"... as our Situation became Seriously dangerous, we took the advantage of a low tide & moved our Camp around a point a Short distance to a Small wet bottom at the mouth of a Small Creek, which we had not observed when we first Came to this Cove, from its being very thick and obscured by drift trees & thick bushes ..." [Clark, November 12, 1805, first draft]

The "point" they round was Megler Point and the "Small Creek" was today's Megler Creek. Megler Creek flows into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) _____. The creek now runs through a culvert under Highway 401. The men referred to this second campsite in the Megler area as "Dismal Nitch". Finally at 3:00 on November 15, 1805, the men left the Megler area, rounded Point Ellice (which Captain Clark called "Point Distress") and established a new camp at a "sand beach" now known as "Station Camp".

"... About 3 oClock the wind luled, and the river became calm, I had the canoes loaded in great haste and Set Out, from this dismal nitich where we have been confined for 6 days passed, without the possibility of proceeding on, returning to a better Situation, or get out to hunt, Scerce of Provisions, and torents of rain poreing on us all the time ..." [Clark, November 15, 1805]

The men would spend the next 10 days at "Station Camp".

"... MEGLER: Abandoned Ilwaco railroad terminus and ferry dock on the Columbia River between Point Ellice and Cliff Point, 1907-1966. Named for Joseph G. Megler. Megler was born in Germany, educated in New York City, fought in the Civil War, operated a hotel in Astoria, entered the salmon cannery business at Chenookville in 1871, formed the J.G. Megler Company and founded Brookfield (Wahkiakum County) in 1873, and was a state legislator from Pacific/Wahkiakum counties for 22 years. Respect for Megler led the Ilwaco railroad to name their Columbia River terminus for him in 1908. The site was initially a fishing station built by Astorian Marshall Kenney in 1880. Megler used the site for a fish receiving station in 1883. The Ilwaco railroad bought the deep water site for their terminus around 1906 and initially called it "Cook's Station". When the first train arrived at the train terminus and ferry dock in 1908 the name had been changed to Megler Station. Automobile traffic finally forced the Ilwaco railroad to discontinue train service on September 9, 1930. Ferries operated by Fritz Elfving and later the Oregon Department of Highways continued to serve the Megler to Astoria run until July 29, 1966, when the last regular ferry operation ceased with the opening of the Astoria Bridge. ..." [Larry J. Weathers, Place Names of Pacific County, Sou'wester, Centennial Edition, 1989]

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records show a Joseph G. Megler getting title to 139.9 acres on June 15, 1880 (Homestead Entry Original).

"... In 1888, the Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Company (IR&N) laid the first five miles of narrow-gauge track from Ilwaco toward Long Beach and Nahcotta. In 1906 the IR&N was purchased by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, and the OR&N bought the deep-water site at Megler, which they named "Cook's Station". In 1907 construction of a railroad between Cook's Station and Ilwaco was underway, and in October of 1907 construction began at Cook's Station on a wharf that measured 900 feet long and 120 feet wide. By the time this train and ferry freight dock began operating in 1908, the name of the site was changed again to Megler Station.

Once the train began regular operation, the steamer Nahcotta was set up as a passenger ferry service between Astoria and Megler. The Ilwaco Railroad bought several steam locomotives, and by the time the last one was delivered they had abandoned their dock in Ilwaco. Railroad hands built a small spur at Megler to receive the locomotive from the steamer. For the first few months of operation, a temporary tank stored oil near the Megler dock. By 1909, a large, permanent steel tank was erected on a trestle-like structure at the site. A depot, a train shed, and a turntable were also built at the Megler terminal.

In 1921, increased automobile traffic in the region induced Fritz Elfving to establish a car ferry, the Tourist I, between Astoria and the Megler dock. Gradually, as the number of automobiles increased, the need for the railroad declined. The Ilwaco Railroad discontinued service in September of 1930, and in 1931 the Washington State Highway Department acquired title to most of the railroad right-of-way.

In 1946 the Oregon Highway Department purchased the ferry service and operated it until the Astoria - Megler bridge was completed. In 1956, Washington State Route 12B was constructed east of Megler. The route was later redesignated SR401. Construction of the Astoria - Megler Bridge began in 1962. The bridge was finished in 1966 and the last ferry run occurred in July of that year.

In 1968 and 1969 the Washington Department of Highways demolished the ferry landing and constructed the Megler Rest Area in its place. The Megler Rest Area was renamed the Dismal Nitch Rest Area in 2005. ..."

Today the Astoria-Megler Bridge connects Astoria to Point Ellice and can be seen downstream of the Megler Rest Area. All that remains of the old ferry area are pilings in the water.