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Steigerwald Lake NWR and Point Vancouver, Washington, as seen from
Vista House at Crown Point, Oregon.
Point Vancouver is trees to the right of the lightpost.
The Historic Columbia River Highway is in the foreground.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Point Vancouver ...
"Most beautiful scene" ...
"About eight miles above the mouth of the Wallamot the little squadron arrived at Vancouver's Point, so called in honor of that celebrated voyager by his lieutenant when he explored the river. This point is said to present one of the most beautiful scenes on the Columbia; a lovely meadow, with a silver sheet of limpid water in the center, enlivened by wild-fowl, a range of hills crowned by forests, while the prospect is closed by
Mount Hood, a magnificent mountain rising into a lofty peak, and covered with snow; the ultimate landmark of the first explorers of the river.
Point Vancouver is about one hundred miles from Astoria. Here the reflux of the tide ceases to be perceptible. To this place vessels of two and three hundred tons burden may ascend."
Source:
Washington Irving, 1836, Astoria, or Anecdotes of an enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains
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Point Vancouver and Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington (background) and Rooster Rock, Oregon (foreground).
View from Vista House at Crown Point, Oregon.
Image taken October 10, 2004.
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Early History ...
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In 1841 Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, called today's Cottonwood Point "Pt. Broughton, and today's Point Vancouver is shown but not labeled.
E.S. Meany in his 1923 "Origin of Washington Geographic Names" describes "Cottonwood Point" and "Point Vancouver" as being the same point, based on research in 1916 by T.C. Elliott.
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Cottonwood Point:
"The Wilkes Expedition, 1841, gave this name to the eastern extremity of Puget Island in the Columbia River. The name does not appear on recent charts, but river-men have been using the name for a point southeast of Washougal and southwest of Cape Horn in the Columbia River, Clarke County. It has recently been shown that this is probably the true Point Vancouver named by Broughton in 1792. (T.C. Elliott, in "Oregon Historical Quarterly, Volume XVIII., pages 73-82")."
... [Meany, 1923]
Point Vancouver:
"on the Columbia River in the southeastern corner of Clarke County, named by Lieutenant W.R. Broughton, October 30, 1792, in honor of Captain George Vancouver, under whom he was then serving. (Vancouver's "Voyage of Discovery Round the World", second edition, Volume III, page 107.") Local confusion of locality was cleared up on October 30, 1916, by T.C. Elliott, who identified this point with the locally known Cottonwood Point. ("The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society", Volume XVIII, pages 73-82.)"
... [Meany, 1923]
Based on T.C. Elliott's research, in 1916 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Vancouver Point" the official name for today's "Cottonwood Point". Then, in 1932, based on research done by J.Neilson Barry, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Cottonwood Point" the official name for today's "Cottonwood Point", and made "Point Vancouver" the official name for the point three miles upriver.
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Lieutenant Broughton, October 30, 1792 ...
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Lieutenant Broughton viewed today's Cottonwood Point on October 30, 1792, and named it after Captain George Vancouver.
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"The west point of Baring's River [Sandy River] is situated in latitude 45o 28', longitude 237o 41'; from whence the main branch takes rather an irregular course about N.82E.; it is nearly half a mile wide, and in crossing it the depth was from six to three fathoms. The southern shore [Oregon side] is low and woody and contacts the river by means of a low, sandy flat that extends from it, on which were ledged several large dead trees [Sandy River Delta].
The best passage is close to Johnstone's Island [Lady Island]; this has a rocky, bold shore, but Mr. Broughton pursued the channel on the opposite side [Oregon shore] where he met with some scattered rocks [Ough Reef, opposite Washougal, Washington]; these, however, admitted of a good passage between them and the main land; along which he continued until toward evening, making little progress against the stream. "Having now passed the sand bank," [mouth of the Sandy River] says Mr. Broughton, "I landed [today the high bluff above the eastern shore of the Sandy River is called Broughton Bluff] for the purpose of taking our last bearings; a sandy point on the opposite shore [Cottonwood Point, upstream of Washougal, Washington] bore S.80E., distant about 2 miles [Cottonwood Point, today's Point Vancouver is too far upriver]; this point terminating our view of the river [Columbia River], I named it after Captain Vancouver; it is situated in latitude 45o 27', longitude 237o 50'. [The name "Point Vancouver" has since moved to a point approximately 3 miles further upstream.]
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Views ...
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Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington, as seen from the Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
View from HCRH west of Vista House.
Image taken March 30, 2015.
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Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington, as seen from the Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Reed Island, Cottonwood Point, Steigerwald Lake NWR, and Point Vancouver.
View from HCRH west of Vista House.
Image taken March 30, 2015.
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Lawton Creek ...
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Lawton Creek drains the north side of Mount Pleasant, merging with the Columbia River at Columbia River Mile (RM) 127.5, at Point Vancouver.
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Lawton Creek" the official name in 1941. Previously it had been known as "Canyon Creek" and "Walton Creek".
Today Walton Creek is a tributary to Lawton Creek, merging with Lawton Creek less than one mile from its mouth.
Lawton Creek and Point Vancouver marks the upstream end of the Steigerwald Lake NWR.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
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