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Ruthton Point, Oregon.
View from Ruthton Park Overlook, just west of Hood River, Oregon.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Ruthton Point ...
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Ruthton Point, Oregon, juts into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 166, downstream from Hood River, Oregon. Directly across from Ruthton Point is Underwood Mountain, Washington. On the downstream side of Ruthton Point rises Mitchell Point. On the ridge upstream of Ruthton Point is Ruthton Park, a small park three miles from Hood River, which presents good views of the Columbia River.
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Ruthton Point, Oregon, as seen from the Cook-Underwood Road, Washington.
Image taken May 10, 2006.
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Ruthton Point Geology ...
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According to Norman and Roloff (2004, from Allen, 1979),
Ruthton Point is composed of east-dipping bright-yellow palagonite tuff and breccia, the result of lava from a nearby intracanyon volcano, or possibly from Quaternary Underwood Mountain volcano across the river, pouring into a lake formed by a lava dam.
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Early Ruthton Point ...
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According to Oregon Geographic Names (McArthur and McArthur, 2003), in 1886 Joseph W. Morton bought a farm which included the point of land jutting into the Columbia River, and named it after his daughter Ruth Morton. There once was a Ruthton Station on the Union Pacific Railroad line.
According to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, four features carry the name "Ruthton": Ruthton, a historical locale at elevation 121 feet, Ruthton County Park at elevation 371 feet, Ruthton Cove, and Ruthton Point, both at elevation 79 feet.
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Views of Ruthton Point ...
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Columbia River, looking downstream from Ruthton Park, Oregon.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Railroad cutting across the neck of Ruthton Point, as seen from Ruthton Overlook, Oregon.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Train across Ruthton Point, Oregon.
View from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon.
Image taken May 10, 2006.
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Ruthton County Park ...
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Ruthton County Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 29, 2006.
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Views from Ruthton Park ...
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Mitchell Point from Ruthton Park, Oregon.
Image taken June 4, 2005.
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Underwood Mountain, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Overlook, Oregon.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Hood, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Overlook, Oregon.
Hood, Washington, was the end of the line for the Broughton Flume.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Broughton Log Flume, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Park, Oregon.
The Flumes destination, Hood, Washington, is just upriver (to the right).
Image taken June 4, 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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