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Survey of
Historic Sites and Buildings
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Chinook Point Campsite
Washington
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Location: Pacific County, along U.S. 101 in a 1-acre
State roadside park adjacent to Fort Columbia State Park, just west of
McGowan and 2 miles west of the Astoria Bridge.
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Two small advance parties that set out from the Point
Ellice campsite on November 13 and 14 may possibly have seen the
Pacific, but it is certain that Clark and the main body of the
expedition first viewed it from this site along the north bank of the
Columbia on November 15. Of course, 8 days earlier, from Pillar Rock, a
landmark in the river some 25 miles from its mouth near present Altoona,
Wash., Clark had erroneously believed he had sighted the ocean, when he
was actually viewing the open-horizoned estuary of the Columbia.
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Locale of the campsite at Chinook Point, occupied November 15-25,1805.
From here, the explorers first saw the Pacific Ocean, in the left
distance. (National Park Service (Mattison,
1958).) |
The Chinook Point campsite, established by Clark and
the bulk of the complement about 4 miles west of the Point Ellice site,
was the main base during the period November 15-25. Just southeast of
Chinook Point, the site was located near an abandoned Chinook Indian
village, whose boards were utilized for the construction of shelters.
Lewis and his small group, which had set out from Point Ellice on
November 14 and probed overland as far west as Cape Disappointment,
returned to the Chinook Point camp on November 17. The next day, Clark
and 11 men set out. Between then and the 20th, they proceeded to the
cape and explored about 9 miles to its north before returning to their
base.

Chinook Point. (Charles L. Peter (National Historic Landmarks
collection).) |
During all this reconnaissance, no favorable site was
found for a winter camp and game was discovered to be scarce. Indians
told the explorers that hunting was better on the south side of the
river. On November 24 the complement voted to search there for a
permanent base. The following day, in clear but windy weather, the boats
cast off from Chinook Point. Because the swells were too high to permit
a crossing near the mouth of the river, the craft followed the north
bank upstream. Camp that night was made near Pillar Rock. The next day,
November 26, at a point some 17 miles above Tongue Point, the boats
crossed to the south side of the river. There, they renewed their search
for a winter encampment that ended with the establishment on December 7
of a base at the Fort Clatsop site, in Oregon.
The Chinook Point campsite, designated by a State
marker, is little changed from the days of Lewis and Clark. A small
museum in a barracks building at nearby Fort Columbia State Park
contains exhibits relating to the early exploration of the coast and to
regional history.
Chinook Point, the overall geographical feature as
distinct from the Lewis and Clark campsite, has been accorded National
Historic Landmark status because of its associations with the era of
discovery in the Pacific Northwest.
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Lower Monumental (top) and Little Goose (bottom) Dams, Snake River,
Wash. (U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.) |
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/lewisandclark/site40.htm
Last Updated: 22-Feb-2004
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