Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, Oregon"
Includes ... Cathedral Park ... St. Johns ... St. Johns Bridge ... Captain Clark's Campsite of April 2, 1806 ...
Image, 2005, St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		St. Johns Bridge and Cathedral Park, Oregon. Cathedral Park lies underneath the St. Johns Bridge. On April 3, 1806, Captain Clark explored the Willamette River upstream as far as the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken November 20, 2005.


Cathedral Park ...
Cathedral Park is an urban day-use park located in St. Johns, Oregon, on the shore of the Willamette River, at approximately Willamette River Mile (RM) 6. The park, located under the eastern end of the St. Johns Bridge, was once a dumping ground for junk.

"... In the early 1970s, Howard Galbraith, the 'honorary mayor' of unincorporated St. Johns, got tired of the junkyard state of the area under the eastern end of the bridge. He organized a drive that eventually raised $7.5 million to build a park. After eight years of community fundraising, combined with state, county and city funding, the park was dedicated at a community celebration on May 3, 1980. It got its name from a photo of the St. Johns Bridge by Al Monner that appeared on the front page of the Oregon Journal in 1968. Reference was made to its beautiful cathedral-like arches and the park found its name. ..." [Portland Parks and Recreation website, 2006]

Today Cathedral Park is a popular picnicing and fishing location. On the downstream side of the bridge there is a community boat ramp.


Image, 2005, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge. Cathedral Park lies underneath the St. Johns Bridge. On April 3, 1806, Captain Clark explored the Willamette River upstream as far as the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken November 20, 2005.
Image, 2006, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge. Cathedral Park lies underneath the St. Johns Bridge. On April 3, 1806, Captain Clark explored the Willamette River upstream as far as the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken February 5, 2006.


St. Johns Bridge ...
The St. Johns Bridge is a Gothic-style cable suspension bridge spanning the Willamette River at River Mile (RM) 6. It replaced the last Portland ferry, which ran between Linnton and St. Johns. Work began on the St. Johns Bridge in September 1929, was completed in May 1931, and dedicated in June. It connected St. Johns with Oregon Highway 30, the route between Portland and Astoria. The Tualatin Mountains rise above the western end of the bridge. The bridge was designed by internationally renowned engineer David B. Steinman and Holton D. Robinson, of New York City. At the time of construction it was the longest suspension-style bridge west of the Mississippi with a total length, exclusive of the roads, being just shy of 3,834 feet. The main span suspension is 1,207 feet, with each side span being 430 feet. The towers rise 400 feet and the spires on top are another 50 feet. The center span of the bridge rises 205 feet above the river. The bridge is reminiscent of a Gothic Cathedral.

Image, 2006, St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		St. Johns Bridge, Oregon. Heading northeast to St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken February 5, 2006.
Image, 2011, Willamette River and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Willamette River and the St. Johns Bridge. View from Cathedral Park. Image taken November 28, 2011.

On April 2, 1806, Captain Clark left camp near Washougal, Washington, and explored 6 miles up the Willamette River, camping the night just downstream of the St. Johns Bridge.


St. Johns, Oregon ... (the Community)
St. Johns, Oregon, is located on the Willamette River at River Mile 6, two miles downstream from Portland and only two and one-half miles upstream from the head of the Multnomah Channel and Sauvie Island.
[More]

Image, 2006, St. Johns Pub, St. Johns, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		St. Johns Theatre and Pub, St. Johns, Oregon. Once the National Cash Register Building at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. Image taken February 5, 2006.


Captain Clark's Campsite of April 2, 1806 ...
On April 2, 1806, Captain Clark and seven men left their main camp at Cottonwood Beach (Washougal, Washington), entered the Willamette River behind today's Hayden Island, and explored 6 miles of the Willamette, passing the eastern end of the Multnomah Channel as they went. The men spent the night just downstream of today's Cathedral Park, upstream of the Port of Portland's Terminal 4, and across from Linnton, Oregon. The next morning Clark explored just a short distance upstream, reaching the location of today's St. Johns Bridge, before turning around and heading back to the main camp.
[More]

Views ...

Image, 2006, St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		St. Johns Bridge and Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Cathedral Park lies underneath the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken February 5, 2006.
Image, 2006, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Under the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken February 5, 2006.
Image, 2006, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Under the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken February 5, 2006.
Image, 2006, Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Under the St. Johns Bridge. Image taken February 5, 2006.
Image, 2011, St. Johns Bridge, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		St. Johns Bridge, Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken November 28, 2011.
Image, 2006, Cable attachment, St. Johns Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Cable attachment, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken February 5, 2006.


St. Johns Bridge and Cathedral Park, etc.

  • 1880s "Belgian Blocks" ...
  • 2015 Greenpeace Shell Oil Protest ...
  • Cathedral Park Boat Ramp ...
  • Willamette River ...


1800s "Belgian Blocks" ...
The City of Portland re-uses the early "Belgian Blocks" which, in the late 1800s, once covered downtown Portland streets. Cathedral Park is one such location using the old basalt stone.
[More]

Image, 2011, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Belgian blocks underneath park bench, Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken November 28, 2011.
Image, 2011, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Belgian blocks underneath park bench, Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken November 28, 2011.


2015 Greenpeace Shell Oil Protest ...
At 1:00 a.m. on July 29th, thirteen Greenpeace climbers rapelled down from the St. Johns Bridge and set up "camp", in order to block the journey of the icebreaker "Fennica" from proceeding down the Willamette River. Meanwhile, on the Willamette, a flotilla of protestors in kayaks hovered waiting to block the ship. After leaving dry dock in Portland, the "Fennica" was to proceed down the Willamette to the Columbia and then on to the Pacific Ocean and then the Arctic ice pack. In the Arctic, the icebreaker will be used to break the ice for the Shell Oil drilling rigs. Nothing happened on the 29th. The next day, July 30th, a massive police/fire/Coast Guard/others operation removed some of the protestors and cleared a path of protestors in kayaks, and the "Fennica" (on her second attempt) made it under the bridge.

Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.

13 Greenpeace climbers hang from the St. Johns Bridge to block the journey of the icebreaker "Fennica" from proceeding down the Willamette to the Columbia, and then on to the Pacific and the Arctic, where it will be used to break the ice for the Shell Oil drilling rigs.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken July 29, 2015.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.
Image, 2015, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Greenpeace protest against Shell Oil, Cathedral Park, St. Johns Bridge, St. Johns, Oregon. Temperature near 100. Image taken July 29, 2015.


Cathedral Park Boat Ramp ...

Image, 2011, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Boat ramp, Willamette River, Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken November 28, 2011.
Image, 2006, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Empress of the North, Willamette River, Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken February 5, 2006.


Willamette River ...
The St. Johns Bridge, Cathedral Park, and the Oregon community of St. Johns are located on the Willamette River at Willamette River Mile (RM) 6.

Image, 2011, Cathedral Park, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Double-crested Cormorant, Willamette River at Cathedral Park, St. Johns, Oregon. Image taken November 28, 2011.


"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...

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.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, April 2, 1806 ...


Whitehouse, April 2, 1806 ...




Clark, April 3, 1806 ...



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*River Miles [RM] are approximate, in statute miles, and were determined from USGS topo maps, obtained from NOAA nautical charts, or obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, 2003

Sources:
  • Center for Columbia River History website, 2006;
  • Hay, K.G., 2004, The Lewis and Clark Columbia River Water Trail, Timber Press, Portland;
  • McArthur, L.A., and McArthur, L.L., 2003, Oregon Geographic Names, Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland;
  • Oregon Department of Transportation website, 2006;
  • Portland Parks and Recreation website, 2006;
  • Sawhill, C., and Kirkpatrick, G., 2000, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Oregon Chapter, June 2000 Newsletter, vol.2, no.3;


All Lewis and Clark quotations from Gary Moulton editions of the Lewis and Clark Journals, University of Nebraska Press, all attempts have been made to type the quotations exactly as in the Moulton editions, however typing errors introduced by this web author cannot be ruled out; location interpretation from variety of sources, including this website author.
/Regions/Places/cathedral_park_st_johns_bridge.html
July 2015