The Columbia River - Hewlett Point, Washington

Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Hewlett Point, Washington"

Includes ... Hewlett Point ... "Hewlett's Point" ... "Broughton Point" ...

Image, 2005, Looking towards Hewlett Point, click to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Frenchmans Bar Park looking towards Hewlett Point. Image taken July 3, 2005.

Hewlett Point ...

Hewlett Point is located at Columbia River Mile (RM) 100, upstream of Frenchmans Bar Park and downstream of Blurock Landing.

Early Hewlett Point ...

Hewlett Point is located in T2N R1W Section 12.

According to the Informational Sign at Frenchmans Bar Park, Hewlett Point was once called "Broughton Point", after William Broughton, of the British Captain George Vancouver Expedition. In 1792 Broughton became the first European to explore the Columbia River.

An 1863 cadastral survey (tax survey) for T2N R1W does not have Hewlett Point labeled. In comparing it to a modern topo map however, it shows that Hewlett Point is located on the Donation Land Claim (DLC) of William Dillon (Claim No.37, in Section 12).

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database shows William H. Dillon and Harriet Dillon being granted title to 641.85 acres of T2N R1W Sections 1, 2, 11, and 12, on August 27, 1871 (1850 Oregon-Donation Act).

The 1888, U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey's "Columbia River Sheet No.6, Fales Landing to Portland" (Chart No.6145) has "Hewlett's Pt." labeled.

An undated plat map for Clark County, Washington, presumed to be between 1915 and 1925 shows the Dillon DLC was then owned by E.M. Dietrich.

In 1914 the U.S. Board Geographic Names made "Hewlett Point" official. A variant on the named in use was "Hewletts Point".

Views around Hewlett Point ...

Click image to enlarge	Information Sign, Frenchmans Bar Park. The sign is located at the extreme upstream end of Frenchmans Bar Park, looking towards Hewlett Point. Image taken July 3, 2005.
Click image to enlarge	Information Sign, Frenchmans Bar Park, showing Broughton Point. The sign is located at the extreme upstream end of Frenchmans Bar Park, looking towards Broughton Point. Image taken July 3, 2005.
Click image to enlarge	Hewlett Point from Frenchmans Bar. Image taken June 29, 2003.
Click image to enlarge	Barn, Tree, from Frenchmans Bar Park looking towards Hewlett Point. Image taken July 3, 2005.

From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, March 30, 1806 ...

we got under way verry early [from their camp near Wapato Portage] and had not proceeded to the head of the island [Bachelor Island] before we met with the three men of the Clan-nar-min-a-mon's who met us yesterday brackfast at the upper point of the Island [Bachelor Island] we met Several of the Clackstar and Cath-lah-cum-up in two canoes. Soon after we were overtaken by Several Canoes of different tribes who reside on each Side of the river the three above Tribes and the Clâh-in-na-ta cathy-lah-nah-qui-up & Cath-lah-com-mah-tup reside on each Side of Wappato inlet [Multnomah Channel] and back of Wappato Island [Sauvie Island] which Island is formed by a Small Chanel which passes from the Lower part of Image Canoe Island [Hayden Island] into an inlet which makes in from the S W. Side, and receves the water of a Creek which heads with the Kil a mox River. this wappato Island [Sauvie Island] is about 18 or 20 Miles long and in places from 6 to 10 miles wide high & furtile with ponds on different parts of it in which the nativs geather Wappato. nearly opposit the upper point of the Isld. behing which we encamped last night, or on the Wappato Isld. is Several Camps of the nativs catching Sturgion. about 5 miles Still higher up and on the N E. Side we halted for brackfast at the place which We had encamped the 4th of November last [near Post Office Lake, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge]. here we were visited by several canoes of Indians from two Towns a Short distance above on the Wappato Island [Sauvie Island]. the 1st of those Tribes Call themselves Clan-nah-quah and Situated about 2 miles above us, the other about a mile above Call themselves Mult-no-mah ... at 10 a. m. we Set out and had not proceeded far before we came to a landing place where there was Several large canoes hauled up, and Sitting in a canoe, appearantly waiting our arival with a view to join the fleet indian who was then along Side of us. this man informed he was a Shoto and that his nation resided a little distance from the river. we landed and one of the indians pointed to the Shoto village which is Situated back of Pond [Vancouver Lake] which lies parrelal with the river on the N E. Side nearly opposit the Clan-nah quah village. here we were also joined by Several Canoes loaded with the natives from the Island who Continued to accompany us untill about 4 oClock when they all returned and we proceeded on to the place the Indians Stole my Tomahawk 4th Novr. last [Hayden Island] and Encamped in a Small Prarie ["Jolie Prairie" where Fort Vancouver and Pearson Airpark would some day be located] above a large Pond on N. E and opposit the Center of image Canoe Island [Hayden Island]. capt Lewis walked out and Saw Several deer. Jo. Field Shot at Elk he killed and brought in a fine duck. ... we made 22 Miles only to day the wind and a Strong current being against us all day, with rain. discovered a high mountain S E. Covered with Snow which we call Mt. Jefferson [Mount Jefferson, Oregon]

Bachelor Island
Fort Vancouver
Hayden Island
"Jolie Prairie"
Mount Jefferson
Multnomah Channel
Pearson Field
Post Office Lake
Ridgefield NWR
Sauvie Island
Vancouver Lake
Wapato Portage

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^*River Miles [RM] are approximate, in statute miles, and were determined from USGS topo maps, obtained from NOAA nautical charts, or obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, 2003

Sources: NOAA Office of Coast Survey website, 2005; "Rootsweb.com" website, 2005; U.S. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (GLO) Records website, 2007; U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) website, 2007.

All Lewis and Clark quotations from Gary Moulton editions of the Lewis and Clark Journals, University of Nebraska Press, all attempts have been made to type the quotations exactly as in the Moulton editions, however typing errors introduced by this web author cannot be ruled out; location interpretation from variety of sources, including this website author.