Click image to enlarge
|
Grays Point and Harrington Point.
Grays Point (middle center) and Harrington Point (distance right), as seen from the Knappton site, Washington.
Grays Point is the western end of Grays Bay and Harrington Point is the eastern end.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
|
Harrington Point ...
|
Harrington Point is the eastern (upstream) point of Grays Bay and is located at Columbia River Mile (RM) 23.5. One-half mile further upstream is the small community of Altoona, and even further upstream is Pillar Rock. One-half mile downstream is Pigeon Bluff (at one time called Yellow Bluffs) which lies along the curve of Harrington Point and looks into Grays Bay.
|
Pigeon Bluff ...
|
Pigeon Bluff lies 1/2 mile downstream along the curve of Harrington Point and looks into Grays Bay. At one time Pigeon Bluff was known as "Yellow Bluffs".
|
"Ocian in view" ...
|
On November 7, 1805, at camp near Pillar Rock, Captain Clark wrote in his journal:
-
"... we are in view of the opening of the Ocian, which
Creates great joy. ..."
[Clark, November 7, 1805, first draft]
-
"... Ocian in view! O! the
joy ..."
[Clark, November 15, 1805, in distances for November 7]
In reality the men were really looking at the lower Columbia River estuary and
Grays Bay, with another 20 miles to go before reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Today a turnout at Pigeon Bluff along the road to Altoona and Pillar Rock contains a viewpoint overlooking Grays Bay, and an information kiosk honoring Clark's
"Ocian in view! O! the joy".
[More]
|
Views ...
Click image to enlarge
|
"Ocian in view".
From the road to Pillar Rock, near Pigeon Bluff (Mile Post 5).
Image taken June 16, 2004.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Grays Bay, Washington.
From the road to Pillar Rock, near Pigeon Bluff (Mile Post 5).
Image taken April 9, 2004.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Grays Bay, Washington, high tide.
From the road to Pillar Rock, near Pigeon Bluff (Mile Post 5).
Image taken June 16, 2004.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Saddle Mountain, Oregon, as seen from Grays Bay, Washington.
From road to Pillar Rock between Pigeon Bluff and Harrington Point.
Image taken June 16, 2004.
|
Early Harrington Point and Pigeon Bluff ...
|
Lieutenant William Broughton of Captain George Vancouver's Expedition, passed Harrington Point on October 25, 1792, on his way upstream in his exploration of the Columbia River.
-
"... After passing Gray's bay, the continental shores became high and rocky. ..."
[Vancouver, October 25, 1792]
In 1841, Harrington Point is labeled "Rock Point" on the map "Sheet No.2, Columbia River from Astoria to Katalamet Head", made by Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The bluff above "Rock Point" is labeled "Red Bluff". Pigeon Bluff is labeled "Yellow Bluff".
The 1875 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Chart #641, "Columbia River Sheet No.2", has only "Yellow Bluffs" labeled, the area of today's Pigeon Bluff.
An 1887 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Map, "The Columbia River from Celilo to the mouth showing locations of the salmon fisheries, 1887", has "Yellow Bluff" labeled.
The 1890 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Chart #6141, "Columbia River Sheet No.2", also has only "Yellow Bluffs" labeled.
|
"Gray's Point", "Yellow Bluffs", and "Flat Hill", in 1889 ...
|
From the 1889 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's "Coast Pilot":
"... Gray's Point -- This is the moderately high wooded point on the north side of the river three and five-eighths miles north twenty-eight degrees west (N. 28o W.) from Tongue Point. It lies four and seven-eighths miles north forty-five degrees east (N. 45o E.) from Point Ellice. There is as much as ten fathoms of water immediately under the point, but there is no deep channel to the east or to the west. Yellow Bluffs lie four miles north seventy-three degrees east (N. 73o E.) from this point, and between them lies Gray's Bay. ..."
"... Yellow Bluffs. --
This is the rounding and rocky southwest face of Flat Hill, a great basaltic mass rising abruptly from the river and reaching an elevation of thirteen hundred feet in five-eighths of a mile. There is shoal water on the west side of the point, but a deep channel under the south face of Flat Hill. Yellow Bluffs and the comparatively low but wooded shore to the northward to Gray's River form the eastern boundary of Gray's Bay.
Under the southern face of Flatt Hill, where the deep channel is close to the shore, a stake light has been placed about one and one-tenth miles eastward of Yellow Bluffs. It shows a white light, and is one of the numerous lights up the river. The characteristics of these lights are given in the annual list of the Light-House Board. It is eight miles from Astoria. ..."
|
|
|
From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
|
|
Clark, November 8, 1805 ...
|
|
Return to