This photo was taken just upstream of Miller Island around 1899 by Benjamin A. Gifford, and shows what the area looked like when the Columbia was still an untamed river.
Photo: Public Domain
The Corps passed Miller Island while paddling down the Columbia River on October 22, 1805. During their return trip on April 21, 1806, they camped on the Washington side of the Columbia, across from the large island. While the island is mentioned in several journal entries, there’s nothing written about the men being on it or naming it.
Named for the Thomas J. Miller who purchased the island in 1895, parts of it were submerged in 1957 when the reservoir was formed behind The Dalles Dam. Today, it’s a part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, is only accessible by boat, and is a favorite paddling destination.
