Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Ruthton Cove, Ruthton Point, and Ruthton Park, Oregon"
Includes ... Ruthton Point ... Ruthton Park ... Ruthton Cove ... Phelps Creek ... Clifton ... Hood River County ...
Image, 2014, Ruthton Point from Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Point as seen from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.


Ruthton Cove, Ruthton Point, and Ruthton Park ...
Ruthton Point, Oregon, is a cape jutting into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 166, downstream from Phelps Creek and Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, the Columbia Gorge Hotel, and the City of Hood River. Directly across from Ruthton Point is Underwood Mountain, Washington. On the downstream side of Ruthton Point rises Mitchell Point and on the upstream side of the point is Ruthton Cove. On the ridge upstream of Ruthton Point is Ruthton Park, a small park which presents good views of the Washington State and the Columbia River.

Ruthton Point Geology ...
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.

The 2012 U.S. Geological Survey's "Digital Geologic Map of the Hood River Valley" (OFR O-12-03) shows Missoula Flood deposits on the southeast area of Ruthton Point (land southwest of Ruthton Cove), an area now farmed.


Image, 2006, Columbia River and Ruthton Point as seen from Ruthton Park, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		The Columbia River and Ruthton Point, Oregon, as seen from Ruthton Park. Mitchell Point is on the left. Image taken September 29, 2006.
Image, 2006, Columbia River and Ruthton Point as seen from Cook-Underwood Road, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Point, Oregon, as seen from the Cook-Underwood Road, Washington. Image taken May 10, 2006.


Early Ruthton and Ruthton Point ...
According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (McArthur and McArthur, 2003):

"Ruthton Point (HOOD RIVER) ... Ruthton Point is on the Columbia River just west of Hood River. Joseph W. Morton bought a farm including this point in 1886 and applied the elided name of his daughter, Ruth Morton. This information was uncovered by Ruth M. Guppy of Hood River. There was once a Ruthton station here on the Union Pacific Railroad."

The U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System's (GNIS) database shows four features which 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.

A 1931 map of T3N, R10E, depicting "Hood River, Clifton, Ruthton, and Sonny" from the Hood River County 1931 Atlas (Metsker Maps), has today's Ruthton Park labeled "Clifton Park", and today's Historic Columbia River Highway cutting through the park. "Clifton Park" lies in the southeast part of the southeast quarter of Section 28. The community of "Ruthton" lies to the northwest and the community of "Clifton" lies to the southeast.


Early Maps ...

Metsker Map, 1931, Hood River County, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Map detail, Columbia River Highway, Ruthton, Clifton, Clifton Park (Ruthton Park), and Phelps Creek, Metsker Hood River County Atlas, 1931. Map courtesy "HistoricMapWorks.com" website, 2014.


J.W. Morton ...
According to the "rootsweb.com" website (2014), Joseph W. Morton moved to Hood River in June 1883, practiced law in Hood River in 1907, and ran for the U.S. Senate in 1912.

Ruthton Park ...
Ruthton County Park is a small quiet park on the west side of Hood River, and is located just west of the Columbia Gorge Hotel. The park overlooks Ruthton Cove and Ruthton Point. Views of the Broughton Lumber Mill and the old Broughton Flume can be nicely seen from Ruthton Park. Also nice views of Underwood Mountain and the Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery in Washington State, and Mitchell Point, in Oregon.

Views of Ruthton Park ...

Image, 2014, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.
Image, 2014, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.

IN HONOR OF
RUTH MORTON
WHO RESIDED IN THIS AREA
FOR MANY YEARS
Hood River County Historical Society
1975
Image, 2014, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.
Image, 2006, Ruthton County Park, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park, Oregon. Image taken September 29, 2006.
Image, 2006, Ruthton County Park, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton County Park, Oregon. Image taken September 29, 2006.
Image, 2015, Ruthton Park basalt, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park basalt cliff, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken April 9, 2015.

"The best examples of polished, fluted, and scoured basalt surfaces known at high level in [the] Columbia Gorge are riverward of the Columbia River Gorge Hotel, a 1921 structure on the National Historic Register." [Waitt, et.al., 2009]


Ruthton, etc.

  • Clifton Park ...
  • Goats ...
  • Historic Columbia River Highway ...
  • Views from Ruthton Park ...


Clifton Park ...
The Historic Columbia River Highway ran through Ruthton Park, with the park (called "Clifton Park" in 1931) being on both sides of the Highway. Today's Ruthton Park parking area is a remnant of the old road location.

Metsker Map, 1931, Hood River County, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Map detail, Columbia River Highway, Ruthton, Clifton, Clifton Park (Ruthton Park), and Phelps Creek, Metsker Hood River County Atlas, 1931. Map courtesy "HistoricMapWorks.com" website, 2014.


Goats ...
Transients or lawnmowers ???

Image, 2015, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Goats, Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken April 9, 2015.
Image, 2015, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Goat, Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken April 9, 2015.


Historic Columbia River Highway ...
[More Historic Columbia River Highway]
[More HCRH Route]

Image, 2015, HCRH remnant, Ruthton Point, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Historic Columbia River Highway remnant, Ruthton viaduct above Ruthton Point, Hood River, Oregon. Viewing restored stonework. View from moving car heading west on Interstate 84. Image taken April 9, 2015.
Image, 2015, HCRH remnant, Ruthton Point, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Historic Columbia River Highway remnant, Ruthton viaduct above Ruthton Point, Hood River, Oregon. Viewing end of stonework and original pavement. View from moving car heading west on Interstate 84. Image taken April 9, 2015.
Image, 2014, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.


The Ruthton Park parking area was once the path of the Columbia River Highway. There is a small 100-foot remnant of original highway left here, not shown in this image.
Image, 2015, Ruthton County Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Large boulder and four concrete bollards, Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken April 9, 2015.


Views from Ruthton Park ...

Image, 2006, Columbia River looking downstream from Ruthton Overlook, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Columbia River and Ruthton Point, looking downstream from Ruthton Park, Oregon. Mitchell Point is visible on the left. Image taken September 29, 2006.
Image, 2005, Mitchell Point, from Ruthton Park, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Mitchell Point from Ruthton Park, Oregon. Image taken June 4, 2005.
Image, 2006, Columbia River looking downstream from Ruthton Overlook, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Cove on the upstream (east) side of Ruthton Point, looking downstream from Ruthton Park, Oregon. Image taken September 29, 2006.
Image, 2014, Underwood Mountain, Washington, from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Underwood Mountain, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.
Image, 2014, Broughton Mill, Washington, from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Broughton Mill, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.
Image, 2014, Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, Washington, from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, Washington, as seen from Ruthton Park, Hood River, Oregon. Image taken November 10, 2014.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, October 29, 1805 ...



Columbia River GorgeReturn to
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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:
  • "HistoricMapWorks.com" website, 2014, Hood River County;
  • McArthur, L.A., and McArthur, L.L., 2003, "Oregon Geographic Names", Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland;
  • McClaughry, J.D., Wiley, T.J., Conrey, R.M., Jones, C.B., and Lite, Jr., K.E., 2012, "Digital Geologic Map of the Hood River Valley, Hood River and Wasco Counties, Oregon", U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report O-12-03;
  • Norman, D.K., and Roloff, J.M., 2004, "A Self-Guided Tour of the Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - Portland Airport to Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Washington", Washington State Division of Geology and Earth Resources Open-File Report 2004-7, March 2004;
  • Norman, D.K., Busacca, A.J., and Teissere, R., 2004, "Geology of the Yakima Valley Wine Country - A Geologic Field Trip Guide from Stevenson to Zillah, Washington", Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources Field Trip Guide 1, June 2004;
  • "rootsweb.com" website, 2014; Hood River County;
  • U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database, 2006, U.S. Board of Geographic Names;


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.
/Regions/Places/ruthton_point.html
November 2014