Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Sheridan Point, Washington"
Includes ... Sheridan Point ... Lieutenant Phil Sheridan ... "Cascades Massacre" ... North Bank Railroad ...
Image, 2003, Columbia River looking downstream Bridge of the Gods, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Columbia River looking downstream from Bridge of the Gods. Sheridan Point. Image taken June 15, 2003.


Sheridan Point ...
Sheridan Point is on the Washington side of the Columbia River, located between the Bonneville Dam and the Bridge of the Gods. The location of Fort Rains is downstream of Sheridan Point and the location of Fort Lugenbeel is upstream.

Early Sheridan Point ...
Sheridan Point was named after General Philip H. Sheridan who helped the settlers in the "Cascades Massacre" of 1856.

From the Tacoma Public Library's "Washington Place Names" database, 2019:

"Sheridan Point is on the north bank of the Columbia River southwest of Stevenson downstream from Cascade Locks. The name came into disuse, but was revived by the pupils of Ainsworth School in Portland, Oregon. Philip Sheridan saw active service along the Columbia River before he returned east to become a leading general in the Civil War."

On March 11, 1908 Sheridan Point was the location of the "celebration" uniting the tracks of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.

In 1926 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Sheridan Point" official. Other variations in use at the time were "Sheridan's Point".


Cascades Massacre ...
Sheridan Point, located near the location of the Upper Cascades, was named after General Philip H. Sheridan (then Lieutenant) who helped the settlers during the "Cascades Massacre" of 1856. Today's Sheridan Point however is upstream from the actual location of the landing of Lieutenant Sheridan and a group of 40 troups.
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Image, 2005, Columbia River looking downstream Bridge of the Gods, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Columbia River looking downstream from Bridge of the Gods. Sheridan Point. Image taken May 13, 2005.


North Bank Railroad ...
"The North Bank Railroad", "The North Bank Road", "Columbia River Scenic Route", and "The Northwests Own Railway" are all phrases used to refer to the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, which was completed in 1908, with a celebration being held at Sheridan Point upstream of the Fort Rains location.

"... In a driving rain on March 11, 1908, delighted locals joined dignitaries here at Sheridan's Point to celebrate completion of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway between Pasco and Vancouver. ..." [Information sign, 2005, Fort Rains location, Washington State Highway 14]

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Image, 2005, North Bank Road information signs, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Information sign for the North Bank Road. Image taken June 29, 2005.
Image, 2005, North Bank Road information signs, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Information sign for the North Bank Road. Caption for the left image reads: "Washington boasts the river's first railraod, which was built in 1851. A wooden cart on wooden rails and pulled by mules, it assisted early settlers around the Columbia's rapids. Despite this early start, modern locomotives were a long time coming." Caption for the right image reads: "In a driving rain on March 11, 1908, delighted locals joined dignitaries here at Sheridan's Point to celebrate completion of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway between Pasco and Vancouver." Image taken June 29, 2005.
Image, 2005, Fort Rains and the North Bank Railroad, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
North Bank Railroad tracks at the Fort Rains location. Image taken February 26, 2005.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, October 30, 1805 ...




Columbia River GorgeReturn 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:
  • Tacoma Public Library's "Washington Place Names" database, 2019;
  • U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database, 2006;


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/sheridan_point.html
September 2008