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Rowena Crest, Oregon, from Mayer State Park, Oregon.
Image taken November 11, 2004.
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Rowena Crest ...
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Rowena Crest, on the Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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"Grant's Castle" ...
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In the 1904 publication "The Trail of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1904", written by Olin D. Wheeler,
today's Rowena Crest was called "Grant's Castle".
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Rowena Crest in 1940 ...
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From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"...
West of ROWENA, 109.2 m. (148 alt., 60 pop.), the
highway climbs the face of a steep cliff by a series
of sharp curves and switch-backs known as the
Rowena Loops. ...
ROWENA CREST, 111.8 m. (706 alt.), is in MAYER STATE PARK; parking place. From the crest one has a panoramic view of cliff and winding river.
ROWENA DELL, 112.6 m., a sheer walled canyon (R) was infested by rattlesnakes until pioneers fenced the lower end and turned in a drove of hogs. Then for a time the dell was called Hog Canyon. ..."
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Rowena Crest, Oregon, from Mayer State Park, Oregon.
Image taken November 11, 2004.
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Rowena Crest and Interstate 84, Oregon.
View is from Interstate 84 heading west.
Image taken October 2, 2006.
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One Day at Rowena Crest ...
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Porsches, Rowena Crest, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Historic Columbia River Highway ...
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Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
View from Rowena Crest.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Rowena Loops, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
View from Rowena Crest.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Rowena ...
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Rowena Gap, Rowena Crest, Rowena Dell, and the small Oregon town of Rowena, all share the same name. At least three different theories as to the origin of "Rowena" are listed in Oregon Geographic Names (McArthur and McArthur, 2003). The first is Rowena was for H.S. Rown who, in the early 1880s was an offical of the railroad company that was building along the south bank of the Columbia River. The second possibility, according to local long-time residents, was that "Rowena" was the name of a girl who lived in the vicinity. The last theory presented was that "Rowena" was the young lady in Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe", a popular novel of the era. Rowena Post Office was established in 1911 and existed until 1916. Today the small town of Rowena, Oregon, still exists along the old Historic Columbia River Highway.
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On the Road to Rowena Crest ...
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Barn near Rowena Crest, on the Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Views from Rowena Crest ...
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Klickitat River Drainage and Lyle, Washington.
Klickitat River, Washington, as seen from Rowena Crest, Oregon. Lyle is the town on the right.
Image taken March 20, 2004.
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Columbia River looking upstream from Rowena Crest, Oregon.
Mayer State Park is greenery on right. Dougs Beach is little jutting land with greenery on the Washington side of the river.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Dougs Beach, Washington, from Rowena Crest, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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West Mayer State Park, from Rowena Crest.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Mount Adams, Washington, from Rowena Crest, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 29, 1805 ...
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A cloudy morning wind from the West but not hard, we Set out at day light [from their camp on Rocky Island at Crates Point], and proceeded on about five miles Came too on the Stard. Side at a village of 7 houses built in the Same form and materials of those above, here we found the Chief we had Seen at the long narrows [The Dalles] ...
they are hospitable and good humered Speak the Same language of the inhabitants of the last village, we call this the friendly village [vicinity of Dougs Beach].
...
after brackfast we proceeded on, the mountains are high on each Side [high basalt cliffs of the Rowena Gap, with Rowena Crest on the south and the Chamberlain Lake area on the north], containing Scattering pine white oake & under groth, hill Sides Steep and rockey; at 4 miles lower we observed a Small river falling in with great rapidity on the Stard. Side [Klickitat River] below which is a village of 11 houses [today the town of Lyle is on the upstream side of the Klickitat], here we landed to Smoke a pipe with the nativs and examine the mouth of the river, which I found to be 60 yards wide rapid and deep, The inhabitants of the village are friendly and Chearfull; those people inform us also those at the last village that this little river is long and full of falls, no Salmon pass up it, it runs from N. N. E. that ten nations live on this river and its waters, on buries, and what game that Can kill with their Bow & arrows
we purchased 4 dogs and Set out- (this village is the of the Same nation of the one we last passed) and proceeded on The Countrey on each side begin to be thicker timbered with Pine and low white Oake; verry rockey and broken [passing Mayer State Park on the Oregon side]. passed three large rocks in The river the middle rock is large long and has Several Squar vaults on it. we call this rockey Island the Sepulchar [Memaloose Island] - The last river we passed we Shall Call the Cataract River [Klickitat River] from the number of falls which the Indians say is on it- passed 2 Lodges of Indians a Short distance below the Sepulchar Island [Memaloose Island] on the Stard. Side river wide, at 4 mile passed 2 houses on the Stard. Side, Six miles lower passed 4 houses above the mouth of a Small river 40 yards wide on the Lard. Side [Hood River] a thick timbered bottom above & back of those houses; those are the first houses which we have Seen on the South Side of the Columbia River, (and the axess to those dificuelt) for fear of the approach of their common enemies the Snake Indians, passed 14 houses on the Std. Side Scattered on the bank- from the mouth of this little river which we shall Call Labeasche River [Hood River], the falls mountain [Mount Hood] is South and the top is covered with Snow. one mile below pass the mouth of a large rapid Stream on the Stard. Side [White Salmon River], opposit to a large Sand bar [from Hood River], in this creek the Indians above take their fish, here we Saw Several canoes, which induced us to call this Canoe Creek [White Salmon River] it is 28 yards wide, about 4 miles lower and below the Sand bar is a butifull cascade falling over a rock of about 100 feet [Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, location of the Columbia Gorge Hotel],
[On the route map (Map#78, Moulton, Vol.1) a "C___ Spring" is shown on the north side of the river, today the location of Spring Creek and Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, with no mention of it in any text. On the south side, at the location of Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, only "Cascade" is labeled and "4 Houses of Indians".]
a Short distance lower passed 4 Indian houses on the Lard. Side in a timbered bottom, a fiew miles further we came too at 3 houses on Stard. Side, back of which is a pond [today the location of Drano Lake. The Little White Salmon River empties into Drano Lake.] in which I Saw Great numbers of Small Swan, Capt. Lewis and went into the houses of those people
...
Here the mountains are high on each Side, those to the Lard. Side has Some Snow on them at this time, more timber than above and of greater variety.
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