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Station Camp, near McGowan, Washington.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Station Camp ...
Campsite of November 15-24, 1805 ...
"Station Camp" was located on the Washington shore of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) _____, just downstream of McGowan, Washington and upstream of Chinook Point, the location of Fort Columbia.
Station Camp was established by Captain Clark and the majority of the men on November 15, 1805, and was located 4 miles downstream of their "Dismal Nitch" campsite near today's Megler Rest Area. To get to Station Camp the men first had to pass the "blustery point" of Point Ellice.
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proceeded on passed the blustering point below which I found a butifull Sand beech thro which runs a Small below the mouth of this Stream is a village of 36 houses uninhabited by anything except flees ... as the tide was Comeing in and the Seas became verry high imediately from the Ocian (imediately faceing us) I landed and formed a camp on the highest Spot I could find between the hight of the tides, and the Slashers in a Small bottom this I could plainly See would be the extent of our journey by water, as the waves were too high at any Stage for our Canoes to proceed any further down. in full view of the Ocian from Point Adams to Cape Disapointment ..."
[Clark, November 15, 1805]
Station Camp was located near the site of an abandoned Chinook Indian summer camp. The men used boards from the village for construction of shelters. Station Camp was to be the expedition's main camp for the next 10 days. On November 25 the men moved back to Pillar Rock in order to cross the river. Their goal was to
spend the winter on the Oregon side of the Columbia.
In 2004 Station Camp became part of the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, a grouping of sites important in the Lewis and Clark story.
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Station Camp, near McGowan, Washington.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Closeup of Sign, Station Camp, near McGowan, Washington.
Image taken April 19, 2005.
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Base Camp ...
On November 14, 1805, Captain Lewis and four of the men left the "Dismal Nitch" campsite to explore the rest of the way to the
Pacific Ocean. They were hoping to find sea traders in Baker Bay.
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"... Capt Lewis concluded to proceed on by land & find if possible the white people the Indians Say is below and examine if a Bay is Situated near the mouth of this river as laid down by Vancouver in which we expect, if there is white traders to find them &c. at 3 oClock he Set out with 4 men Drewyer Jos. & Reu. Fields & R. Frasure, in one of our large canoes and 5 men to Set them around the point on the Sand beech. this canoe returned nearly filled with water at Dark which it receved by the waves dashing into it on its return, haveing landed Capt. Lewis & his party Safe on the Sand beech. ..."
[Clark, November 14, 1805]
Lewis and his group of men reached the Pacific on November 15, 1805, near modern-day Seaview, Washington. They arrived back at Station Camp on November 17. The next day Captain Clark and 11 men set out for their journey to the Pacific, traveled up the coast as far as Long Beach, and arrived back at Station Camp on November 20.
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Station Camp, near McGowan, Washington.
Work is being done around Station Camp to improve it for the upcoming 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark passing through the area.
Image taken April 19, 2005.
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The Vote ...
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On November 24, 1805, the entire expedition made their historic vote on where to winter over. The Oregon side of the Columbia River won the vote and the Lewis and Clark expedition left Station Camp on November 25th, and headed back towards Pillar Rock in order to cross the Columbia at a narrow stretch. The men would end up establishing the winter camp on the banks of the Lewis and Clark River. They would call their winter home Fort Clatsop.
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Views from Station Camp ...
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Columbia River looking downstream from Station Camp.
Looking downstream towards Chinook Point. Cape Disappointment is on the skyline.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Saddle Mountain, Oregon, from Station Camp, Washington.
Astoria, Oregon, is along the shoreline, with the Astoria-Megler bridge just visible on the left.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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St. Mary's Church from Station Camp ...
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Immediately upstream of Station Camp is McGowan, Washington, where, in 1904 St. Mary's Catholic Church was built.
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St. Mary's Catholic Church, McGowan, Washington.
Church as seen from Station Camp.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 15, 1805 ...
Rained all the last night, this morning it became Calm and fair, I preposed Setting out [from their camp at Megler Cove, near Megler Rest Area], and ordered the Canoes Repared and loaded; before we could load our canoes the wind Sudenly Sprung up from the S.E. and blew with Such violence, that we could not proceed in Safty with the loading. I proceeded to the point [Point Ellice] in an empty Canoe, and found that the waves dashed against the rocks with Such violence that I thought it unsave to Set out with the loaded Canoes -- The Sun Shown untill 1 oClock P M which ...
About 3 oClock the wind luled, and the river became calm, I had the canoes loaded in great haste and Set Out, from this dismal nitich where we have been confined for 6 days passed [Megler area] ... proceeded on passed the blustering point [Point Ellice] below which I found a butifull Sand beech thro which runs a Small below the mouth of this Stream is a village of 36 houses uninhabited by anything except flees ... as the tide was Comeing in and the Seas became verry high imediately from the Ocian (imediately faceing us) I landed and formed a camp on the highest Spot I could find between the hight of the tides, and the Slashers in a Small bottom [Station Camp, McGowan, Washington] this I could plainly See would be the extent of our journey by water, as the waves were too high at any Stage for our Canoes to proceed any further down. in full view of the Ocian from Point Adams to Cape Disapointment [Cape Disappointment], I could not See any Island in the mouth of this river as laid down by Vancouver. The Bay which he laies down in the mouth is imediately below me [Baker Bay]. This Bay we call Haleys bay from a favourate Trader with the Indians which they Say comes into this Bay and trades with them Course to Point adams is S. 35o W. about 8 miles To Cape Disapointment is S. 86o W. about 14 miles ...
our men all Comfortable in their Camps which they have made of boards from the old Village above. we made 3 miles to day.
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Gass, November 15, 1805 ...
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This morning the weather appeared to settle and clear off, but the river remained still rough. So we were obliged to continue here until about 1 o'clock, when the weather became more calm, and we loaded and set out from our disagreeable camp [Megler area]; went about 3 miles, when we came to the mouth of the river [Columbia River] , where it empties into a handsome bay [Baker Bay]. Here we halted on a sand beach, formed a comfortable camp [Station Camp], and remained in full view of the ocean, at this time more raging than pacific. One of the two men who first went out came to us here, the other had joined Captain Lewis's party. Last night the Indians had stolen their arms and accoutrements, but restored them on the arrival of Captain Lewis and his men in the morning.
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Ordway, November 15, 1805 ...
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a wet morning. about 10 oClock A. M cleared off the after part of the day calm and pleasant we loaded up the canoes and at low tide we Set out and went down about 5 miles passed an old Indian village a little below the clifts passd. Several Small creeks. the country below the clifts is lower and covred with Small timber. we Camped [Station Camp] in a verry large bay [Baker Bay] on a Sand beach on L. Side [right side ???] . one of the men who went down the River first joined us. Several Indians with him. he informed us that the Savages at the village Stole two of their guns when they were asleep last night, but when Capt. Lewis went to the village they Scared them So that they gave them up again. we took plank from the old village to make us Camps &C.
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Whitehouse, November 15, 1805 ...
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We had a considerable quantity of rain during last night, & this morning we had wet rainey weather. About 10 o'Clock A. M. the weather cleared off, & in the afternoon it became tolerable calm weather. We loaded our Canoes and went with the ebb tide down the River about 4 Miles, and passed a large Indian Village, which was evacuated & some springs, or small Creeks, which lay below Clifts of rocks on both sides of the River. The Country appeared to lay lower than it had been. We encamped at a sand beach [Station Camp] , at the head, or upper part of a large bay [Baker Bay]. One of the Men that had went down the River in the Canoe, joined us here. He informed us, that the Indians had stole several of their Guns last night; but they scared the Indians so much; that they gave them up to them this morning. He mentioned that Captain Lewis had gone on, to another Bay. We found plank to make up our Encampments with.—
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Clark, November 16, 1805 ...
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S 80° W. 2 Miles to a point of a low bottom on the Stard. Side [Station Camp] (where we
Encamped 10 days in a narrow bottom Slashey in full view of
the Ocian) passed a Small Creek at 1 mile an old Chin nook
Village of 36 houses at 1½ miles a butifull Sand beech and
narrow bottom below the Creek on Stard.
S. 86° W. 11 Miles Computed to Cape Disapointment [Cape Disappointment] the enterance of this
great river [Columbia River] into the great Pacific Ocian [Pacific Ocean] a large Sand bar off
Point Adams [Point Adams, Oregon]. a Deep bay to the Stard. [Baker Bay] with 2 Creeks falling
into it [Chinook River and Wallacut River] and the Coast for a fiew Leagues to the N W Shall be
discribed here after.
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