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Westport Slough Boat Dock, Clatskanie, Oregon.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Westport Slough ...
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The Westport Slough is an historic side channel of the
Columbia River which meanders through the
plain below Clatskanie, Oregon. Once a major migrating salmon route, in 1936 the Westport Slough was plugged by a levee and later topped with a county road as part of
improvements authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936 to provide flood
protection to agricultural lands. Currently an effort is underway to restore the connection between
Beaver Slough and Westport Slough to provide free-flowing water between the systems which would open up miles of improved spawning and rearing habitat in the Lower Columbia for Coho and Chinook Salmon. The Westport Slough merges with the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 43, at Westport, Oregon, just across from the upstream end of Puget Island and upstream of Wauna, Oregon. A
ferry service, which began in 1925, runs between Puget Island and Westport Slough.
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Mount St. Helens, Washington, and the Westport Slough, Oregon.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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Westport Slough today ...
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The floodplain and islands in the Westport Slough/Wallace Island area today include approximately 10,000 acres of diked
agricultural lands, including 6,000 acres of cottonwood
plantations. The area's forested wetlands and open pastureland have high waterfowl
values and, together with local cottonwood plantations, support a viable subpopulation
of the
endangered Columbian white-tailed deer.
Although conversion of pasture lands to cottonwood plantations has resulted in a
substantial loss of important habitat for wintering waterfowl in this and other areas along
the Lower Columbia River, James River Corp. has taken a number of steps to enhance
wildlife values on non-cropped lands within its plantations.
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Puget Island to Westport Ferry ...
Wahkiakum County, Washington, has operated the Puget Island to
Westport ferry since 1962. The ferry runs 365 days a year and tries to keep to a schedule of 18 runs, and is the last ferry in existence on the Lower Columbia River.
[More]
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Puget Island Ferry "Wahkiakum" in route to Westport, Oregon.
View from ferry terminal, Puget Island, Washington.
Image taken March 5, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Puget Island Ferry "Wahkiakum" in route to Puget Island, Washington.
View from ferry terminal, Westport Slough, Oregon.
Image taken November 15, 2005.
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Westport ...
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Westport was named after John West, who settled in the area about 1850. "Captain West" ran a sawmill and cannery at Westport. The Westport Post Office was established in December 1863.
The NOAA "Coast Survey" of 1909 states:
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"...
Between Astoria and Portland there are numerous landings and settlements, dependent either on the fisheries or acting in some cases as shipping points for the country immediately behind them; these are ports of call for the regular river steamers. Deep-draft vessels do not as a rule stop between Astoria and Portland, except for lumber cargoes at Rainier, Goble, Westport, Knappton, and some small mills.
..."
From the 1940 "Journey Across Oregon" article:
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"... WESTPORT, 74.5 m. (32 alt., 450 pop.), is one of the many lumbering and fishing towns scattered along the waters of the Columbia...."
This publication, Oregon: End of the
Trail, was written and compiled by the Writers' Program
of the Works Projects Administration in Oregon. The WPA,
established as part of the New Deal during Franklin D.
Roosevelt's presidency, employed many of the nation's writers
and intellectuals to record the history of the country.
The "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon" article is part of that publication.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, March 25, 1806 ...
Last night and this morning are cool wend hard a head and tide going out, after an early brackfast we proceeded on [from their camp near Aldrich Point] about 4 miles and came too on the south side to worm and dry our Selves a little. Soon after we had landed two Indians Came from a War kia cum village on the opposite Side with 2 dogs and a fiew Wappato to Sell neither of which we bought.
Som Clatsops passed down in a Canoe loaded with fish and Wappato. as the wind was hard a head and tide against us we Concluded to delay untill the return of the tide which we expected at 1 oClock, at which hour we Set out
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we crossed over to an Island [Puget Island] on which was a Cath lahmah fishing Camp of one Lodge; here we found <one> 3 man two woman and a couple of boys who must have for Some time for the purpose of taking Sturgeon which they do by trolling. they had 10 or 12 very fine Sturgeon which had not been long taken; [White Sturgeon]
...
we remained at this place about half an hour and then Continued our rout. the winds in the evening was verry hard, it was with Some dificuelty that we Could find a Spot proper for an encampment, the Shore being a Swamp for Several miles back; at length late in the evening opposit to the place we had encamped on the 6th of Novr. last [near Cape Horn, Wahkiakum County]; we fouond the enterance of a Small Creek [one of the many mouths/sloughs/drainages of the Clatskanie River system, near Wallace Island and Wallace Slough] which offered us a Safe harbour from the Winds and Encamped. the Ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment.
here we found another party of Cathlahmahs about 10 in number, who had established a temporary residence for the purpose of fishing and takeing Seal
...
here we found Drewyer and the 2 Fields' who had been Seperated from us Since Morning; they had passed on the North Side of the large Island [Puget Island] which was much nearest. the bottom lands are Covered with a Species of Arspine, the Growth with a broad leaf which resembles ash except the leaf. the under brush red willow, broad leafed Willow, Seven bark, Goose berry, Green bryor, and the larged leaf thorn; the latter is Now in blume, the nativs inform us that it bears a <leaf> fruit about an Inch in diamieter which is a good to eate. the red willow and 7 bark begin to put foth their leaves. The green bryor which I have before mentioned retains leaves all winter. made 15 Miles.
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Lewis, March 25, 1806 ...
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The morning being disagreeably cold we remained and took breakfast. at 7 A. M. we set out [from their camp near Aldrich Point] and continued our rout along the South Coast of the river against the wind and a strong current, our progress was of course but slow. at noon we halted and dined.
...
after dinner we passed the river to a large Island [Puget Island] 2 and continued our rout allong the side of the same about a mile when we arrived at a Cathlahmah fishing cam of one lodge; here we found 3 men 2 women and a couple of boys,
...
they had a good stock of fish on board, but did not seem disposed to sell them. we remained at this place [Puget Island] about half an hour and then continued our rout up the Island to it's head and passed to the south side. the wind in the evening was very hard. it was with some difficulty that we could find a spot proper for an encampment, the shore being a swamp for several miles back; at length late in the evening opposite to the place we had encamped on the 6th of November last [Cape Horn, Wahkiakum County]; we found the entrance of a small creek [one of the many mouths/sloughs of the Clatskanie River system] which afforded us a safe harbour from the wind and encamped. the ground was low and moist tho' we obtained a tolerable encampment. here we found another party of Cathlahmahs about 10 in number who had established a temperary residence for the purpose of fishing and taking seal.
... :
here we found Drewyer and the Feildses who had been seperated from us since morning; they had passed on the North side of the large Island [Puget Island] which was much nearer. the bottom lands are covered with cottonwood, the growth with a broad leaf which resembles ash except the leaf. the underbrush red willow, broad leafed willow, sevenbark, goosburry, green bryer & the larged leafed thorn; the latter is now in bloom; the natives inform us that it bears a freut about an inch in diameter which is good to eat.-
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