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Shepperd's Dell, Oregon.
View from Historic Columbia River Highway Bridge. The Columbia River is in the background.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Shepperd's Dell ...
Shepperd's Dell State Natural Area ...
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Shepperd's Dell State Natural Area, often called Shepperd's Dell State Park, is a 519-acre park located 13 miles east of Troutdale, Oregon. It can be reached by the Historic Columbia River Highway. In 1915 the area was donated as parkland by the owner, George Shepperd, a local dairy farmer in memory of his wife.
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Crown Point as seen from Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Columbia River from Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon.
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Campsite of April 6-8, 1806 ...
Campsite of hunters from April 4, 1806 ...
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On April 4, 1806, and again on the morning of April 5, 1806, Lewis and Clark sent groups of hunters across the river to a "large bottom" to hunt and to wait then for the main group of men to show up.
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"... About noon we dispatched Gibson Shannon Howard and Wiser in one of the light canoes, with orders to proceed up the Columbia to a large bottom on the South side about six miles above us and to hunt untill our arrival. ... we directed Drewyer and the two Feildses to ascend the river tomorrow to join Gibson and party, and hunt untill our arrival.
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[Lewis, April 4, 1806]
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"... Joseph Fields and Drewyer departed this morning agreeably to their orders of last evening. ..."
[Lewis, April 5, 1806]
The rest of the group left on April 6. In the journals, Captain Lewis writes that their camp of April 6 is 10 miles from their previous camp which was at Cottonwood Beach, and Captain Clark writes that it is 9 miles.
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"... early we had all the meat packed up and our Canoes loaded ready for to Set out and after an early brackfast at which time all things were ready and we Set out and proceeded to the Camp of Gibson & party about 9 miles, they had killed 3 Elk at no great distance and Wounded two others so badly that we expect to procure them. Sent a party of Six men with Shannon who had killed the Elk to bring in the Elk, and formed a Camp ..."
[Clark, April 6, 1806]
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"... at the distance of ten miles from our encampment we met with our hunters in the upper end of the bottom to which we had directed them on the South side of the river. they had killed three Elk this morning and wounded two others so badly that they expected to get them. we therefore determined to encamp for the evening at this place in order to dry the meat ..."
[Lewis, April 6, 1806]
Using today's River Miles (RM) from NOAA Charts, Cottonwood Beach is at RM 124, Cottonwood Point at RM 125, Rooster Rock at RM 129, Latourell Falls at RM 130, and Shepperd's Dell at Youngs Creek is at approximately RM 131.
Historians have debated the location of the Lewis and Clark camp of April 6, 7, and 8, 1806, as conflicts appear between the journal text and Lewis and Clark's maps. According to Moulton (1991, Vol.7):
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"... Atlas map 79 leads one to believe that the camp of April 6 can be combined with that shown for April 7 and 8 and easily solve the problem. But that location is in error also. On April 9, after the party left the camp established on April 6, Lewis records that they passed several cascades (shown on Atlas map 79); these would be the Multnomah and other falls in the area. But they are all beyond the camp designated for April 7-8 on the Atlas map. According to mileage estimates and general descriptions, the party's camp for April 6, where they remained until the morning of April 9, was in Multnomah County, above present Latourell Falls and Rooster Rock State Park, in an area known as Sheppards Dell. ..."
As Captain Lewis wrote in his journal on April 9, 1806:
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"... on our way to this village we passed several beautifull cascades which fell from a great hight over the stupendious rocks which cloles the river on both sides nearly, except a small bottom on the South side in which our hunters were encamped. the most remarkable of these casscades falls about 300 feet perpendicularly over a solid rock into a narrow bottom of the river on the south side. it is a large creek, situated about 5 miles above our encampment of the last evening. several small streams fall from a much greater hight, and in their decent become a perfect mist which collecting on the rocks below again become visible and decend a second time in the same manner before they reach the base of the rocks.
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[Lewis, April 9, 1806]
The "village" refered to is at the location of today's Skamania and Skamania Landing, shown on the Route Map [Map#79, Moulton, Vol.1] as nine lodges located between two unnamed creeks, today's Duncan Creek and Woodward Creek. The "hunters" mentioned were Reuben and Joseph Field, who had left, along with George Drouillard (Drewyer), the morning of April 7 to head upriver to a "small bottom" to hunt and then wait for the party to catch up to them.
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"... we also directed Drewyer and the two Feildses to ascend the river early in the morning to a small bottom a few miles above and hunt untill our arrival ..."
[Lewis, April 6, 1806]
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"... This morning early the flesh of the remaining Elk was brought in and Drewyer with the Feildses departed agreeable to the order of the last evening.
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[Lewis, April 7, 1806]
Drouillard returned that night:
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"... Drewyer returned down the river in the evening & informed us that the nativs had Sceared all the Elk from the river above. Joseph & reuben Fields had proceeded on further up the river in the canoe, he expected to the village.
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[Clark, November 7, 1806]
Interesting note: on the Route Map [Map#79, Moulton, Vol.1], the location for the camp of April 7 and 8, 1806, is directly across from the village, the location of today's Skamania and Skamania Landing, near today's Dodson, Oregon.
Lewis and Clark's previous campsite was on the Washington side of the Columbia at Cottonwood Beach and their campsite of April 9, 1806 was on the Oregon side of the Columbia at Tanner Creek.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Highway looking downstream, ca.1920
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, Shepperd's Dell Highway and Shepperd's Dell Bridge, looking downstream. Caption at top reads "820 Looking West from Shepperd's Dell Dome, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From Shepperd's Dell, looking downstream.
View from the middle of the Shepperd's Dell Bridge.
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Shepperd's Dell in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... In the shadowy grotto of SHEPPERD'S DELL, 163.7 m., a sparkling waterfall leaps from a cliff. A white concrete arch bridges a chasm 150 feet wide and 140 feet deep. Near the bridge the highway curves round a domed rock known as BISHOP'S CAP or MUSHROOM ROCK.
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Today the Dell is overgrown, the Bridge still exists, Youngs Creek Falls still "leaps from a cliff" and Bishops Cap is barely discernable.
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Shepperd's Dell Bridge ...
The Shepperd's Dell Bridge was built in 1914 and spans Youngs Creek on the Historic Columbia River Highway. The bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch with a main arch span of 100 feet.
It was designed by K.R. Billner under the supervison of Samuel C. Lancaster. The structure was constructed by the Pacific Bridge Company, Portland, at a cost of $10,800. Shepperd's Dell Bridge is located in Shepperd's Dell State Natural Area. Upstream of the bridge lies Bishops Cap, a once-spectacular basalt feature (it is now mostly obscured by trees) on the side of the Historic Highway.
[More]
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Highway, Oregon.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, Shepperd's Dell Highway. The view shows the Columbia River, the Shepperds Dell Bridge, and Bishops Cap (the basalt feature on the left).
Caption along the bottom reads
"305. Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Oregon". #305, Chas. S. Lipschuetz Co., Portland, Oregon
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon.
Part of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon.
Scene is looking at bridge from upstream side.
Part of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Youngs Creek Falls ...
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A stairwell and trail to Youngs Creek Falls is at the east end of the Shepperd's Dell Bridge. The falls is a tiered falls nearly 300 feet in total length, with 5 drops. Most of the falls is not visible from the Shepperds Dell turnout on the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Youngs Creek Falls is one of the many falls in the Columbia River Gorge which can be seen along the highway.
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Youngs Creek Falls.
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Gene and Riley, Youngs Creek Falls.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Youngs Creek ...
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A good view of Latourelle Creek, Youngs Creek, and the eastern part of Rooster Rock State Park can be seen from Crown Point.
Youngs Creek, once leaving the Shepperd's Dell area, flows westward through Rooster Rock State Park, where it merges with Latourell Creek and forms Mirror Lake, which then merges with the Columbia River just below Rooster Rock.
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Rooster Rock State Park, Oregon, and Latourell and Youngs Creeks.
From Crown Point looking upstream at Rooster Rock State Park. Latourell Creek (right) and Youngs Creek (left) meander through the foreground. Shepperds Dell is to the right off of Youngs Creek.
Image taken October 10, 2004.
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Latourell and Youngs Creeks, Rooster Rock State Park, as seen from Crown Point.
From Crown Point looking upstream at Rooster Rock State Park. Latourell Creek (right) and Youngs Creek (left) meander through the foreground. Shepperds Dell is to the right off of Youngs Creek.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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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.
Today the Penny Postcard has become a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Highway looking downstream, ca.1920
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Looking West from Shepperd's Dell Dome, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
Card #820.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Highway, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Columbia Highway, Oregon".
Caption on top reads: "At Shepherd's Dell, the clif had to be cut away to make room for autos to pass.".
Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Co., Portland, Oregon, Card #262.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Highway, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
The view shows the Columbia River, the Shepperds Dell Bridge, and Bishops Cap (the basalt feature on the left).
Image Copyright Weister Co.
Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Co., Portland, Oregon. Card #305.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Columbia River Highway, Oregon." Caption on back reads: "Shepperd's Dell Bridge. The Shepperd's Dell Bridge is 160 feet aove the stream, which is spanned with a reinforced concrete arch 100 feet long, the total length being 150 feet." Image Copyright Weister Co. Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Company, Portland, Oregon. Card #326.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon, ca.1930.
Penny Postcard, ca.1930, "Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
Caption on back reads: "Probably no scenic Highway in America, except the 1600 mile long Oregon Coast Highway, offers such magnificent scenery in concentrated variety as that which borders the Columbia River Highway in Oregon.".
Published by Angelus Commercial Studio, Portland, Oregon.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Shepperd's Dell Bridge, cars, with Bishops Cap, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
Caption on back reads: "Shepperd's Dell is one of the most picturesque spots along the highway. Eleven acres at this point was given to Portland by George Shepperd for a public park. This is a very interesting piece of construction, the 24 foot road having been cut out of solid rock. 'On Union Pacific System'."
Image Copyright Weister Co.
Published by Chas. S. Lipscheutz Company, Portland, Oregon, Card #324.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 2, 1805 ...
Examined the rapid below us [from their camp at Fort Rains, looking at the Cascade Rapids] more pertcelarly the danger appearing too great to Hazzard our Canoes loaded, dispatched all the men who could not Swim with loads to the end of the portage below, I also walked to the end of the portage with the carriers where I delayed untill everry articles was brought over and canoes arrived Safe. here we brackfast and took a Meridn. altitude 59° 45' 45" about the time we were Setting out 7 Squars came over loaded with Dried fish, and bear grass neetly bundled up, Soon after 4 Indian men came down over the rapid in a large canoe.
passed a rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposite the lower point of a high Island on the Lard Side [Bradford Island], and a little below 4 Houses on the Stard. Bank, a Small Creek on the Lard Side [Tanner Creek] opposit Straw berry Island [Hamilton Island], which heads below the last rapid, opposit the lower point of this Island [Hamilton Island] passed three Islands covered with tall timber [today there are two, Ives and Pierce] opposit the Beatin rock [Beacon Rock]
Those Islands are nearest the Starboard Side, imediately below on the Stard. Side passed a village of nine houses [Skamania and Skamania Landing], which is Situated between 2 Small Creeks [Woodward Creek and Duncan Creek], and are of the Same construction of those above; here the river widens to near a mile, and the bottoms are more extensive and thickly timbered, as also the high mountains on each Side, with Pine, Spruce pine, Cotton wood, a Species of ash, and alder. at 17 miles passed a rock near the middle of the river [Phoca Rock], about 100 feet high and 80 feet Diamuter,
proceed on down a Smoth gentle Stream of about 2 miles wide, in which the tide has its effect as high as the Beaten rock [Beacon Rock] or the Last rapids at Strawberry Island [Hamilton Island],- Saw great numbers of waterfowl of Different kinds, Such as Swan, Geese, white & grey brants, ducks of various kinds, Guls, & Pleaver [today just below Beacon Rock is Franz National Wildlife Refuge]. ...
we encamped under a high projecting rock on the Lard. Side [Rooster Rock], here the mountains leave the river on each Side
[the massive basalt cliff of Crown Point is on the south side],
which from the great Shute to this place is high and rugid [Columbia River Gorge]; thickly Covered with timber principalley of the Pine Species. The bottoms below appear extensive and thickly Covered with wood. river here about 2½ miles wide. Seven Indians in a Canoe on their way down to trade with the nativs below, encamp with us, those we left at the portage passed us this evening and proceeded on down The ebb tide rose here about 9 Inches, the flood tide must rise here much higher- we made 29 miles to day from the Great Shute [Cascade Locks]-
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Clark, April 6, 1806 ...
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Two Indians Came last night very late to our Camp [Cottonwood Beach, Washougal, Washington] and continued all night. early we had all the meat packed up and our Canoes loaded ready for to Set out and after an early brackfast at which time all things were ready and we Set out and proceeded to the Camp of Gibson & party about 9 miles [on the Oregon side of the Columbia near Shepperds Dell],
they had killed 3 Elk at no great distance and Wounded two others so badly that we expect to precure them. Sent a party of Six men with Shannon who had killed the Elk to bring in the Elk, and formed a Camp, near which we had a Scaffold made ready to dry the meat as Soon as it Should arive.
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in the evening late the Indians left us and returned to their village. we derected that fires be kept under the meat all night. and tha Drewyer and the two Fields proceed on to the next bottom and hunt untill we Should arive. 9 miles
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Lewis, April 6, 1806 ...
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This morning we had the dryed meat secured in skins and the canoes loaded [at their camp at Cottonwood Beach, Washougal, Washington]; we took breakfast and departed at 9 A. M. we continued up the N. side of the river nearly to the place at which we had encamped on the 3rd of Nov. [in error, Lewis meant their camp of November 2, 1805, which was at Rooster Rock] when we passed the river to the south side in quest of the hunters we had sent up yesterday and the day before. from the appearance of a rock near which we had encamped on the 3rd of November last [November 2, 1805, Rooster Rock] I could judge better of the rise of the water than I could at any point below. I think the flood of this spring has been about 12 feet higher than it was at that time; the river is here about 1½ miles wide; it's general width from the beacon rock [Beacon Rock, Washington] which may be esteemed the head of tide water, to the marshey islands [Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, Cathlamet Bay, near Astoria] is from one to 2 miles tho' in many places it is still wider. it is only in the fall of the year when the river is low that the tides are persceptable as high as the beacon rock [Beacon Rock]. this remarkable rock which stands on the North shore of the river is unconnected with the hills and rises to the hight of seven hundred feet; it has some pine or reather fir timber on it's nothern side, the southern is a precipice of it's whole hight. it rises to a very sharp point and is visible for 20 miles below on the river. at the distance of ten miles from our encampment [Cottonwood Beach] we met with our hunters in the upper end of the bottom to which we had directed them on the South side of the river [Shepperds Dell]. they had killed three Elk this morning and wounded two others so badly that they expected to get them. we therefore determined to encamp for the evening at this place in order to dry the meat, in surch of which we sent a party immediately and employed others in preparing scaffoalds and collecting firewood &c against their return.
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the party whom we sent for the flesh of the Elk which Shannon had killed returned in the evening with that of four, one had by some mistake been omitted. Drewyer and shannon found the two wounded Elk and had killed them. we set all hands at work to prepare the meat for the saffoald they continued their operations untill late at night. we directed Shannon to go out early in the morning with a party to bring in the Elk which had been left last evening in mistake. we also directed Drewyer and the two Feildses to ascend the river early in the morning to a small bottom a few miles above and hunt untill our arrival.—
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Gass, April 6, 1806 ...
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We had a fine morning, with some fog; about 10 o'clock we set out; passed a beautiful pairie on the north side [area of Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge], which we could not see for the fog as we went down; proceeded on about 9 miles and came to our hunters' camp [Shepperds Dell]. they had killed 5 elk; so we halted, sent out for the meat and began to dry it. We are now at the head of the Columbia valley; which is a fine valley about 70 miles long, abounding with roots of different kinds, which the natives use for food, especially the Wapto roots which they gather out of the ponds. The timber is mostly of the fir kind, with some cherry, dog-wood, soft maple and ash; and a variety of shrubs which bear fruit of a fine flavour, that the natives make use of for food.
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