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Mount Hood, Oregon, from marina at Washougal, Washington.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Washougal ...
"Tea Prairie" ...
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Early fur traders called the Washougal area "La Prairie du The" ("Tea Prairie"). The traders use to stop to pick a form of wild mint that became a substitute for tea.
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Washougal River ...
The Washougal River lies downstream of the community of Washougal. The river joins the
Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 121 at Camas, Washington, with its mouth hidden behind Lady Island. Camas and Washougal are located on the floodplain of the the Washougal River.
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Washougal River, looking downstream.
Image taken November 21, 2004.
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Cottonwood Beach ...
Between March 31st and April 6, 1806, Lewis and Clark camped on a prairie across from the Sandy River, at a spot which would become Washougal, Washington. Today this beach is known as Cottonwood Beach.
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Cottonwood Beach, Washougal, Washington.
Cottonwood Beach, looking upstream.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Lewis and Clark Campsite Sign, Washougal, Washington.
Located at the Marina at Washougal.
Image taken June 25, 2003.
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Steamboat Landing ...
Steamboat Landing located in Washougal, Washington, at Columbia River Mile (RM) 113. A floating dock provides a panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge, Cottonwood Beach, and Mount Hood. A 2-mile Columbia River dike trail starts at Steamboat Landing and continues upstream to Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
The pilings visible are remains from the old paddlewheel boat dock which extend across the highway to the Pendleton Woolen Mill.
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Steamboat Landing, Washougal, Washington.
Image taken November 21, 2004.
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Pendleton Woolen Mill ...
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Pendleton Woolen Mill, Washougal, Washington.
View of the Pendleton Mill from the dike trail at Steamboat Landing, Washougal, Washington.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Early History ...
Alexander Ross camped in the Washougal vicinity on July 28, 1811 and referred to the location as "Wasough-ally Camp".
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"... During this day, we passed the Namowit Village, Bellevue Point, Johnson's Island, and stayed for the night as Wasough-ally Camp, near Quicksand River, which enters the Columbia on the left.
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In 1844 the Washougal area was settled by George Bush and Michael Simmons and his wife. In April 1845 the Simmons son, Christopher Columbus Simmons, was born, making him the first American child born north of the Columbia River. In October 1845 Bush and the Simmons left the Washougal area and headed to Puget Sound.
In 1846 David C. Parker arrived via a wagon train party which rafted down the Columbia River from The Dalles, Oregon. Parker squatted on land just downstream of today's Washougal. In 1850, with the coming of the Donation Land Claim system, Parker claimed the nearly 582 acres he occupied, and started the community of Parkersville, the first American town north of the Columbia River (see "Parkersville" below).
In April 1849 pioneer Richard Ough "squatted" on public land on the upstream (east) side of Parker’s land, and in 1850 he claimed the 633.91 acres he occupied.
In 1880 Richard Ough sold twenty acres of his claim to Joseph E.C. Durgan and steamship captain and owner Lewis Love. These two men platted the town of Washougal, named after the Indian name for Rushing Water (for more, see "Parkersville" below).
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Parker's Landing ... Parkersville ...
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In 1850, early setter David C. Parker took a Donation Land Claim on property just downstream of today's Washougal, Washington. Parker constructed a dock which he called Parker’s Landing. In 1854 Parker platted out the town of Parkersville, which consisted of a couple stores, a hotel, bar and a house.
In 1879. Joseph Durgan, founder of Washougal, just upstream of Parkersville, bought the fairly new Carpenter store at Parkersville which included a post-office, and moved to its new location in Washougal. Fritz Braun, who had started building a hotel and bar also in Parkersville, moved his building near Durgan’s store. This location eliminated the wet land problems in the Parkersville area and low water times for ship docking. A roadway, bridge and new dock at Washougal gave Captain Love year-round docking facilities and provided local farmers a new way in and out to the world.
Today, Parkersville is the location of the Washougal Marina, and Parkers Landing is now Parkers Landing Historical Park.
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Parkers Landing Historical Park, Washougal, Washington, sign.
With "Corps of Discovery" member, Trader.
Image taken November 21, 2004.
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Parkers Landing Historical Park, Washougal, Washington.
Shelter area in the park.
Image taken November 21, 2004.
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Mount Hood ...
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Mount Hood, Oregon, from Washougal, Washington.
Image taken December 27, 2004.
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Mount Hood, Reed Island, and Crown Point, from Washougal, Washington.
Reed Island is visible in the distance, with Crown Point, Oregon, being the rock face visible along the Columbia River Gorge walls.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Mount Hood, Reed Island, and Crown Point, from Washougal, Washington.
Reed Island is visible in the distance, with Crown Point, Oregon, being the rock face visible along the Columbia River Gorge walls.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Chamberlain Hill ...
Chamberlain Hill is one of the volcanic cones of the Boring Lava Field, which appears in much of the eastern Portland landscape. A nice view of the cone can be seen from Washougal.
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Chamberlain Hill, Oregon, as seen from Washougal, Washington.
The Sandy River delta is to the right.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
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The Fog So thick [typical of the Pacific Northwest in the fall and spring] this morning that we could not See a man 50 Steps off, this fog detained us untill 10 oClock at which time we Set out [from their camp at Rooster Rock], ...
I walked on the Sand beech Lard. Side, opposit the canoes as they passed allong. The under groth rushes, vines &c. in the bottoms too thick to pass through, at 3 miles I arrived at the enterance of a river [Sandy River] which appeared to Scatter over a Sand bar, the bottom of which I could See quite across and did not appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick Sand, and impassable- I called to the Canoes to put to Shore, I got into the Canoe and landed below the mouth, & Capt Lewis and my Self walked up this river about 1½ miles to examine this river which we found to be a verry Considerable Stream Dischargeing its waters through 2 Chanels which forms an Island [Sandy River Delta, which has had various names throughout history] of about 3 miles in length on the river and 1½ miles wide, composed of Corse Sand which is thrown out of this quick Sand river Compressing the waters of the Columbia and throwing the whole Current of its waters against its Northern banks, within a Chanel of ½ a mile wide, Several Small Islands 1 mile up this river, This Stream has much the appearance of the River Platt: roleing its quick Sands into the bottoms with great velocity after which it is divided into 2 Chanels by a large Sand bar before mentioned, the narrowest part of this River is 120 yards-on the Opposit Side of the Columbia a <large Creek> falls in [Washougal River] above this Creek on the Same Side is a Small prarie [location of Washougal, Washington, and Cottonwood Beach, now the home of Captain William Clark Park]. extensive low country on each Side thickly timbered.
The Quick Sand river [Sandy River] appears to pass through the low countrey at the foot of those high range of mountains in a Southerly direction,- The large Creeks which fall into the Columbia on the Stard. Side [Washougal River] rise in the Same range of mountains to the N. N. E. and pass through Some ridgey land- A Mountain which we Suppose to be Mt. Hood [Mount Hood, Oregon] is S. 85° E about 47 miles distant from the mouth of quick sand river [Sandy River] This mtn. is Covered with Snow and in the range of mountains which we have passed through and is of a Conical form but rugid- after takeing dinner at the mouth of this river [Sandy River] we proceeded on passed the head of a Island [Lady Island] near the lard Side [???] back of which on the Same Side and near the head a large Creek falls in [Washougal River, today the town of Camas, Washington, lies between Lady Island and the Washougal River], and nearly opposit & 3 miles below the upper mouth of quick Sand river is the lower mouth, [for?] This Island is 3½ miles long, has rocks at the upper point, Some timber on the borders of this Island in the middle open and ponney. Some rugid rocks in the middle of the Stream opposit this Island. <proceeded in> to Center of a large Island in the middle of the river which we call Dimond Isld. [Government Island] from its appearance, here we met 15 Indn men in 2 canoes from below, they informed us they Saw 3 vestles below &c. &c. we landed on the North Side of this Dimond Island and Encamped [on the north side of Government Island, perhaps opposite Fishers Landing], Capt. L walked out with his gun on the Island, Sent out hunters & fowlers- below quick Sand River [Sandy River] the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of the river [on the Oregon side this area is the eastern end of the Columbia Slough, located on the floodplain of the Willamette River with the Columbia River], the Islands open & Some ponds river wide and emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction Such as Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks, white guls, comerants & plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter in the river [Harbor Seals] -
a Canoe arrived from the village below the last rapid ...
Capt Lewis borrowed a Small Canoe of those Indians & 4 men took her across to a Small lake in the Isld. ...
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note the mountain we Saw from near the forks proves to be Mount Hood
[Mount Hood, Oregon]
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Clark, March 31, 1806 ...
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we Set out this morning [from their camp at "Jolie Prairie", today the location of Fort Vancouver and Pearson Airpark] and proceeded untill 8 oClock when we landed on the N. Side opposit one large House of the Shah-ha-la Nation near this house at the time we passed on the 4th of November last was Situated 25 houses, 24 of them were built of Straw & Covered with bark as before mentioned. those [of] that description are all distroyed, the one built of wood only remains and is inhabited [vicinity of today's Portland International Airport].
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at 10 A. M we proceeded on accompanied by one Canoe and three men, one of them appeared to be a man of Some note,
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passed up on the N. Side of White brant Island [today a grouping of islands in the Government Island complex] near the upper point of Which a Small river falls in about 80 yards wide and at this time discharges a great quantity of water [Washougal River]. the nativs inform us that this river is very Short and heads in the range of mountains to the N E of its enterance into the Columbia the nativs haveing no name which we could learn for this little river we Call it Seal river [Washougal River] from the great number of those Animals which frequents its mouth. this river forks into two nearly equal branches about 1 mile up and each branch is crouded with rapids & falls. we proceeded on about 2 miles above the enterance of this Seacalf river [Washougal River] and imedeately opposit the upper mouth of the quick Sand river [Sandy River] we formed a Camp in a Small Prarie on the North Side of the Columbia [Cottonwood Beach] where we intend to delay one or two days to make Some Selestial observations, to examine quick sand river [Sandy River], and kill Some meat to last us through the Western Mountains which Commences a fiew miles above us [Cascade Mountain Range] and runs in a N. N. W. & S. S. E. derection. The three Indians encamped near us and visited our fire we entered into a kind of a Conversation by signs, of the Country and Situation of the rivers. they informed us that Seal river [Washougal River] headed in the mountains at no great distance. quick Sand river [Sandy River] was Short only headed in Mt. Hood [Mount Hood, Oregon] which is in view and to which he pointed. this is a circumstance we did not expect as we had heretofore deemed a comsiderable river. Mount Hood bears East from this place and is distant from this place about 40 miles. this information if true will render it necessary to examine the river below on the South Side behind the image canoe [Hayden Island] and Wappato islands [Sauvie Island] for some river which must water the Country [Willamette River] weste of the western mountains to the Waters of California. The Columbia is at present on a Stand and we with dificuelty made 25 miles to day-.
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