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Snake River, upstream, as seen from Sacajawea State Park.
From boat dock near "the point" at Sacajawea State Park, looking upstream Snake River.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
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Snake River ...
The Snake River originates in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, at 9,500 feet and winds through southern Idaho before turning north to form the boundary between Idaho and Oregon. It joins the
Columbia River at Columbia River Mile (RM) 325, near
Pasco, Washington, at 340 feet in elevation and 1,036 miles from its source. The Snake River is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, with a total drainage area about the size of the State of Oregon.
Lewis and Clark traveled down the Snake and reached the Columbia River on October 16, 1805. The men set up camp on a point where the Snake meets the Columbia, today the location of the Sacajawea State Park.
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"... after getting Safely over the rapid and haveing taken Diner Set out and proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river and the Columbia which joins from the N. W. ... In every direction from the junction of those rivers the Countrey is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S W untill it joins a S W. range of mountains ..."
[Clark, October 16, 1805]
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Mouth of the Snake River looking towards the Columbia River, at the Horse Heaven Hills.
Fishing docks are at Sacajawea State Park.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
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Campsite of October 16-17, 1805 ...
The Lewis and Clark expedition arrived at the junction of the
Snake River with the Columbia River
on October 16, 1805. Here they set up camp at "a point" between the two rivers, today the location of
Sacajawea State Park.
They stayed at this location for 2 nights, leaving on the morning of the 18th for their journey down the Columbia.
[More]
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On the Snake River looking towards confluence with the Columbia.
View from boat dock at "the point" at Sacajawea State Park. The Horse Heaven Hills are in the background.
Image taken September 29, 2003.
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"...
In every direction from the junction of those rivers the Countrey is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S W untill it joins a S W. range of mountains.
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[Clark, October 16, 1805]
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Crossing the Snake River ...
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Crossing the Snake River, Washington State Highway 12.
Heading towards Pasco.
Image taken September 24, 2005.
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Snake River from Hood Park ...
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Hood Park, Washington, is a 99-acre camping, boating, and day-use park, which is managed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. It is located 2.5 miles upstream from the confluence of the Snake with the Columbia, on the shore of Lake Wallula, the reservoir behind the McNary Dam.
Lake Wallula extends 10 miles up the Snake to the Ice Harbor Dam.
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Snake River looking downstream from Hood Park.
Image taken September 26, 2004.
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Snake River (Lake Wallula) looking upstream from Hood Park.
View of Lake Wallula. Lake Wallula, the reservoir behind McNary Dam, extends 10 miles up the Snake River until reaching Ice Harbor Dam.
Image taken September 26, 2004.
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Snake River (Lake Wallula) looking upstream from Hood Park.
View of Lake Wallula. Lake Wallula, the reservoir behind McNary Dam, extends 10 miles up the Snake River until reaching Ice Harbor Dam.
Image taken September 26, 2004.
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Early Snake River ...
Initially Lewis and Clark called the Snake River "Lewis's River", after Captain Lewis.
Their route map [Map#75, Moulton, Vol.1] depicts the Snake as "Lewis's River". In their journals however, they later switched to the Indian name of "Ki moo e nim" or "Kimooenim" River.
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"... We halted above the point on the river Kimooenim to smoke with the Indians who had collected there in great numbers to view us ..."
[Clark, October 16, 1805]
The river likely got the name "Snake River" from the first white explorers who misinterpreted the sign made by the Shoshone people -- who identified themselves in sign language by moving the hand in a swimming motion -- which appeared to these explorers to be a "snake". This sign in reality signified that they lived near the river with many fish.
Charles Wilkes and the Exploring Expedition of 1841
showed the main stream of the Snake River as "Satin or Lewis
River".
The 1859 map, "Oregon State and Washington Territory," listed the drainage as "Lewis Fork or Snake River," but by 1865 the Washington Territory map had dropped all indications of the Lewis and Clark name for the river and established the name "Snake River".
In 1912 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made official the name the "Snake River".
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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: Snake River Bridge at Lewiston, Idaho, ca.1905.
Penny Postcard, ca.1905, "Snake River Bridge at Lewiston, Idaho.". Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington, located at the confluence of the Clearwater River with the Snake River, were both named after Lewis and Clark. Published by Edw. H. Mitchell, San Francisco, for Thatcher & Kling. Undivided back. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Ferry, Snake River, Idaho, ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Beautiful Idaho. Ferry on the Snake River.".
Published by The Boughton-Robbins Co., Spokane, Wash.
Card #38.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 16, 1805 ...
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A cool morning deturmined to run the rapids, put our Indian guide in front our Small Canoe next and the other four following each other, the canoes all passed over Safe except the rear Canoe which run fast on a rock at the lower part of the Rapids, with the early assistance of the other Canoes & the Indians, who was extreamly ellert every thing was taken out and the Canoe got off without any enjorie further than the articles which it was loaded all wet. at 14 miles passed a bad rapid [Five-Mile Rapids] at which place we unloaded and made a portage of ¾ of a mile, haveing passd. 4 Smaller rapids, three Islands and the parts of a house above, I Saw Indians & Horses on the South Side below.
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after getting Safely over the rapid and haveing taken Diner Set out and proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river [Snake River] and the Columbia [Columbia River] which joins from the N. W. passd. a rapid two Islands and a graveley bare, and imediately in the mouth a rapid above an Island. In every direction from the junction of those rivers the Countrey is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey [Horse Heaven Hills] which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S W untill it joins a S W. range of mountains [Blue Mountains].
We halted above the point [today the location of Sacajawea State Park] on the river Kimooenim [Snake River] to Smoke with the Indians who had collected there in great numbers to view us, ...
after Smokeing with the Indians who had collected to view us we formed a camp at the point [today the location of Sacajawea State Park] near which place I Saw a fiew pieces of Drift wood after we had our camp fixed and fires made, a Chief came from their Camp which was about ¼ of a mile up the Columbia river at the head of about 200 men
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Great quantities of a kind of prickley pares, much worst than any I have before Seen of a tapering form and attach themselves by bunches.
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Gass, October 16, 1805 ...
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We had a fine morning and embarked early; proceeded on about 3 miles, when one of our canoes run upon some rocks in a rapid, but by unloading another canoe and sending it to her assistance, we got all safe to land, and then continued our voyage. About 1 o'clock we came to another rapid, where all hands carried a load of the baggage by land about a mile, and then took the canoes over the rapids, two at a time, and in that way we got them all down safe and proceeded on. Having gone 21 miles we arrived at the great Columbia river, which comes in from the northwest. We found here a number of natives, of whose nations we have not yet found out the names. We encamped on the point between the two rivers [today the location of Sacajawea State Park]. The country all round is level, rich and beautiful, but without timber.
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Ordway, October 16, 1805 ...
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we Set out as usal and proceedd on over the rockey rapids one of the canoes run fast on a rock in a bad rapid and Stayed untill we went with a canoe to their assistance. got all Safe to land loaded and Set out again and proceeded on. in the afternoon we Came to the last bad rapid as the Indians Sign to us. we halted little above and carried Some of the baggage past by land abt. one mile then took the canoes Safe down and loaded them again and procd. on passed over Several rapid places in the River.
towards evening we arived at the big forks [junction of the Snake River with the Columbia River]
the large River which is wider than the Columbia River comes in from a northerly direction [actually the Columbia River].
the Country around these forks is level Smooth plain. no timber. not a tree to be Seen as far as our Eyes could extend. a fiew willows Scattering along the Shores. about 200 Savages are Camped on the point between the 2 rivers. we Camped near them [today the location of Sacajawea State Park].
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Whitehouse, October 16, 1805 ...
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Towards evening we arrived at a large fork that came into this River from a Northerly direction & was much large than the fork which we descended which we supposed to be the Columbia River.— The country round where the forks of these two Rivers lay <is> was level & <is> smooth barren plains, with not a Tree to be seen as far as our Eyes could extend. Along the Shores <are> grew a few Willows
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