N.H. Darton wrote in 1909 (USGS Bulletin 387):

"... The basalt which rises in high bluffs on the north side of Fishers Landing is extensively worked in a series of large quarries. The material is taken out in large blocks for use on the jetties at the mouth of Columbia River and Grays Harbor. ...

Fisher Quarry is located a little over one mile east of Fishers Landing and approximately 3.5 miles west of the community of Camas. The edge of the Quarry can be seen from Washington State Highway 14.

Fisher Quarry (45.58610°N, 122.47035°W) "The large Fisher Quarry has been in more or less continuous operation for over a hundred years (Darton, 1909). Excavated rock is used chiefly for road base and landscaping purposes; large blocks (≥30 tons) have been used to construct jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River. The quarry is developed in a set of flows or flow lobes that erupted from a vent located on the slope of Prune Hill to the east. Beds of agglutinated scoria and a clastogenic lava flow crop out on the steep forested south slope of Prune Hill. The lava flows exhibit well developed columnar jointing and scoriaceous flowtop breccia. At [Brady Road at SE 192nd Ave], lava rests on west-dipping scoria beds that were nicely exposed during construction of the freeway interchange in 2002." Source:    Russ Evarts and others, 2009, The Boring Volcanic Field of Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon and Washington: Tectonically anomalous forearc volcanism in an urban setting: IN: The Geological Society of America Field Guide 15.

"Columbia basalt, an ultra-hard type of rock, was perfect for the constuction of the Columbia River Jetty -- as it could withstand the violent turbulence of the waves. Speculation at Fisher's quarry began by geologist Henry J. Biddle perhaps as early as 1881, with rock production as early as 1884. Production was in full swing by 1898. That year, Biddle partnered with C.S. Adams, A.L. Merrill, and Daniel Kern to form the Columbia Contract Company, which owned a number of barges and mining interests along the Columbia River. "[There were] trestles where railcars filled with rock moved from the cliffs down to the dock. In 1906, according to Biddle, the quarry had "fifteen derricks of about twenty tons lifting capacity, six hundred feet of docks on navigable water, and some eighteen hundred feet of quarry face, averaging about one hundred feet high, within reach of the derricks." "After the blasts, rock spilled loose into the pits. The crews hammered hooks into the sides of the large rocks by hand, then looped choker cables over the hooks. Derricks lifted the rocks out and into waiting cars. ... Once at the dock, crews used looped choker cables to lift the rocks from cars onto waiting barges." "Four quarry barges carried rock to the Columbia Jetty and other coastal jetties. A loaded barge in 1911 measured 140 feet long and 40 feet wide and carried 800 tons of rock. Over the years, Fishers Quarry produced rock and gravel in addition to the giant basalt boulders used for jetty construction. "Howard and Yale Smith started Smith Brothers Contracting in 1935. They purchased Fishers Quarry in 1943 and formed Smithrock Quarries, a multimillion-dollar family enterprise. Smithrock crushed the basalt into riprap and gravel ... and trucks replaced the old barges. ... The Umpqua Navigation Company bought the quarry about 1967 ... Umpqua split the quarry, selling the portion east of 192nd Avenue to Washington State and the rest to Peter Kiewit and Pacific Rock Products in 1984. Kiewit became the sole owner in 1999. In 2002, Rinker Materials purchased the quarry and sold it to Mexico's Cemex in 2007." Source:    Richenda Fairhurst, 2008, "Fishers Landing", Arcadia Publishing.

Riverview Gateway Project: "The SE 192nd Avenue/State Route 14 interchange serves as an eastern gateway to the City of Vancouver and surrounding areas. Access is available to downtown Vancouver, Portland airport, and fast growing areas of eastern Vancouver, Camas, and Clark County within minutes. The area's location and physical characteristics provide unique opportunities. North of the SE 192nd Avenue/State Route 14 interchange are the Fisher and WSDOT Quarries, a 186-acre mining site with sweeping views of the Columbia River and unique opportunities for urban development as they transition. South of the interchange is a wooded area including large lot riverfront properties, and the Columbia Vista Mill, all served by the Old Evergreen Highway. The Riverview Gateway Plan is intended to capitalize on these existing strengths and future opportunities. Within the quarries, the plan envisions a future with a vibrant and urban mix of residential, commercial, office and employment uses, linked by a network of parks, trails, and open spaces with connections to surrounding neighborhoods. Riverfront lands south of SR-14 are intended to remain generally as the are, with opportunities for habitat conservation and trail access where feasible. ..." Project Site and History: "The project area consists of two distinct areas near the Columbia River in eastern Vancouver. Immediately north of SR-14 along SE 192nd Avenue is a 186-acre rock quarry, which is excavated below its surroundings. The western half of the quarry is owned by Pacific Rock Products, a subsidiary of CEMEX, and is usually referred to as Fisher Quarry. The eastern half of the quarry, which includes lands on both sides of SE 192nd Avenue, is currently owned by Weston Investments, and is known as the WSDOT Quarry after its previous owners. It has previously been referred to as the Smith Quarry. Immediately south of SR-14 are larger, heavily wooded residential lots and open spaces adjacent to the Columbia River, and the Columbia Vista Mill, a specialty lumber mill with docking facilities. These properties are accessed by the Old Evergreen Highway, a two-lane roadway. The site's location has played a major role in its history. Riverfront development and mining in the quarry dates back over 100 years under various ownerships. The area has served as a major source of materials for road construction, and of jetty rock used for building seawalls, including the jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River. Much of the quarry material has been transported via barge on the Columbia River, from a landing at the Columbia Vista Mill site, which began operation as a wood-processing mill in 1956. The Old Evergreen Highway was originally constructed in the 1920s. The other major roadways currently serving the subarea are newer. SR-14, originally known as the Lewis and Clark Highway, was constructed in its present freeway form in the 1950s. SE 192nd Avenue, and its intersection with SR-14, was constructed in 2006. ... Mining activity in 2008 is primarily focused on rock excavation in the eastern quarry by Rinker Materials, under an agreement with Weston Investments. Excavation occurs primarily by blasting of explosives, for which Rinker Materials provides advance telephone notice to surrounding residences. Most excavated materials are processed through an on-site rock crusher, and eventually transported from the site for road construction purposes. A limted amount of ornamental rock is also being quarried." Source:    City of Vancouver "Riverview Gateway Subarea Plan", February 2, 2009.

"... Much of the quarry material has been transported via barge on the Columbia River, from a landing at the Columbia Vista Mill site, which began operation as a wood-processing mill in 1956 ..."

• 1880 ... Quarrying ...
• 1881 ... Portland Bridge ...
• 1889 ... Steam Tug "Geo. H. Mendell" Ready ...
• 1889 ... Hinkle's Quarry ...
• 1898 ... Back in Production ...
• 1902 ... New Rock Quarry at Bugby's Hole ...
• 1902 ... Work at Gray's Harbor Jetty ...
• 1903 ... Hard to Get Good Rock ...
• 1903 ... Jetty Work Goes on Fast as Possible ...
• 1904 ... Dumping Rock Will Be Pushed to Full Capacity ...
• 1905 ... Work on the Jetty will be Rushed ...
• 1908 ... Explosion Jars Portland Homes ...
• 1913 ... Great Jetties Deepen Channel for Portland's Ships ...
• 1914 ... Building the North Jetty ...

"Work was resumed on the construction of the jetty at the entrance to Gray's Harbor on April 12, by the contractors, Messrs. Hale & Kern, and is now under full headway. In all, some 250 men are employed on the jetty, at the quarry, and on the tugs, and barges conveying rock from the quarry at Fisher's Landing to the jetty. The tug Hercules tows the loaded barges from the quarry to Astoria, and the Sampson tows them out of the Columbia and up the coast to Gray's Harbor. A few days ago the Sampson towed a barge loaded with rock from Astoria to Gray's Harbor, and brought back an empty barge, a round trip of about 135 miles, in 13 1/2 hours. The barges are run into a slip at Gray's Harbor, where the rock is loaded on cars by the aid of derricks, and with other cars loaded with brush for mats, pushed out to the end of the jetty, where a pile-driver is at work extending the tramway. It is expected that the jetty will be completed in about five months." Source:       "Morning Oregonian", April 24, 1902, courtesy "Historic Oregon Newspapers", University of Oregon Libraries.

WORK ON JETTY WILL BE RUSHED Advantage to be Taken of Good Weather on Columbia River Bar. DELIVERY OF ROCK TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY The Government Will Give Employment to Big Capital and Many Workmen. "Practically twice the amount of rock will be taken to the government jetty at the mouth of the Columbia river this season as was delivered last year. Delivery of material will begin next Tuesday. The Columbia Contract company, which was awarded the contract for furnishing 450,000 tons of stone from the quarry at Fisher's Landing, will deliver at the rate of 2,300 tons a day. J.W. Sweeney, who will furnish 110,000 tons from the Bunker Hill quarry will deliver at the rate of 500 tons a day the first month and 650 tons daily for each subsequent month until the contract has been completed. After the first month this will mean that the government will receive 2,950 tons of stone a day for the extension of the jetty. Last year the daily shipments amounted to only 1,500 tons. The Columbia Contract company will have nine barges and two tugboats in commission, and 300 men employed, including those at work in the quarry. Three of the barges will be at the quarry loading, three on the way to the mouth of the river and three discharging at the jetty every day in the week when the work gets well under way. The company is having three barges built at Gray's harbor, which will be ready in May. A big force of mechanics is employed at the Fisher quarry and the outut will be double the former capacity. The Hercules and Samson will be used as tugboats, the former taking the barges down as far as Westport and the latter towing them the remainder of the distance. The Oregon Round Lumber company of this city will do the towing with the Glenola from the Bunker Hill quarry for J.W. Sweeney and will use three barges." Source:       "Morning Oregonian", April 20, 1905, courtesy "Historic Oregon Newspapers", University of Oregon Libraries.

EXPLOSION JARS PORTLAND HOMES Residents of Peninsula Feel Shock Resulting From Accident At Fisher Quarry. THAWING-POWDER IGNITES Hundred Pounds of Explosive Take Fire From Spark -- Workmen Are in Tunnel and No One Injured. Sensation Like Earthquake. "VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 1. -- (Special.) -- An explosion of a hundred pounds of giant powder at Fishers Quarry, 12 miles east of here shortly after 8 o'clock tonight jarred winddows in this city and caused people to believe the shock was that of an earthquake. Telephone messages from the quarry state that workmen were thawing the powder before a fire, from which it is believed a spark was blown by the wind, thus igniting the explosive. All the workmen were inside the tunnel at the time, and escaped injury. No damage resulted other than the loss of the powder." SHOCK IS FELT IN PORTLAND Residents of the Peninsula Think There Is and Earthquake. The shock of the explosion at Fishers Landing, a point on the Columbia River 12 miles east of Vancouver, Wash., was plainly felt by the residents of Piedmont, Portmouth, University Park, North Albina and other places on the peninsula, and many believed Portland was visited by an earthquake. The tremor was severe enough to jar windows, rattle crockery and caused buildings to tremble on their foundations. Howver, the tremor did not last long and the occupants of houses wherein it was felt commenced making inquiries as to the cause of the disturbance. ..." Source:       "Sunday Oregonian", February 2, 1908, courtesy "Historic Oregon Newspapers", University of Oregon Libraries.

"Rock for the jetty [Columbia River South Jetty] is towed on large barges to Fort Stevens from Fisher's quarry above Vancouver, Wash. The last contract, let September 25, 1912, called for 350,000 tons of stone, and it is expected that this will complete the south jetty. At Fort Stevens the rock is hoisted from the barges to dump carts by means of 12 large derricks, and trains of 16 cars each carry it seven miles to the end of the jetty where it is dumped. In this way from 3800 to 4200 tons of rock daily is added to the jetty body. Approximately 5,000,000 tons of rock have been used. The entire trestle above the jetty is double-tracked and with the yards there is 32 miles of single track in use. Fifteen locomotives, 270 dump-cars and 35 flat-cars are used. The work of dumping the rock at the end of the jetty is very hazardous. Here the most capable and daring workmen are employed. Frequently they work with seas dashing over them and in a wind that threatens to carry them from the trestle. Several have been blown over and lost their lives and others have been saved with difficulty. During the fiercest storms it is impossible to work on the outer sections of the jetty, but there is some unfinished work nearer shore to keep the equipment busy. ... Click image to enlarge NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION, "Great Jetties Deepen Channel For Portland's Ships", Morning Oregonian, January 1, 1913. Already the preparatory work for the north jetty is well under way. About 25 acres of rough land has been leveled at Fort Canby, the old and almost deserted military post at North Head. This required heavy work of clearing, draining and excavating. This land will be sued as the site of the 20 or more buildings that will be required for the jetty work. ... The heaviest part of the preliminary work is the dredging of a channel along the north side of Sand Island to Fort Canby so that equipment and rock may be towed to the jetty site without regard to tides. ... The north jetty will be only about two and one-half miles long, or hardly more than one-third the length of the south jetty. ...   The first rock will probably be placed the coming Summer. ... " Source:    "Morning Oregonian", January 1, 1913, courtesy "Historic Oregon Newspapers", University of Oregon Libraries.

"It took two years to prepare the north jetty surrounding for jetty-building, under the superintendence of G.T. McLean, junior engineer. Last Summer it was necessary to dredge Baker's Bay, north of Sand Island, so as to allow the large barges to come from Fisher's Quarry, back of Vancouver, over 100 miles away, and to land at Fort Canby, the rock necessary for building the jetty. An excellent quality of rock is being delivered by the Columbia Contract Company at $1.10 a ton, some of the single rocks weighing as high as 20 tons." Source:    "Morning Oregonian", January 1, 1914, courtesy "Historic Oregon Newspapers", University of Oregon Libraries.