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Willow Grove Beach, Washington, looking downstream.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Willow Grove ...
On the Beach ...
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Gene and Riley, Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Horse and Rider ...
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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"Horse and Rider and Diamonds", Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Early Willow Grove ...
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Lewis and Clark passed by the Willow Grove area on November 6, 1805, and again on March 26, 1806, on their return back upstream.
In 1841, Wilkes, of the U.S. Exploring Expedition called today's Fisher Island "Plumondon I.". Also plotted was an unnamed smaller island just off the downstream tip of "Plumondon Island", and right off the shore of todays Willow Grove, approximately in the location of the Willow Grove Beach boat launch and park.
Wilkes labeled the downstream tip of today's Willow Grove as "Wala Pt." (where
Coal Creek Slough enters the Columbia River). Coal Creek Slough was called "Wala Creek". Fisher Island Slough was not named.
On an 1854 Government survey, this smaller island was called "Fishers I.", while today's Fisher Island was called "Elizabeth I.". Willow Grove and Fisher Island Slough were unnamed. Coal Creek Slough was labeled "Big Sloug".
The 1888 nautical chart "Columbia River, Sheet No.4, Grim's Island to Kalama", has the small island near Willow Grove unnamed and beginning to merge into Willow Grove, at a point labeled "Cleaveland's Ldg.". The former Elizabeth Island was labeled "Fishers I." and Fisher Island Slough was labeled "Fishers I. Channel". Massive sandbars are depicted in the area of todays Hump Island. Coal Creek Slough is depicted but not named. "Grim's Island" is today's Crims Island.
The 1888-89 U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, "Chart of the Columbia River from the Ocean to Portland, Oregon Illustrating the Condition of the Salmon Fishery, Season of 1888-9" once again has Crims Island labeled "Grim's Island". Coal Creek Slough is called "Big Slough", and the approximate location of today's Willow Grove Beach is labeled "Cleaveland's Land'g". Fisher Island Slough is "Fisher's I. Channel" and Fisher Island is labeled "Fisher's I.". The small island still exists off of Willow Grove and is unnamed. Salmon weirs are depicted off of the unnamed island, and upstream of today's Willow Grove Beach.
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One Overcast Autumn Day ...
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Farm, Willow Grove, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Scenic, Willow Grove, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Red-shouldered Hawk, Willow Grove, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Willow Grove Beach ...
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington, looking upstream.
Gene and Riley walking upstream, Willow Grove Beach. Hump Island is in the middleground and Walker Island is just visible on the right at the base of Green Point.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Golden Retrievers playing, Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Ripples, Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Willow Grove Beach, Washington, looking downstream.
Image taken February 21, 2005.
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Mount St. Helens from Willow Grove Beach ...
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Mount St. Helens, which has been in eruption since 2004, can be seen from along the shoreline of the Willow Grove area.
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Steaming Mount St. Helens from Willow Grove Beach.
View from beach at the public boat dock.
Image taken January 2, 2005.
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Views from Willow Grove Beach ...
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Green Point, Oregon, as seen from Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 28, 2007.
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Jet Skiers, Green Point, Oregon, as seen from Willow Grove, Washington.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Old Fishing Station, Mayger, Oregon, as seen from Willow Grove, Washington, with new Boat House.
Image taken July 28, 2005.
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Crims Island, Oregon, upstream end.
Upstream tip of Crims Island, as seen from Willow Grove Beach, Washington.
Image taken January 2, 2005.
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Hump Island, downstream end.
View from Willow Grove Beach.
Image taken January 2, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 6, 1805 ...
A cool wet raney morning we Set out [from their camp at Prescott Beach] early at 4 miles pass 2 Lodges of Indians in a Small bottom on the Lard Side I believe those Indians to be travelers. opposit is <the head of a long narrow Island close under the Starboard Side [Cottonwood Island], back of this Island two Creeks fall in about 6 miles apart,>
[Cowlitz River delta, Longview, Washington. Today the "two Creeks" are the Cowlitz River and Coal Creek Slough.]
and appear to head in the high hilley countrey to the N. E. opposit <this long Island is 2 others one Small and about the middle of the river> the other larger and nearly opposit its lower point [today the location of Walker Island and Lord Island complex], and opposit a high clift of Black rocks [Green Point, location of Mayger, Oregon] on the Lard. Side at 14 miles;
...
here the hills leave the river on the Lard. Side, a butifull open and extensive bottom [Clatskanie River delta] in which there is an old Village, one also on the Stard. Side a little above both of which are abandened by all their inhabitents except Two Small dogs nearly Starved, and an unreasonable portion of flees—
The Hills and mountains are covered with Sever kinds of Pine—
...
Some willow on the waters edge, passed an Island 3 miles long and one mile wide [Crims Island], <one> close under the Stard. Side below the <long narrow Island> below which the Stard Hills are verry from the river bank and Continues high and rugid on that Side all day,
...
[Lewis and Clark pass, but do not mention today's Germany Creek, Abernethy Creek, and Mill Creek]
we came too to Dine on the long narrow Island [Crims Island] found the woods So thick with under groth that the hunters could not get any distance into the Isld.
...
river about one mile wide hills high and Steep on the Std. [cliffs of Oak Point] no place for several Miles suffcently large and leavil for our camp we at length Landed at a place [Eagle Cliff and Cape Horn, Wahkiakum County] which by moveing the Stones we made a place Sufficently large for the party to lie leavil on the Smaller Stones Clear of the Tide Cloudy with rain all day we are all wet and disagreeable, had large fires made on the Stone and dried our bedding and Kill the flees, which collected in our blankets at every old village we encamped near
I had like to have forgotten a verry remarkable Knob [Mount Coffin, Longview, Washington, now destroyed] riseing from the edge of the water to about 80 feet high, and about 200 paces around at its Base and Situated <on the long narrow Island> [Longview, Washington area, the Cowlitz River delta]
above and nearly opposit to the 2 Lodges we passed to day, it is Some distance from the high land & in a low part of the Island [Cowlitz River delta]
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