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Wind Mountain, Collins Point, and the Collins Landslide, Washington.
View from Starvation Creek State Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 24, 2004.
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Collins and Collins Landing ...
Collins Creek ...
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Collins Creek is a small creek (0.8 miles) which follows the west side of
Dog Mountain draining into the Columbia River at Collins Point. A small lake, Grant Lake, is nestled between Collins Creek and Dog Mountain.
In 1979 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made the name "Collins Creek" official.
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Collins Point ...
William Collins ...
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Collins, Collins Creek, Collins Landing, and Collins Point were all named for William Collins, an early settler and eventual Skamania County Judge.
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Collins Point, Washington.
View from downstream off of Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Collins Point, Washington, as seen from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Campsite of April 13, 1806 ...
Collins Point Landslide ...
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The Collins Point Landslide lies between
Wind Mountain and
Dog Mountain and consists chiefly of material from the Ohanapecosh Formation. This is still an active landslide, moving 40 to 50 feet a year at the upper end of the slide and 5 to 10 feet a year at the toe ("Collins Point"). The most impressive landslide however along this stretch of the Columbia occurred around 1100 A.D. The large Bonneville landslide, between the cities of North Bonneville and Stevenson, was 200 feet high and covered five square miles. That landslide blocked the Columbia River for a short period and gave rise to the legend of the Bridge of the Gods. The infamous "Submerged Forest" was also a result of the landslide.
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Click image to enlarge
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Collins Point Landslide, Washington.
View from Starvation Creek State Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 24, 2004.
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Early Collins ...
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The 1860 Federal Census for Skamania County, Washington Territory, did not list anyone with the name "Collins".
The 1870 Federal Census for Skamania County, Washington Territory, lists
William Collins, occupation: "Farmer", age 55, from New Hamshire,
Mary Collins, occupation: "Keepinghouse", age 54, from Massachusetts, and
Abby Collins, age 20, from New Jersey. Ten years later the 1880 Federal Census for
Skamania County, Washington Territory, lists William Collins, occupation: "Probate Judge Skamania County, W. T.", age
67, from New Hampshire, and his wife, Mary F. Collins, occupation: "keeping house", age 65, from
Massachusetts.
In 1875, E.L. Smith and Samuel J. Spray surveyed portions of Townships 3 North and Ranges 8 and 9 East, including Collins Creek, plus sections of the right bank of the Columbia River. Plats were approved Februray 19, 1876. On the left bank of Collins Creek near where it flows into the Columbia, the Collins house was shown (Section 31, Lot 4, 34 acres). Samuel Spray noted in his field notes (1875) that the "Collins Wood Flume" was on the west side of Collins Creek, and most of the timber in the area had been logged off.
In 1873 the Shell Rock Post Office was established near Shellrock Mountain, Oregon. Sometime before 1878 this post office was moved across the Columbia River into Washington Territory and re-named "Collins Landing". In 1878 a second Shell Rock Post Office was established in Oregon.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office records website shows that in December 1881 William Collins was granted title to 120 acres along Collins Creek, in T3N R8E Sec.30, north of Collins Point. In May 1882 James M. Findley was granted title to 351.21 acres on the tip of Collins Point, T3N R8E Sec.31, and T3N R8E Sec.36.
The 1911 USGS Mount Hood and Vicinity Topographic Map lists the town of "Collins", located on the bank of the Columbia just uphill of a point, directly across from Oregon's Shellrock Mountain and downstream of Collins Creek. Five structures are shown including the original Collins structure.
The 1946 NOAA Chart "Bonneville to The Dalles" has the town of "Collins" while the 1966 chart only lists point at that location "Collins Point". Today's charts list "Collins Point".
In 1979 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made the name "Collins Creek" official.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards". The "Penny Postcard" became a popular way to send greetings to friends and family. Penny Postcards today have become a part of history.
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Penny Postcard: Wind Mountain and Collins Landing, Washington, as seen from Steamer, ca.1908.
Penny Postcard, Copyrighted 1908.
Caption on front reads: "Wind Mountain, Columbia River".
Collins Landing is visible on the shoreline.
Published by Benj. A. Gifford, The Dalles, Oregon, Copyright 1908. Card #325. Made in Germany.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, April 13, 1806 ...
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The loss of one of our large Canoes rendered it necessary to divide the loading and men of that Canoe between the remaining four, which was done and we loaded and Set out at 8 oClock A. M. [from their camp near Ashes Lake]
passed the village imediately above the rapids where only one house remains entire the other 8 haveing been taken down and moved to the opposit Side of the Columbia
[downstream of Rock Creek and Stevenson, Washington] ...
Capt. Lewis with 2 of the Smallest Canoes of Sergt. Pryor & gibson and Crossed above the Rapids [Cascade Rapids] to the Village on the S E Side [east of Cascade Locks] with a view to purchase a Canoe of the nativs if possible.
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I with the two large Canoes proceeded on up the N. W. Side with the intention of gitting to the Encampment of our hunters who was derected to hunt in the bottom above Crusats River [Wind River], and there wait the arrival of Capt. Lewis. I proceeded on to the bottom in which I expected to find the hunters but Could See nothing of them. the wind rose and raised the wavs to Such a hight that I could not proceed any further. we landed and I sent out Shields and Colter to hunt; Shields Shot two deer but Could get neither of them. I walkd. to Crusats river [Wind River] and up it ½ a mile on my return to the party found that the wind had lulled and as we Could See nothing of our hunters. I deturmined to proceed on to the next bottom where I thought it probable they had halted at ½ passed 2 P M Set out and proceeded on to the bottom 6 miles and halted at the next bottom formed a Camp and Sent out all the hunters [near Dog Mountain, between Collins Creek and Dog Creek]. I also walked out my self on the hills but saw nothing. on my return found Capt. Lewis at Camp with two canoes which he had purchased at the Y-ep-huh ...
I was convinced that the hunters must have been up River Cruzatt [Wind River]. despatched Sergt. Pryor with 2 men in a Canoe, with directions to assend Crusats River [Wind River] and if he found the hunters to assist them in with the meat. Jo: Shields returned about Sunset with two deer which he had killed, those were of the Black tail fallow Deer. <the> there appears to be no other Species of Deer in those mountains. We proceeded on 12 miles.
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