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Visit Ridgefield sign.
Image taken, July 24, 2005.
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Ridgefield, Washington ...
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Ridgefield, Washington, is located 2 miles east of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 89.5. Between the community and the river lies the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, a location Lewis and Clark camped at both on their journey to the Pacific, and again upon their return. Separating Ridgefield from the Refuge is Lake River, who source is Vancouver Lake, located to the south. North lies the Lewis River and the community of Woodland, Washington. From the "ridge" at Ridgefield, views into Oregon can be seen with views of Bachelor Island and the Wildlife Refuge located below the ridge.
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Lewis and Clark and Ridgefield ...
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Lewis and Clark information kiosk, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Sacajawea and Seaman, Lewis and Clark information kiosk, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Seaman, Lewis and Clark information kiosk, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Early Ridgefield ...
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The community of Ridgefield, Washington, was first known as "Shobert's Landing", named after the Frederick Shobert family who settled in Clark County around 1854. The "Shobert's Landing" became a steamboat landing.
The 1854 cadastral survey (tax survey) for T4N R1E, in the southwestern quarter of Section 19, shows the "F. Shobart" home on the ridge overlooking "Vancouver Slough", today's Lake River.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records Website (2007) shows Frederick Shobart being granted title to 8 acres of T4N R1E Section 19, on April 1, 1865, under the 1820 Sale-Cash Entry. The records also show Frederick Shobart and Catherine Shobart being granted title to 299.59 acres of T4N R1E Section 19, and T4N R1W, Section 24, on August 27, 1871, under the 1850 Oregon Donation Act.
After the Civil War Union Soldiers settled the Ridgefield area. The town which grew up around "Shobert's Landing" became known as "Union Ridge" after the Civil War Soldiers.
The 1885 publication History of Clarke County, Washington Territory, by B.F. Alley and J.P.
Munro-Fraser (published by Washington Pub., Portland, Oregon, 1885, publication online at
Washington Secretary of State Website, 2007) gives a nice description of the early history of Ridgefield, then called "Union Ridge":
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Union Ridge
There is little doubt that the gently sloping land extending from the
elevated highlands down to the banks of Lake river, attracted the notice
of many of the very first arrivals in the country and had long been marked
as a spot whereon to settle, when that'good time should come. Taking a
position upon a piece of raised ground near the post office at Union
Ridge, one looks upon a panorama unsurpassed for pastoral beauty in any
portion of Washington Territory. To the north we see Lake river with the
extensive valley lying between it and the rolling Columbia, on whose bosom
we notice Bachelors Island, and beyond, the bold bluffs of Cowlitz county,
indeed to right and left, in front and back, the scene is beyond
description lovely, compassing the fairest dream of sylvan beauty.
The earliest settler in this part of Clarke county was James Carry who was
born in Ireland, on St. Patrick's Day, in the year 1808. In 1833 he
emigrated to the United States and the following year joined a whaling
vessel bound for the polar seas, and after roughing it for some time was
left ashore at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, sick. Thence he sailed in one
of the traders belonging to the Hudson Bay Company and in the year 1837
arrived at Fort Vancouver, and was there employed in various ways until
1840, when he settled on land a little below where the post office at
Union Ridge now stands, and erected a log cabin. At this place he resided
until his death, May 22, 1873.
Among the later arrivals in the vicinity we learn of the location of the
late Frederick Shobert, with his family, and S. Shobert in 1853, of Asa
Richardson in 1855, and of John Rathbone in 1867. It is highly probable
that there were several more settlers than these mentioned, but the fact
remains that the increase of population has been chiefly in recent years.
The Union Ridge postoffice was established and originally placed in charge
of Asa Richardson, who was followed by J. W. Tate, who made way for the
present postmaster, S. Shobert, August 28, 1873. The first store was
opened in 1882, by S. Shobert and J. J. Thompson under the firm name of
Shobert & Thompson, but in September of that year the business passed into
the hands of the senior partner, who still conducts it.
There is one church at Union Ridge, a Presbyterian, the date of
organization being 1882, and that of completing the church building, 1883.
The structure which measures thirty by forty feet, stands on the bank of
Lewis river, not far from the old post office and is a neat, well-built
edifice. The membership numbers about thirty persons. The first pastor was
Rev. George Sheath, who died shortly after his assumption of the duties,
and was succeeded by the present incumbent, Rev. J. A. Hanna, a pioneer of
1852.
Excerpt from: B.F. Alley and J.P. Munro-Fraser, 1885, History of Clarke County, Washington Territory, Washington Pub., Portland, Oregon
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An 1888 Plat Map of "Clarke County" has Lake River named "Lake River" and a Post Office at today's Ridgefield called "Union Ridge". Donation Land Claims (DLC) were
F. Shobart (DLC) south of town,
A. Quigley (DLC) north of town, and
J. Carty (DLC) in the are of today's Carty Lake.
In 1890 as settlers built homesteads below the "ridge", and postal officials changed the community name to "Ridgefield". The name derives from the town being located on a large field that covers a beautiful basalt ridge. The lava flows making up the ridge are Columbia River Basalt flows which erupted east of Ridgefield approximately seventeen million years ago. These same flows created the Columbia River Plateau, located in eastern Washington and Oregon.
Rock quarried from areas around Ridgefield between 1880 through 1910 was transported by barge to Portland for use as cobble paving stones.
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Homes of Ridgefield, Washington, from Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Looking east to the ridge of "Ridgefield", from Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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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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Views around Ridgefield ...
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Spring, Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Sidewalk store fronts, Main Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Ridgefield Pioneer Market Place sign, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Clock, Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Sidewalk store fronts, Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Radio Flyers, Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Beautiful Murals depicting the history of Ridgefield, including the two visits of Lewis and Clark, decorate the buildings of downtown Ridgefield, Washington.
[More]
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Mural, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Detail, Ridgefield Lewis and Clark painting.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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"Birthplace of U-Haul" ...
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Ridgefield is known as the "Birthplace of U-Haul".
In the summer of 1945 Sam and Anna Marie Shoen initiated "U-Haul", renting their trailers for $2.00 per day.
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"...
With $5,000, L.S. Shoen, his wife Anna Mary Carty Shoen and their young child moved to the Carty ranch in Ridgefield, Washington. There, with the help of the Carty family, the Shoens built the first U-Haul trailers in the fall of 1945, using the ranch's automobile garage (and milk house) as the first manufacturing plant for the budding U-Haul Co.
... By the end of 1945, thirty 4' x 7' open trailers were on service station lots in Portland, Vancouver and Seattle, Wash. ..."
["Uhaul.com" Website, 2006]
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"Welcome to Ridgefield" sign.
Image taken, July 1, 2007.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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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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