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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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John Day River (Clatsop County) ...
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The John Day River, located in Clatsop County, Oregon, is one of two rivers in Oregon named for John Day, a member of William Price Hunt's Astoria overland expedition of 1811 to 1812. The other John Day River is located over 200 miles upstream, east of The Dalles, Oregon.
The John Day River in Clatsop County enters Cathlamet Bay east of Tongue Point at approximately Columbia River Mile (RM) _____.
Lewis and Clark called this lower John Day River "Ke-ke-mar-que Creek", their interpretation of the Indian name for the river.
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Lewis and Clark and the John Day River ...
Lewis and Clark's campsite of March 23, 1806, was along the banks of Cathlamet Bay, on the east side of
Tongue Point just before reaching the mouth of the
John Day River (Clatsop County). Their camp was located on the right bank of a small creek, today called "Mill Creek".
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Early John Day River ...
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Lewis and Clark's Route Map [Moulton, vol.1, map#82] has the John Day River labeled "Ke-ke-mar-que Creek".
In 1841, Charles Wilkes, of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, called the John Day River "Swan Creek". Wilkes' map ["Sheet No.2 of Columbia River from Astoria to Katalamet Head"] shows "Swan Creek" emptying into "Swan Bay", today's Cathlamet Bay.
According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (2003, McArthur and McArthur, Oregon Historical Society):
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"John Day River (CLATSOP) ... This stream, like the other of the same name, in eastern Oregon, was named for John Day of the Astor-Hunt overland party of 1811-1812. ... John Day Point, just east of the river, takes its name from the stream. Lewis and Clark mention the river in their journals for November 27, 1805, and give an Indian name, Kekemarke. Wilkes, in "U.S. Exploring Expedition" (v.23, Hydrography, atlas), shows this as Swan Creek. There was formerly a railroad station near this river originally called John Day, but some years later it was changed to Van Dusen in honor of the pioneer family of Astoria."
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John Day River in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... US 30 crosses the little JOHN DAY RIVER, 97.9 m., another stream named for the unfortunate Astorian of whom Robert Stuart says as he camped a few miles up the Columbia: "evident symptoms of mental derangement made their appearance in John Day one of my Hunters who for a day or two previous seemed as if restless and unwell but now uttered the most incoherent absurd and unconnected sentences. . . . it was the opinion of all the Gentlemen that it would be highly imprudent to suffer him to proceed any farther for in a moment when not sufficiently watched he might embroil us with the natives, who on all occasions he reviled by the appellations Rascal, Robber &c &c &c "
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John Day County Park and Boat Ramp ...
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The 54-acre John Day County Park and Boat Ramp is located approximately five miles east of Astoria and is on the west bank of the John Day River. The Park is accessed from Oregon Highway 30.
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Views from Oregon Highway 30 ...
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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon, as seen from Oregon Highway 30.
Looking downstream.
Image taken August 13, 2013.
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Click image to enlarge
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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon, as seen from Oregon Highway 30.
Looking downstream.
Image taken August 13, 2013.
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Views ...
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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon.
Looking downstream from near mouth.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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Click image to enlarge
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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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Click image to enlarge
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John Day River, Clatsop County, Oregon.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 27, 1805 ...
Clark, December 2, 1805 ...
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Cloudy with Some rain this morning I Send out three men to hunt & 2 & my man york in a Canoe up the Ke-ke-mar-que Creek in [John Day River, Clatsop County] Serch of fish and fowl ...
The party up the Creek returned without any thing and informs me they could not See any fish in the Creek to kill and the fowls were too wild to be killed, this must be owing to their being much hunted and pursued by the Indians in their Canoes.
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Clark, March 24, 1806 ...
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