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Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken August 31, 2008.
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Rainier ...
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Rainier, Oregon, is located on the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 68, and lies across from Longview, Washington. Also across from Rainier is the mouth of the Cowlitz River
and Cottonwood Island. Two miles downstream of Rainier is the Lewis and Clark Bridge which connects Rainier to Longview. Upstream on the Oregon side are the towns of Goble, Columbia City, and St. Helens. Three miles upstream is Prescott Beach, Oregon, the location of Lewis and Clark's camp of November 5, 1805.
On the return journey the men spent the night of March 26, 1806, on Walker Island, a few miles downstream, before passing through the Rainier/Longview area on March 27, 1806.
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Mount Rainier from Rainier, Oregon ...
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Mount Rainier from Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 11, 2004.
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Mount Rainier and Longview, Washington, as seen from Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 11, 2004.
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Early Rainier ...
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Rainier, Oregon, was founded by Charles E. Fox who settled there in 1851 and was the first postmaster. He called the town "Eminence", a name which was to change in 1852 to "Rainier", after
Mount Rainier, which is visible from the higher hills. The town of Rainier was incorporated in 1881.
The NOAA "Coast Survey" of 1909 states:
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"...
Between Astoria and Portland there are numerous landings and settlements, dependent either on the fisheries or acting in some cases as shipping points for the country immediately behind them; these are ports of call for the regular river steamers. Deep-draft vessels do not as a rule stop between Astoria and Portland, except for lumber cargoes at Rainier, Goble, Westport, Knappton, and some small mills.
..."
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records (GLO) Website (2007) shows title being granted to Charles E. Fox on June 13, 1881, for 293.32 acres for parts of T7N R2W Sections 16, 17, 20, and 21, under the 1850 "Oregon-Donation Act".
The U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Website (2007) lists "Eminence Post Office" as a previous name for the Rainier Post Office.
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Rainier in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... RAINIER, 47.5 m. (23 alt., 1,353 pop.), named for Mount Rainier, which is often visible to the northeast, was an important stop in the days of river commerce. The town was founded by Charles E. Fox in 1851. First called Eminence, its name was later changed to Fox's Landing and finally to Rainier. In 1854 F. M. Warren erected a large steam sawmill and began producing lumber for the homes and other buildings of the settlers. Rainier was incorporated in 1885. At Rainier is a toll bridge connecting with Longview, Washington (car and driver, 80c; maximum, $1).
From the winding curves of RAINIER HILL (671 alt.) there is a fine view of Longview, Washington, and the narrow roadway of the bridge spanning the river, hundreds of feet below. The summit is reached at 50.6 m.
..."
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Views around Rainier, Oregon ...
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Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
View from Rainier City Park, looking upstream.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
View from Rainier City Park, looking upstream.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Tugboat, as seen from Rainier, Oregon.
View from Rainier City Park.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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Tugboats, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Columbia River shoreline, as seen from Rainier, Oregon.
View from Rainier City Park.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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Columbia River shoreline, as seen from Rainier, Oregon.
View from Rainier City Park.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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Lewis and Clark Bridge from Rainier, Oregon.
Looking downstream at the Lewis and Clark Bridge, from city park, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Lewis and Clark Bridge as seen from Rainier City Park, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Mallards, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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City Hall Building ...
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City Hall building, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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City Hall building, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Old Fish Building Along the Waterfront ...
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Personal correspondence with Hank Bartholomew (2007), resident of Rainier since 1997, reveals this old building was once the "Norris Docks" and used as a fish processing and warehouse structure.
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Old building along the Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Old fish processing and warehousing building along Rainier's southeastern waterfront.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Old building along the Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Old fish processing and warehousing building along Rainier's southeastern waterfront.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Old building along the Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Old fish processing and warehousing building along Rainier's southeastern waterfront.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Old building along the Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Old fish processing and warehousing building along Rainier's southeastern waterfront.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Old building along the Waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Old fish processing and warehousing building along Rainier's southeastern waterfront.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Mount St. Helens and Rainier, Oregon, Waterfront ...
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Mount St. Helens, from waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
The downstream tip of Cottonwood Island is visible on the right.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Mount St. Helens, from waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Mount St. Helens is white snow covered "peak" in the middleground.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Mount St. Helens, from waterfront, Rainier, Oregon.
Mount St. Helens is white snow covered "peak" in the middleground.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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"Rainier - The River Town" Mural ...
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"Rainier - The River Town" Mural, created by Rainier Students, is located in Rainier, Oregon, one block downhill from Oregon Highway 30 and Rainier City Hall building.
[More]
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Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2007.
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Rainier City Park, September 11, 2001, Memorial Plaque ...
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September 11, 2001 Memorial at Rainier City Park, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken October 31, 2006.
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September 11, 2001 Memorial at Rainier City Park, Rainier, Oregon.
Image taken August 29, 2004.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards", with the "Penny Postcard" being a popular way to send greetings to family and friends.
Penny Postcards today show us a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Main Street, looking west, Rainier, Oregon, ca.1911.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1911, "Main Street looking West, Rainier, Ore.". Published by C. Kropf, Milwaukee. Card #1538. Card is postmarked January 25, 1911. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Mill, Rainier, Oregon, ca.1916.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1916, "One of the Big Mills, Rainier, Ore.". Card is postmarked March 21, 1916.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Log Chute on the Columbia River, ca.1915.
Penny Postcard, ca.1915, "Log Chute, on Columbia River". Published by the Pacific Novelty Co., San Francisco, California. Card #O.41. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
Known as "The Incline", this railway was built by John B. Yeon in order to lower train car loads of logs from the rim above Rainier, Oregon, down to the slough below. The "Incline" was part of the Yeon and Pelton Company which operated at the beginning of the 1900s, and located three miles from Rainier.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, March 27, 1806 ...
a rainey disagreeable night
rained the greater part of the night
we Set out this morning verry early [from their camp on Walker Island] and proceeded on to two houses of the Skil-lute Indians on the South Side [downstream of Rainier, Oregon] here we found our hunters who had Seperated from us last evening.
the wind rose and the rain became very hard Soon after we landed here we were very friendly receved by the natives who gave all our party as much fish as they Could eate,
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resumed our voyage at 12 oClock. The principal village of the Skil-lutes is Situated on the lower Side of the
Cow-e-lis kee river [Cowlitz River] a fiew miles from it's enterance into the Columbia.
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The Cow e lis kee river [Cowlitz River] is 150 yards wide, is deep and from Indian information navigable a very conslderable distance for canoes.
it discharges itself into the Columbia about 3 miles above a remarkable knob [Mount Coffin] which is high and rocky and Situated on the North Side of the Columbia, and Seperated from the Northern hills of the river by a Wide bottom of Several Miles, to which it united
[today the cities of Longview and Kelso, Washington]. I Suspect that this river Waters the Country lying west of a range of Mountains which passes the Columbia between the Great falls and rapids, and North of the Same nearly to the low country which Commences on the N W. Coast about Latitude 4° [blank] North.
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at the distance of 2 miles above the village at which we brackfast we passed the enterance of this river [Cowlitz River];
we Saw Several fishing camps of the Skillutes on both Sides of the Columbia, and also on both Sides of this river.
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late in the evening we passed the place we Camped the 5th of Novr. [Prescott Beach] and Encamped about 4 miles above at the Commencement of the Columbian Vally on the Stard. Side [near Goble, Oregon] below Deer Island [Deer Island, Oregon].
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[between Prescott Beach and Goble lies Coffin Rock, a basalt feature on the south side of the Columbia, now located on property owned by the Trojan Nuclear Facility]
Saw Cotton wood, Sweet Willow, w[hite] oake, ash and the broad leafed ash the Growth which resembles the bark &c. these form the groth of the bottom lands, whilst the Hills are almost exclusively Covered with the various Species of fir heretofore discribed. the black alder appears on Maney parts of the hills Sides as on the bottoms. before we Set out from the 2 houses where we brackfast we Sent on two Canoes with the best hunters, with orders to pro ceed as fast as they Could to Deer island [Deer Island, Oregon] and there to hunt and wait our arrival. we wish to halt at that place and repare 2 of our Canoes if possible. the Indians that visited us this evining remained but a Short time, they passed over to an Island [Sandy Island ???] and encamped. the night as well as the day proved Cold wet and excessively disagreeable. we Came 20 miles in the Course of this day.
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