November 15, 1805
During the morning, Captain Clark was ready to set out for the beach Colter had described; but severe winds arose and, after reaching the Point, he concluded that it was too dangerous to proceed,even in an empty canoe. However, the weather abated and, in mid-afternoon, the Corps hastily loaded the canoes and “left this miserable spot,” cleared the point and found the “beautiful sand-beech.”Gass observed that they were “in full view of the ocean, at this time more raging than pacific”.
At the mouth of a small stream, they found the deserted summer fishing village of the Chinook Indians. The village was composed of some 36 houses, “uninhabited by anything except flees.”
Sketch by James G. Swan, as published in his book, "The Northwest Coast", first printed in 1857 by Harper & Brothers
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The existence of the empty village was not unusual for the time of year, since this was a summer village of the Chinooks and other tribal groups, such as the Chehalis. Members of the Chinook tribe occupied the north bank of the Columbia River from the mouth of Cape Disappointment upstream to Megler and, most likely, into the area of Grays Bay as well. In the summer, the Chinooks fished along the Columbia, heading for villages further north along Willapa Bay during the winter months.
Photo Courtesy of The Picture Attic - Long Beach, Washington
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At the highest spot they could find, the Corps landed and, using boards from the village houses, created a campsite which they named “Station Camp.” Early photographs of this area, now called McGowan, indicate that the shoreline was as much as several hundred feet south of the present location on US 101. The actual campsite was about 1.2 miles east of what is now Fort Columbia. There is a current small roadside park just west of St. Mary’s Church in the general area, but this is not the actual location of the campsite.
The Expedition’s observation of the fishing village was not the first time it had been recorded by white men visiting the area. In fact, Captain Robert Gray had drawn a map of the mouth of the Columbia and noted this village 13 years before. Even before his visit, Lieutenant Broughton of the Vancouver had mapped the area in October, 1792.
Click the map for a larger view.
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During the 1850s, the village – known as ‘Chenooke’ for many years – became known as Chinookville and is the current location of St. Mary’s, which was built as part of a Catholic mission once mounted in the region.
At Fort Columbia, the Scarborough Hill trail hike offers views of the Columbia River, the Port of Chinook, the hillside east toward Dismal Nitch and across the River to present-day Astoria, Oregon. Six years after the Lewis & Clark party walked the area, David Thompson, the North West Company’s geographer, climbed Scarborough Hill. Climbers can see some of the area traversed by the Corps and get an idea of the scope of their journeys during the 18 days in Pacific County as well as a perspective on the immense undertaking that the crossing to the south side of the River entailed.
Sketch of the River Columbia, Explor'd in His Majesty's Armed Brig Chatham, Lieut. Broughton, Commander"
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