|
|
Return to