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Skamokawa, Washington.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Skamokawa ...
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The Washington town of Skamokawa is located on the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 33.5, where Steamboat Slough joins the mouth of the Skamokawa Creek.
Skamokawa was founded in 1844. Originally the town was a river community known as "Little Venice", and was visited daily by large sternwheel steamboats running between
Portland and Astoria. The homes and businesses were built facing the river. In 1917 that the town was linked by road to the neighboring communities, and in the early 1930s Washington State Highway 4 was finished linking Skamokawa to the rest of the state.
Seven miles upstream from Skamokawa is Cathalamet, Washington. Just offshore lies Price Island, part of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for Columbian White-Tailed Deer.
Downstream are the "points" of Three Tree and Jim Crow. Pillar Rock lies 6 miles downstream. Lewis and Clark spent the nights of November 7 and November 25, 1805 at Pillar Rock.
The name "Skamokawa" is an original Chinook Indian name meaning "Smoke on the water", referring to the fog often encounted at the mouth of Skamokawa Creek.
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Skamokawa Creek and Skamokawa, Washington.
Looking upstream from Washington State Highway 4 Bridge across Skamokawa Creek.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Skamokawa Creek Drainage ...
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Skamokawa Creek originates in the Willapa Hills and flows in a generally southwest direction, merging with the Brooks Slough and Steamboat Slough before emptying into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 33.5. The Washington town of Skamokawa developed at this junction. Price Island, a part of the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge, is also located at the junction. Major tributaries to Skamokawa Creek include the Wilson, Falk, McDonald, and Standard Creeks, and the Left and West Forks. Forestry is the dominant land use in the upper watershed, and agriculture and rural residential development occur in the lower reaches.
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Early Skamokawa Creek ...
In 1792 Lieutenant Broughton of the Captain George Vancouver Exedition called Skamokawa Creek the "Orchards River".
Broughton also believed the area of west of the Three Tree Point and Aldrich Point line to be the estuary of the Columbia, with the "river proper" beginning at the east.
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"... The two points of entrance into the river are formed by low marshy land, the southernmost seemed to be an island and other small islands; and to the N.W. of the most northern, a branch took a northerly direction, which was named Orchard's River; in one of these the party passed a very uncomfortable night, owing to the dampness of their situation. ..."
[Vancouver/Broughton, October 25, 1792]
In 1841 Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition called this creek "Pimeca Creek" and nearby Elochoman Slough was called "Oluman Creek".
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"... Two creeks enter on
the north shore, the Pimeca and Oluman. They afford good
water: at this part the banks are low and marshy, but soon rise in hills. ..."
[Wilkes, 1841]
Some early maps had Skamokawa Creek labeled as "Pinnea Creek".
The USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) lists "Skomaukik Creek" as an early name for Skamokawa Creek.
The 1871 cadastral survey (tax survey) for T9N R6W has Skamokawa Creek labeled as "Skomaukie River". Steamboat Slough was "Skomaukie Slough" and Price Island was "Skamaukie Island". Brooks Slough was "Brook's Slough".
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Views of Skamokawa Creek ...
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Skamokawa Creek looking upstream, and Skamokawa, Washington.
Looking upstream from Washington State Highway 4 Bridge across Skamokawa Creek.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Skamokawa Creek looking downstream, and Skamokawa, Washington.
Looking downstream from Washington State Highway 4 Bridge across Skamokawa Creek.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Skamokawa Creek, as seen from boat launch.
Image taken October 13, 2007.
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Skamokawa Creek, Washington, at junction of Brooks Slough.
Looking downstream towards the Columbia River.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Sunken boat, Skamokawa Creek at mouth of Brooks Slough.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Sunken boat, Skamokawa Creek at mouth of Brooks Slough.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Kayaks ...
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Kayaks, Skamokawa Creek, Washington, at mouth.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Kayaks, Skamokawa, Washington.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Kayaks, Skamokawa, Washington.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Skamokawa Historic District ...
Redmen Hall ...
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Redmen Hall is a restored 1894 schoolhouse which now is the River Life Interpretive Center, a non-profit regional museum. The original Queen Ann style school was designed by Portlander Allen Riley, and was dedicated on July 4, 1894 with a community picnic, patriotic speeches and singing by the children. The schoolhouse held four grades on the first floor and four grades on the second story. The school served the community for 32 years before being sold to the Order of Redmen, a nationwide frateral organization for use as their lodge and community center. In 1992 the River Life Interpretive Center opened, featuring panel displays to depict the story of Skamokawa and its surrounding area.
The Center features a permanent exhibit of the Lewis and Clark stay in this region.
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Redmen Hall, Skamokawa, Washington.
Redmen Hall is a restored 1894 Queen Anne style schoolhouse.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Redmen Hall, Skamokawa, Washington.
View from near Skamokawa Vista Park.
Image taken November 9, 2005.
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Skamokawa Landing ...
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Skamokawa Landing is the site of a former steamboat landing before completion of Washington State Highway 4 during the 1930s made the steamboat obsolete.
Views of Price Island and Steamboat Slough can be had upstream, and Jim Crow Point and Three Tree Point can be had looking downstream.
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View from Skamokawa Landing looking upstream at Price Island.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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View from Skamokawa Landing looking downstream at Jim Crow Point (behind) and Three Tree Point (ridge in front).
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Brooks Slough merges with Skamokawa Creek at the location of Skamokawa, before merging with Steamboat Slough to enter the Columbia River.
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Brooks Slough, Washington.
Image taken October 13, 2007.
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Barn, Brooks Slough, Washington.
Image taken October 13, 2007.
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Brooks Slough at Skamokawa, Washington.
From bridge near mouth of Brooks Slough, looking upstream on Brooks Slough. Brooks Slough merges with the Skamokawa Creek before it enters the Columbia River.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Right bank, Brooks Slough at Skamokawa, Washington.
From bridge near mouth of Brooks Slough, looking upstream on Brooks Slough.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Kayak, Brooks Slough, Washington.
Image taken October 13, 2007.
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Brooks Slough, Washington.
Image taken October 13, 2007.
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The one-and-onehalf-mile Steamboat Slough separates Price Island from the Washington State mainland. Steamboat Slough Road follows the length of Steamboat Slough. Steamboat Landing, once a popular river stop, lies at the mouth of Steamboat Slough with the Skamokawa Creek.
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Price Island, Washington, with Steamboat Slough.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Near Skamokawa Vista Park, located a block south of the town of Skamokawa, once was an Indian village known as "Wahkiakum". This village had been occupied as early as 2,300 years ago. Lewis and Clark visited the village on November 7, 1805, on their journey to the Pacific.
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"... about 14 miles below the last village and 18 miles of this day we landed at a village of the Same nation. This village is at the foot of the high hills on the Stard Side back of 2 Small Islands it contains 7 indifferent houses built in the Same form of those above ..."
[Clark, November 7, 1805]
The "last village" refers to Cathlamet, Washington, who, according to Captain Clark:
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"... Those people call themselves War-ci-â-cum
..."
[Clark, November 7, 1805]
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Columbia River looking downstream from Skamokawa Vista Park, Skamokawa, Washington.
Image taken November 9, 2005.
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Skamokawa Vista Park, Skamokawa, Washington.
Image taken November 9, 2005.
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Jim Crow Point (behind) and Three Tree Point (in front), as seen from Skamokawa Vista Park.
Image taken November 9, 2005.
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Columbia River, looking upstream towards Skamokawa Valley, from Aldrich Point, Oregon.
The Skamokawa Valley is the valley across the river on the left. View from the Aldrich Point boat dock.
Image taken November 20, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 7, 1805 ...
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A cloudy foggey morning Some rain. we Set out [from their camp at Cape Horn] early proceeded under the Stard Shore under a high rugid hills with Steep assent the Shore boalt and rockey, the fog So thick we could not See across the river [typical for this area in the winter], two Canos of Indians met and returned with us to their village which is Situated on the Stard Side behind a cluster of Marshey Islands [Puget Island and the Hunting Islands] , on a narrow chanl. of the river [Cathlamet Channel] through which we passed to the Village of 4 Houses, [Cathlamet, Washington area] ....
Those people call themselves War-ci-â-cum
...
after delaying at this village one hour [Cathlamet, Washington area] and a half we Set out piloted by an Indian dressed in a Salors dress, to the main Chanel of the river, the tide being in we Should have found much dificuelty in passing into the main Chanel from behind those islands [Puget Island and the Hunting Islands], without a pilot, a large marshey Island [Tenasillahe Island] near the middle of the river near which Several Canoes Came allong Side with Skins, roots fish &c. to Sell, and had a temporey residence on this Island, here we See great numbers of water fowls about those marshey Islands; here the high mountanious Countrey approaches the river on the Lard Side [near Clifton, Oregon], a high mountn. to the S W. about 20 miles [Saddle Mountain], the high mountans. Countrey Continue on the Stard Side, about 14 miles below the last village and 18 miles of this day we landed at a village of the Same nation [Skamokawa, Washington]. This village is at the foot of the high hills on the Stard Side back of 2 Small Islands [today, Price Island lies between Skamokawa and the Columbia River] it contains 7 indifferent houses built in the Same form of those above, ... opposit to this Village the high mountaneous Countrey leave the river on the Lard Side [downstream of Aldrich Point] below which the river widens into a kind of Bay [Cathlamet Bay] & is Crouded with low Islands Subject to be Covered by the tides [today this is the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Lower Columbia River Estuary] - we proceeded on about 12 miles below the Village [Skamokawa] under a high mountaneous Countrey on the Stard. Side.
Shore boald and rockey and
Encamped under a high hill [ridge of Jim Crow Point] on the Stard. Side opposit to a rock [Pillar Rock] Situated half a mile from the Shore, about 50 feet high and 20 feet Diamieter,
we with dificuelty found a place Clear of the tide and Sufficiently large to lie on and the only place we could get was on round Stones on which we lay our mats rain Continud. moderately all day & Two Indians accompanied us from the last village, they we detected in Stealing a knife and returned, our Small Canoe which got Seperated in the fog this morning joined us this evening from a large Island Situated nearest the Lard Side below the high hills on that Side, the river being too wide to See either the form Shape or Size of the Islands on the Lard Side [part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge].
Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian [Clark's famous "Ocian in view! O! the Joy"], this great Pacific Octean [Pacific Ocean] which we been So long anxious to See. and the roreing or noise made by the waves brakeing on the rockey Shores (as I Suppose) may be heard distictly
we made 34 miles to day as Computed
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