News Release

In Their Footsteps - Layers of Middle Village History

News Release Date: November 1, 2020

Contact: Sally Freeman, 503-861-4424

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Fort Clatsop is pleased to announce the next virtual “In Their Footsteps” guest speaker series event.  Bill Garvin will present “Layers of Middle Village History” on our youtube page at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, November 15.

The Chinook people’s historic seasonal village Qiqaiaqilxam or Middle Village on the north shore of the Columbia River (east of today’s Chinook, Washington) was strategically located near abundant food and other resources. During the 10 years before the Corps of Discovery’s arrival by river, almost 90 trade ships from Europe and New England crossed the Columbia River Bar to trade with Chinooks in this area. The Corps used Middle Village as a base camp in November 1805 and some historians called the spot "Station Camp" because it was Captain William Clark's primary survey station to produce a detailed map of the mouth of the Columbia River and the surrounding area. In 2005, archeologists uncovered over 10,000 artifacts here, including trade beads, plates, cups, musket balls, arrowheads, and Indian fish net weights. Today Middle Village - Station Camp focuses on the Chinook Indian Nation history, as well as the story of early contact, the Corps of Discovery, and the town of McGowan.

Bill Garvin is a history enthusiast whose family has deep roots in the lower Columbia region. He’s a graduate of University of Washington, Gonzaga Law School and a United States Air Force veteran. Garvin serves on the board of directors for both the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum and (since 2014) the Lewis & Clark National Park Association which supports the National Park Service and its mission to reveal the many levels of history in the region.

In Their Footsteps is a monthly Sunday forum sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the park. For more information, call the park at [phone], check out our website, or lewisandclarknps on Instagram, or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on Facebook.