![]() Natives descending the river told them of scarcity in provisions (food sources) east of the Cascades. The Corps would eventually camp at this location for six days in order to kill big game, dry the meat, and sew leather sacks in which to store the meat. By triangulating these landmarks, it places their campsite close to present day Capt. Lewis wrote in his journals that they camped on the lower end of a handsome prairie two miles up from the mouth of Seal (Washougal) River and directly across from the upper Quicksand (Sandy) River channel. They arrived at Washougal on Monday, March 31, 1806. The Nez Perce were caring for their horses over the winter and they needed the horses to travel over the Rocky Mountains. On their return to the east, the Corps of Discovery rowed hard against the current hoping to return to the Nez Perce in early spring. But, because the Corps had reached the Pacific in late November, they did not have much time to construct a winter fort before the cold weather set in, therefore choosing the Clatsop region because of the abundance of big game and its view of the Pacific-and they hoped to make contact with a fur trading ship to get word back to President Jefferson about the success of their mission. In fact, when they finally reached the Pacific Coast and conducted their historic vote on selecting their winter camp site, the three viable options considered were the Clatsop area near Astoria (Oregon), the north bank near Chinook (Washington), and the fertile valley near the Sandy and Washougal Rivers. The Corps of Discovery was impressed with the fertile valley located near Washougal. These famed explorers were Meriwether Lewis & William Clark. Then, another important group of explorers visited the region in 1805–1806, but this group came from the east, which marked the first cross-continental expedition. U.S., British, Spanish and Russian fur traders bartered for sea otter and beaver skins in the late 18th century. In reality, the river originates some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the north and east in Canada, but it would be another 18 years before the entire river was charted, by another famed British explorer named David Thompson.Ĭaptain Gray's discovery of the Columbia opened trade between Europeans and Chinook Indians who lived along the lower Columbia between the Cascade region and the river's mouth. Broughton incorrectly assumed the head waters of the Columbia originated from Mount Hood. ![]() ![]() He named Mount Hood after a British admiral and Point Vancouver after his commanding officer. Broughton came as far as present-day Washougal and landed near the east end of Reed Island. In October 1792, Vancouver directed a young Lieutenant named William Broughton to lead a party of men in a long boat up the Columbia to explore its head waters. Robert Gray, a Boston fur trader, entered the mouth of the Columbia River in May 1792, the famed British explorer George Vancouver traveled to the region to verify Gray's discovery. It can be accurately stated that Washougal is the "crossroads to discovery" in the Pacific Northwest. It is home to Excelsior High School and Washougal High School. Motorists who approach Washougal from the west on the Lewis & Clark Highway can see Mount Hood rising above the Cascade Mountains framed by the columnar cliffs that signal the gateway of the Gorge. This small community is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, with its lowlands and famous prairie situated on the west entrance to the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Its Mount Pleasant Grange Hall is the oldest continually used grange hall in Washington. Washougal was officially incorporated on December 4, 1908.
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