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Tanner Creek, Oregon, from Hamilton Island, Washington.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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Tanner Creek ...
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Mouth, Tanner Creek, Oregon, looking towards Hamilton Island.
Hamilton Mountain is in the background.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Tanner Creek, Oregon, from Hamilton Island.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Following the Salmon ...
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Salmon, at the mouth of Tanner Creek, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Lewis and Clark and Tanner Creek ...
Lewis and Clark first pass Tanner Creek on November 2, 1805, but do not stop.
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"... passed a rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposite the lower point of a high Island on the Lard Side, and a little below 4 Houses on the Stard. Bank, a Small Creek on the Lard Side opposit Straw berry Island, which heads below the last rapid. ..."
[Clark, November 2, 1805]
The "high Island" on the left is Bradford Island and "Straw berry Island" is today's Hamilton Island.
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Campsite of April 9, 1806 ...
Lewis and Clark's campsite of April 9, 1806 was just upstream of Tanner Creek, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River behind Bradford Island. While the journals make no mention of the creek, it is shown on the route map [Map#79, Moulton, Vol.1]. The men were once again at the "Cascades Rapids", a spot they called the "Lower Falls of the Columbia".
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"... at 4 P. M. we arived at the first rapid at the head of Straw berry island at which place on the N W. Side of the Columbia ... as we Could not pass with the large Canoes up the N. W. Side for the rocks, the wind high and a rainey disagreeable evining. our Smallest Canoe being too low to cross through the high waves, we Sent her up on the N W. side with Drewyer and the two Fields and after purchaseing 2 dogs Crossed and into the Sluce of a large high Island seperated from the S. E Side by a narrow chanel, in this chanel we found a good harbor and encamped on the lower Side.
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made 16 Miles to day. evening wet & disagreeable.
[Clark, April 9, 1806]
Three of the men could not get the canoe across the Columbia and therefore spent the night on the north side of the Columbia, near today's North Bonneville.
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"... our small canoe with Drewyer and the two feildses was unable to pass the river with us in consequence of the waves they therefore toed her up along the N. side of the river and encamped opposite the upper point of brant Island ..."
[Lewis, April 9, 1806]
Lewis and Clark's previous campsite was at Shepperds Dell, and their campsite of April 10, 1806, was upstream on the Washington side of the Columbia River near Fort Rains.
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Tanner Creek, Oregon, from Hamilton Island.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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Tanner Butte ...
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Tanner Butte was originally called "Tanner Creek Butte", until 1917 when the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Tanner Butte" official. Tanner Butte is 1,372 feet elevation.
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Tanner Creek Drainage ...
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Tanner Creek heads in Tanner Spring on the southwest flank of Tanner Butte. According to Oregon Geographic Names (McArthur and McArthur, 2003) Tanner Creek was named after a "J.T. Tanner" who had a donation claim near it's mouth. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, show a John C. Tanner and Andrew Johnson being issued a land title on September 20, 1861, for 151.17 acres of parts of T2N R7E Section 21 and 28 (Script Warren Act of 1855). An 1882 survey of Bradford Island had the creek called "Plumb Creek".
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Views of Tanner Creek ...
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Mouth of Tanner Creek, as seen from Hamilton Island, Washington.
View from Hamilton Island boat launch parking.
Image taken October 27, 2004.
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Wauna Point, Tanner Creek drainage, and Munra Point, Oregon.
Image taken October 27, 2004.
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Tanner Creek drainage, Oregon, from Hamilton Island.
View from Fort Cascades Informational Kiosk. Robins Island is in the foreground.
Image taken October 27, 2004.
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery at Tanner Creek ...
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The Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center lies on the upstream bank of Tanner Creek as it enters the Columbia River.
[More]
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Sturgeon, Bonneville Fish Hatchery.
Image taken June 19, 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: Columbia River Highway, Tanner Creek Span and the Bonneville Spur, ca.1938.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1938, "Tanner Creek Span and Bonneville Spur, Columbia River Highway, Oregon.". Published by Wesley Andrews, Co., Portland, Oregon. Card #853. Card is postmarked July 31, 1938. 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 Pierce National Wildlife Refuge and 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, which from the great Shute to this place is high and rugid
[Columbia River Gorge, including Bridal Veil, Cape Horn, Yeon Mountain and St. Peters Dome, Oneonta Bluffs, Basalts at Multnomah and Horsetail Falls];
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 9, 1806 ...
at 7 A. M. we Set out [from their camp in Shepperds Dell] and proceeded on to the Camp of Joseph & Reubin Fields [possibly near Dodson, Oregon]. they had killed nothing. here we did not delay but proceeded on to Wah-clel-lah Village on the North Side and brackfast [today the location of Skamania and Skamania Landing]
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This Village appears to be the wintering Station of two bands of the Shah-ha-la Nation. One band has already moved the Falls of the Multnomah which is the place they take their Salmon. The other band is now moveing a fiew miles above to the foot of the first rapid on this river, at which place they take their Salmon. 14 houses only appear occupied and the inhabitants of those moveing off hourly, they take with them in their Canoes independent of all their household effects the bark of their houses, and boards. 9 houses has been latterly abandened and 14 others is yet is thinly inhabited at present, and the remains of 10 or 12 others are to be Seen and appears to have been enhabited last fall. those people were not hospital and with Some dificuelty we precured 5 dogs and a fiew Wappato of them.
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at 2 oClock P. M we Set out and passed under the Beacon rock [Beacon Rock] on the North Side of two Small Islds [Pierce and Ives Islands[. Situated nearest the N. side. at 4 P. M. we arived at the first rapid [beginning of the Cascades Rapids, also known as the "Lower Falls of the Columbia"] at the head of Straw berry island [Hamilton Island] at which place on the N W. Side of the Columbia here we found the nativs from the last village rebuilding their habitations of the bark of <from> their old Village 16 Huts are already Compleated and appear only temporrary it is most probable that they only reside here <in> dureing the Season of the Salmon. as we Could not pass with the large Canoes up the N. W. Side for the rocks, the wind high and a rainey disagreeable evining. our Smallest Canoe being too low to cross through the high waves, we Sent her up on the N W. side with Drewyer and the two Fields and after purchaseing 2 dogs Crossed and into the Sluce of a large high Island [Bradford Island] seperated from the S. E Side by a narrow chanel, in this chanel we found a good harbor and encamped on the lower Side [near Tanner Creek]. We Saw Some deer Sign and Collins to hunt in the mornig untill the Canoes were toed above the rapids. made 16 Miles to day. evening wet & disagreeable.
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Lewis, April 9, 1806
This morning early we commenced the operation of reloading our canoes; at 7 A. M. we departed [from their camp at Shepperds Dell] and proceeded on to the Camp of Reubin and Joseph Fields [near Dodson, Oregon] they had not killed any game; we made no halt at this place but continued our rout to the Wah-clel-lah Village which is situated on the North side of the river [location of Skamania and Skamania Landing] about a mile below the beacon rock [Beacon Rock]; here we halted and took breakfast.
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this village appears to be the winter station of the Wah-clel-lahs and Clahclellars, the greater part of the former have lately removed to the falls of the Multnomah, and the latter have established themselves a few miles above on the North side of the river opposite the lower point of brant island [Bradford Island], being the commencement of the rapids, here they also take their salmon; they are now in the act of removing, and not only take with them their furniture and effects but also the bark and most of the boards which formed their houses. 14 houses remain entire but are at this time but thinly inhabited, nine others appear to have been lately removed, and the traces of ten or twelve others of ancient date were to be seen in the rear of their present village.
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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.
[Multnomah Falls area]
the hills have now become mountains high on each side are rocky steep and covered generally with fir and white cedar.
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at 2 P. M. we renewed our voyage; passed under the beacon rock [Beacon Rock] on the north side, to the left of two small islands situated near the shore [Ives and Pierce Islands]. at four P.M. we arrived at the Clah-clel-lah village; here we found the natives busily engaged in erecting their new habitations, which appear to be reather of a temperary kind; it is most probable that they only reside here during the salmon season. we purchased two dogs of these people who like those of the village blow were but sulky and illy disposed; they are great rogues and we are obliged to keep them at a proper distance from our baggage. as we could not ascend the rapid [foot of the Cascade Rapids] by the North side of the river with our large canoes [Hamilton Island area], we passed to the oposite side and entered the narrow channel which seperates brant Island [Bradford Island] from the South shore; the evening being far spent and the wind high raining and very cold we thought best not to attempt the rapids [Cascade Rapids] this evening, we therefore sought a safe harbour in this narrow channel and encamped on the main shore [Tanner Creek, Oregon]. our small canoe with Drewyer and the two feildses was unable to pass the river with us in consequence of the waves they therefore toed her up along the N. side of the river and encamped [upstream end of Bonneville Dam, location of today's North Powerhouse] opposite the upper point of brant Island [Bradford Island]. after halting this evening I took a turn with my gun in order to kill a deer, but was unsuccessful. I saw much fresh sign. the fir has been lately injured by a fire near this place and many of them have discharged considerable quantities of rozin. we directed that Collins should hunt a few hours tomorrow morning and that Gibson and his crew should remain at his place untill we returned and employ themselves in collectng rozin which our canoes are now in want of.
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