Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Ryan Point and Marine Park, Washington"
includes ... Ryan Point ... Marine Park ... Kaiser Shipyard ... Campsite of March 30, 1806 ...
Image, 2006, Ryan Point, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ryan Point, Washington, and the old Kaiser Shipyards. Tomahawk and Hayden Islands are in the background. Image taken October 9, 2006.


Ryan Point ...
Today's Ryan Point is on the Washington State side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 108, a little more than one mile upstream of the Interstate 5 Bridge. Upstream is Tidewater Cove and Wintler Park. Downstream is Columbia Shores, Pearson Field, and Fort Vancouver.

Ryan Point is the site of a former shipyard and is now an industrial park. The actual "point" is behind Building 33, a huge warehouse in Columbia Business Center, one of the largest industrial parks in the Vancouver-Portland area.

Lewis and Clark's March 30, 1806 campsite was located just downstream of Ryan Point, across from the center of today's Hayden Island, near the location of today's Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. This area would become known as "Jolie Prairie". As the men approached the area they viewed Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, and saw and named Mount Jefferson.


Early Ryan Point ...
Ryan Point is named for William Ryan, an early sheriff and assessor in Clark County. The point was previously known as "McLoughlin Point" after Dr. John McLoughlin of the Hudson Bay Company. McLoughlin Point appears in the journal and on the maps of the Charles Wilkes Expedition, 1841. The name changed to Ryan Point sometime before the Hidden family, which still owns the riverfront property, bought the land in 1865.

The 1850 Federal Census for the Clark County area of the Oregon Territory lists a "Wm. Ryan", age 36, farmer, born in Ireland, wife Susan, age 28, born in Kentucky, daughter Jane, age 9, born in Missouri, son James, age 7, born in Missouri, and daughter Susanna, age 2, born in Oregon Territory.

An 1863 Washington Territory cadastral survey (tax survey) for T2N R1E shows Claim No.39, the property just east of the "Vancouver U.S. Military Reservation", belonging to William Ryan. The property included the point.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database (2006) shows title being granted to Sasannah Ryan and William Ryan for 633.3 acres of T2N R1E Sections 24, 25, 35, and 36, on December 11, 1879 (1850 Oregon-Donation Act).

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database (2006) shows title being granted to Arthur W. Hidden for 164.65 acres of T2N R1E Section 22, on April 20, 1882 (1820 Sale-Cash Entry). Entries for a "Lowell M. Hidden" are located to the north.

An 1888 plat map for "Clarke County" shows the "W. Ryan D.L.C." being split into smaller homesteads, with "W. Ryan, Jr." owning the property west of the Point, and "L.M. Hidden" owning the Point and the property to the east. West of the "W. Ryan, Jr." property, yet still on the Ryan Donation Land Claim, is property owned by "J. Blurock", possibly the same Blurock of Blurock Landing.

In 1914 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made official the name "Ryan Point".



Ryan Point, etc.

  • Ferry Landing ...
  • Kaiser Shipyard ...
  • Kaiser Shipyard Memorial ...
  • Marine Park ...
  • Mount Hood ...
  • Mount Jefferson ...
  • Ryan Point Cove ...
  • Sunrise ...
  • Views from Ryan Point ...


Ferry Landing ...
The 1948 NOAA Nautical Chart #6156, "Columbia River, Vancouver to Bonneville" shows a ferry landing at the location of today's Ryan Point boat ramp. Another ferry landing was across from Ryan Point on the Oregon side, just downstream of the west end of the Portland Airport, where NE33rd St. meets the Columbia River. A marina exists there today.

Chart 6156, Ryan Point, 1948, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Map detail, 1948, showing Ryan Point, the Ryan Point and Oregon ferry docks, and the Kaiser Shipyard slips. Historical Chart 5156, "Columbia River, Vancouver to Bonneville", 1:40,000, courtesy NOAA website, 2006.
Image, 2006, Ryan Point boat dock, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Boat dock/ramp/landing at Ryan Point, Washington, once the location of a ferry landing. View looking west. Image taken October 9, 2006.
Image, 2006, Ryan Point boat dock, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Boat dock/ramp/landing at Ryan Point, Washington, once the location of a ferry landing. View looking south. Image taken October 9, 2006.


Kaiser Shipyard ...
Vancouver, Washington's Kaiser Shipyard was located at Ryan Point. The shipyard was built in January 1942 in response to the United State's entry into World War II. According to the information sign located at the Kaiser Shipyard Memorial (2015):

"During frenzied activity between 1942 and 1946, the yard built and sent off to war 141 vessels of several types, including aircraft carriers, Liberty ships, LSTs (landing ship, tanks) and transport and cargo ships."

[More]


Image, 2017, Vancouver to Orchards to Sifton Streetcar, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Detail, 1959, aerial photo, Ryan Point, Kaiser Shipyards, and Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington. View showing Columbia River (bottom), Ryan Point (left point along Columbia River), Kaiser Shipyards (center), today's Marine Park (right along Columbia River), and Washington State Route 14 (top). Original image (P02.001.1151/AP00055.tif) courtesy Clark County Historical Museum Archives and Washington State University Vancouver Library, downloaded April 2017.
Image, 2004, Remains of the Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		The old Kaiser Shipyard, from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.


Kaiser Shipyard Memorial ...

Image, 2004, Kaiser Shipyard Memorial sign, Ryan Point, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Kaiser Shipyard Memorial sign, Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.
Image, 2004, Viewing tower for Kaiser Shipyard, Ryan Point, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Kaiser Shipyard Memorial, Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.


Marine Park ...
Marine Park is a 26-acre community park located at Ryan Point. The park includes picnic tables, play equipment, a ball field, hiking trails, and a boat ramp. Marine Park lies along Vancouver's Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

Image, 2006, Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Obolisk, Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken October 9, 2006.
Image, 2007, Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Obolisk, Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington. View at the entrance to Marine Park and Ryan Point. Image taken April 5, 2007.
Image, 2007, Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Marine Park, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken April 5, 2007.


Mount Hood ...
[More]

Image, 2004, Mount Hood, Oregon, from Ryan Point, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Mount Hood, Oregon, and the Interstate-205 Bridge, as seen from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.


Mount Jefferson ...
[More]

Image, 2004, Mount Jefferson from Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Mount Jefferson, Oregon, as seen from Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.


Ryan Point Cove ...
East of Ryan Point.

Image, 2007, Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Cove east of Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington. Cove east of Ryan Point. Image taken April 5, 2007.


Sunrise ...

Image, 2019, Sunrise from Marine Park, Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Sunrise, Columbia River from Marine Park, Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington. Image taken January 5, 2019.


Views from Ryan Point ...
Ryan Point, Vancouver, Washington, offers wonderful views of the Columbia River. Upstream is Mount Hood, Oregon with the Interstate 205 Bridge in the foreground. Portland International Airport and Rocky Butte can also be seen on the Oregon side of the Columbia. Downstream on the Oregon side is Tomahawk Island and Hayden Island.

Image, 2004, Portland International Airport, from Ryan Point, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Portland International Airport, as seen from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.
Image, 2003, Portland International Airport, from Ryan Point, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Portland International Airport, as seen from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken June 15, 2003.
Image, 2003, Rocky Butte, Oregon, from Ryan Point, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Rocky Butte, Oregon, as seen from Ryan Point, Washington. Rocky Butte is one of the volcanic cones of the Boring Lava Field which covers quite a bit of Portland's eastern outskirts. Image taken June 15, 2003.
Image, 2003, Tomahawk Island, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Tomahawk Island, Oregon as seen from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken June 15, 2003.
Image, 2004, Ryan Point, Washington, wave action, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		View from Ryan Point, Washington, with Mount Hood. Wave action from a passing boat. Image taken December 18, 2004.
Image, 2004, Ryan Point, Washington, wave action, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		View from Ryan Point, Washington. Wave action from a passing boat. Image taken December 18, 2004.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, March 31, 1806 ...



Vancouver PlainsReturn to
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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:
  • Clark County Historical Museum Archives, Washington State University Vancouver Library, 2017;
  • NOAA Office of Coast Surveys website, 2005;
  • NOAA, "United States Coast Pilot", 31st edition;
  • Oregon Bureau of Land Management website, 2005;
  • "Rootsweb.com" website, 2005;
  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database, 2006;
  • U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database, 2006;
  • U.S. National Park Service, Vancouver National Historic Reserve website, 2004;
  • Vancouver Clark Parks and Recreation website, 2006;
  • Washington State Historical Society website, 2004;


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/ryan_point.html
February 2019