Click image to enlarge
|
Viento State Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
|
Viento State Park ...
|
Viento State Park lies on the Oregon side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 161, one mile upstream of Starvation Creek State Park and two miles downstream of Mitchell Point.
Viento State Park was named from the first two letters of the names of three railroad men, Villard, Endicott, and Tolman. It is just co-incident that the name "Viento" is Spanish for "windy", which fits this area as it is one of the windiest spots in the Gorge.
|
Viento Creek and Viento Ridge ...
|
Viento Creek heads from Viento Ridge and enters the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 161.
|
Viento in 1940 ...
|
From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... The village of VIENTO (Sp., wind), 133.3 m. (103 alt., 14 pop.), is fittingly named, for the wind blows constantly and often violently through the gorge.
VIENTO STATE PARK (R), 133.4 m., is a wooded area that is popular as a picnic ground; through it runs scenic Viento Creek. ..."
|
|
|
"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
|
|
The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards". The "Penny Postcard" became a popular way to send greetings to friends and family. Today the Penny Postcard has become an snapshot of history.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Penny Postcard: Happy Dell Auto Camp, Viento, Oregon, ca.1935.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1935, "Happy Dell Auto Camp - Viento, Oregon - Columbia River Highway."
Sawyer image.
Card 14-909.
Card is postmarked September 8, 1935.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
|
|
Views from Viento State Park ...
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Columbia River, view downstream, from Viento State Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Cook, Washington, as seen from Viento State Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
|
|
From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
|
Clark, October 30, 1805 ...
A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out [from their camp near Drano Lake and the Little White Salmon River]
passed Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side,
[The possiblities in a two-mile area are - upstream to downstream -
Starvation Creek and Falls,
the seasonal Cabin Creek and Falls,
Warren Creek and Falls,
Wonder Creek and Lancaster Falls,
Lindsey Creek and Falls, and
Summit Creek and Falls.]
a remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine trees [Submerged Forest]
[The Submerged Forest existed along the reach from above Dog Mountain/Viento Creek on the upstream edge and Wind Mountain/Shellrock Mountain on the downstream edge.]
are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives every appearance of the rivers being damed up below from Some cause which I am not at this time acquainted with [Bonneville Landslide],
the Current of the river is also verry jentle not exceeding 1½ mile pr. hour and about ¾ of a mile in width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard. Side [Wind River] and Dined ... :
here the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large <round> Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the river,
...
The bottoms above the mouth of this little river [Wind River] <which we Call> is rich covered with grass & firn & is about ¾ of a mile wide rich and rises gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river <fr Ash> New Timbered river from a Speces of Ash <that wood> which grows on its banks of a verry large and different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech in bark <& groth> but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller. passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side in the mouth of which is an Island [Rock Creek near Stevenson, Washington], passed on the right of 3 Islands <on> near the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at the head of the great Shute [head of the Cascades Rapids], and a little below a village of 8 large houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine, maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc, Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile ...
I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 2½ miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark
...
a wet disagreeable evening, the only wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped [near Ashes Lake, the island is now under the waters of the Bonneville Reservoir. Ashes Lake was near the head of the Cascade Rapids. Across from Ashes Lake is Cascade Locks, Oregon.] is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen miles to daye
|
|
|
Return to