General Information:	1-888-397-7210
Established:	January 16, 1854
Elevation at St. Helens:	42 feet above sea level
Area:	657 square miles
Average Temperature:	January: 39 degrees F July: 68.4 degrees F
Population:	43,560 (2000 Census estimate)
Assessed Value:	$2,804,727,094
Principle Industries:	Agriculture, Lumber, Fishing, Tourism

 

Points of Interest:
Paper Mill at St. Helens, Lewis & Clark Bridge at Rainier, Lower Sauvie Island Game Reserve, County Fairgrounds, County Museums in St. Helens and Vernonia, County Parks.

County Commissioners: Tony Hyde, Rita Bernhard, Joe Corsiglia.

County Assessor: Sue Poling.

County Clerk: Betty Huser.

County Sheriff: Phil Derby.

County Surveyor: Jerry Keenon.

 

St. Helens, Oregon History

St. Helens, a deep-water seaport is located on the Columbia River 29 miles northwest of Portland, and 66 miles southwest of Astoria. It is a successful combination of recreation and industry, urban and rural, old and new. Situated on the beautiful Columbia River, a view to the east and north shows the majestic peaks of Hood, Adams and St. Helens. An hour’s drive to the west takes you through beautiful Douglas fir country, with its lofty branches forming an arch over the road, to the famed Oregon coast. A half-hour drive to the southeast takes you to the Portland metropolitan area, with its many cultural advantages, and another hour’s drive brings you to the grandeur of the Oregon Cascades and Mt. Hood’s skiing resorts. St. Helens is well located for all these activities. Also it is the county seat for Columbia County and the largest city in the county with a population of approximately 11,000.

Meriweather Lewis and William Clark passed the rocky bluffs on which St. Helens was later to be built, in the winter of 1805 on their memorable journey to the Pacific Ocean. Many of the old sailing ships stopped in the area to trade with the Indians. Nathaniel Wyeth of Boston established a temporary fort in 1832 at the lower end of Sauvie Island just across from St. Helens. The place of his first fort is still known as Warrior Rock.

Bartholomew White had the first sawmill in St. Helens as early as 1844. This was taken over by Henry Knighton, en emigrant, in 1845. Knighton filed a pre-emption claim on land for the site of St. Helens in 1846 and moved here in 1847. Knighton had his claim surveyed and mapped in 1848-1850. He believed that his town, which he had first named Plymouth (after the New England town) and later Casenau (after a prominent Indian Chief) and eventually changed to St. Helens, would easily surpass the newly founded village of Portland as a fresh water port. Perhaps it might have, but the Pacific Mail docks in St. Helens burned, and Portland businessmen persuaded Pacific Mail to move its terminal to the new town on the Columbia River at the mouth of the Willamette River.

Authorities differ on the source of the name of St. Helens. Some believe that Knighton named the settlement for the mountain plainly visible across the river; others insist that the Knighton family came from St. Helens, England, and named it for the old hometown. The famous geologist, Thomas Condon, taught the first school in St. Helens. In 1854, Columbia County was created, being formerly a part of Washington County. After a heated battle, St. Helens was named the county seat in August 1903. The old courthouse made of locally quarried stone, was built in 1906. The present town site was chartered by an act of the Legislature on February 25, 1889. The post office was established in 1853.

Being originally settled mainly by New Englanders, who were loggers, this became the principal industry early in the history of St. Helens. However, later an Italian community developed in the uptown area, and these newcomers did not join into the logging and farming of the area but were mainly in the construction trades. This signaled a new direction for the area -- manufacturing. Manufacturing has been the principal source of income since; however, still mostly in the wood products industry.

 

Scappoose, Oregon History

Scappoose, named “gravelly plains” by the Chinook Indians and once covered by an ice-age ocean, served as prime Indian hunting grounds. Chief Casino of the Kiersinno Tribe held stewardship over his people and their lands. The plains of wild grass fed herds of elk and deer, the rivers supplied spawning beds for salmon and ancient forests covered the hills.

Scappoose was a meeting place. The Chinook tribes held annual Pow-Wows complete with feasts, trading, gaming and horse races. Descendants of the non-native settlers from Maine, Kansas, Nebraska, Czechoslovakia and Switzerland continue the Indian’s legacy through festivals and celebrations today.

According to “The History of Scappoose” by James Loring Watts, a descendant of the early settlers, the bounty of wildlife astounded Lewis and Clark during their 1804-1806 travels, and later captured the attention of migratory fur traders.

Rich in natural resources, Scappoose offered occupations for loggers, brick makers, blacksmiths, shingle millers and dairy farmers in the early years, to gravel mining operators and pickle/sauerkraut makers today. Scappoose residents enjoy their quiet life away from bustling metropolitan areas.

Non-native settlers arrived in 1828. Coming from land, the first non-native inhabitant was Thomas McKay, stepson of John McLoughlin, commander of Fort Vancouver. The fort, up the river from Scappoose, was a thriving trade center for the Hudson’s Bay Company. McLoughlin assigned McKay to find pastureland for the fort’s expanding herd of horses. McKay found it and the wild grasslands of Scappoose. He established a horse ranch northeast of the present day Scappoose airport. McKay married a Chinook princess, daughter of the highest Chinook Indian chief, Chief Concomley.

Coming from the sea, was James Bates, an American sailor, who jumped ship at Scappoose Bay and became the area’s first farmer.

In 1829, a Boston merchant trader, Captain Dominus, sailed his ship, The Owyhee, into Scappoose Bay and brought the deadly plague to “gravelly plains”. With little natural resistance, the Indians died in large numbers. Chief Casino survived and succeeded Chief Concomley as the highest-ranking chief of the Chinook tribes.

The first wagon train rolled to a stop in Scappoose in 1842. The David A. Cloninger family is believed to have arrived with this group of settlers.

Passed by Congress, the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 allowed settlers to claim large tracts of land if they agreed to improve it. In 1852 the William Watts family arrived by wagon train with their six children and one nephew and built a homestead. The Watts family brought a civic spirit to Scappoose.

During the last Indian uprising in 1855 (the Indians protested against the settlers) the non-native settlers hastily built a block house on West Lane Road for protection. 

1863 saw more settlers coming by train, sternwheelers and oxen carts. The Columbia River became a vital trade route, with side-wheelers and then sternwheelers traveling up the Columbia River and Multnomah Channel moving goods and people. Cordwood and milk were primary exports of the area. The fare to Portland was 25 cents.

The last wagon trail crossed the plains over the Oregon trail bringing the Asa Holiday family in 1883. By this time the trail was six tracks wide and worn 6 feet deep by ox teams and high-wheeled wagons.

A railroad depot and switching yard was built on the six acres donated by William W. West. It was called Scappoose Depot. Then in 1852 Timothy Lambertson and Malcolm McKay built the first sawmill. S. T. Gosa built a dock, store and post office on his Multnomah Channel claim in 1856. Dairy farmers settled on the plains, and in 1883 a store and post office was built east of the railroad.

More stores and businesses were built in Scappoose and the town grew. The city of Scappoose was incorporated in 1921.

 

Warren, Oregon History

Warren is a quiet little suburb that was settled by friendly, home-type Scandinavian people. Early settlers included the Bacon brothers who were Civil War veterans. The population of Warren in 1880 was 275 people, so a post office was established on February 19, 1885. James Gill was the first postmaster. He named the town after his birthplace of Warren, Massachusetts. RFD began in Warren in 1904 on horseback. Mr. Young, a local merchant, sold 64 mailboxes that summer.

By 1910 there were 588 persons registered to vote in Warren precinct which included Bachelor Flat and McNulty. Mr. E. E. Quick was Warren’s first school teacher. Later he taught school in St. Helens until he became the county school superintendent for three terms. He also became the County Clerk and later the County Treasurer.

Mr. Merit Hazen from Pennsylvania bought some timberland in Warren in 1879. He became the county Assessor and later the Justice of Peace for six years. Mr. Hazen was responsible for developing general farming in this area.

In 1884 the railroad was built between Portland and Astoria. Chinese labor was used to build the railroad, as well as for clearing the land for the original highway.

Mr. Dahlgren bought 160 acres of land here prior to 1912, on which there was a striking rural scene. The property contained an 1890 water tower with a windmill next to it. Behind that were two barns constructed before 1895. The original Dahlgren house burned down and the present one was built in 1921. Today that house with its water tower, windmill and barn is a conversational item.

Electricity came to Warren in 1924.

The West Spar Logging Company came to Warren in 1927. The log trucks were not allowed on the county roads, so they built a plank road on the south side of Church Road then it continued on the west side of the Old Portland Road to Bayport where there was a loggers camp. The camp contained family houses, a cook house, and a bunk house for loggers. Glen Olsen’s family sold milk and delivered eggs to the loggers camp. Milk was just 8 cents a quart, delivered, in 1928. 

Oscar Erickson and Sons owned and operated the largest store in Warren. Art Lund became a partner in that general store by 1920. After a few years, the Lund family bought out the Erickson family. Art, Harry and Harold Lund operated the Lund Brothers General Store until it closed. The store sold everything from toothpicks to thrashing machines, from candy to Graham Paige cars. The hall above the store was used for many school functions, as well as for church services and as the lodge hall for the Woodsmen of the World.

Vassa Order of America built a hall across from the railroad tracks that housed the Scandinavian Lodge. The hall had a receiving station at ground level for freight from the train. The top floor was a large hall and a dance floor. “It wasn’t the safest place in the county on Saturday night.”

There were 4 trains a day bringing freight, passengers and mail to the Warren area. The first train arrived at 9:00 a.m. bringing the mail. Warren Lund’s dog, a St. Bernard named “Big Ben” always met the train and brought the mail sack into the post office, which was in the SE corner of the store.

Prior to World War II, Warren had an airstrip. This property was called the C. W. Noon Ranch. The Noon Ranch was a showplace of Oregon and was so productive that the Northern Pacific built a track in to pick up products from the ranch.

Warren has a unique country atmosphere away from the city with a great, magnificent view.

 

Columbia City, Oregon History 

Columbia City’s location on the bank of the "Mighty Columbia River" made it a link in development of River transportation. The steamboat navigation was started on the Columbia River by the building of the combination sail and steam sidewheel ship "Beaver" launched in 1834 at London, England, for the Columbia and Willamette River traffic by the Hudson Bay Company. On its first voyage up the Columbia River to where it was to be based at Fort Vancouver, it would have gone by the sight that is now Columbia City. All that was here then was an Indian fishing village, which they called "Cumahi." There is no way to tell how it was spelled for the Indians did not have a written language.

Steam navigation continued to aid in the River development. The Caples Brothers of Columbia City owned and operated the Sternwheeler "Metlako" and ran it on a passenger and freight schedule from Portland to Woodland, Washington, and waypoints. The Graham Brothers owned and operated the Sternwheeler "Ottawa" out of early Columbia City. Later the Caples Brothers owned and operated the steam-powered propeller-driven "Victor." The three-foot diameter four-blade propeller of the "Victor" is now on display at the Caples House Museum.

The McVey house was built in 1871 as a store with a residence on the second story. By 1891 the building was also used as the Post Office. This was the only boat landing in the City, and River traffic stopped to pick up passengers and refuel—many of the River-going vessels burned wood for power. This house is a historic landmark and still stands at 2040 The Strand.

The Caples House was built in 1870 by Doctor Charles Caples, a doctor in the area. The house was presented to the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1959 and is open to the public. The facility consists of the Main Museum (which is the original house), the Carriage House (which has been converted into a Costume house and Children’s Attic with old dolls and toys), a Country Store, a Pioneer Tool Shed, and the Knapp Social Center (which contains an assembly room, kitchen, library, and caretakers' living quarters). A brochure is available explaining their tour hours and rental fees.

During World War I the Sommarstrom Brothers built a shipyard with four ways - to build four ships at once - in the South part of Columbia City where River Club Estates is now located. They hired a large crew and built wood ships for the U.S. Government. When the war ended, the ship contracts were cancelled. 

The City of Columbia City received its charter in 1926.

 

Deer Island, Oregon History

Deer Island, in the Columbia River, was named by Lewis and Clark. They first visited the island on November 5, 1805, on their way down the Columbia and again on March 28, 1806, on their return. It was on the second visit that the party had good luck getting venison. Captain Lewis noted in his diary that the Indian name for the island was E-lal-Iar, or Deer Island. The compiler is unable to identify this Indian word. The town of Deer Island, which is on the mainland, was named for the island. The post office was established in 1887.