The Great Columbia River

The Columbia River, located a few miles west of here, was one of the first highways in the West. American Indians used canoes as their principal transportation between camps and villages along the river, carrying fish, roots, berries, baskets and other trade goods as cargo.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through this region in 1805 and 1806. Native people from villages along the Columbia River often met the explorers on the water and sometimes joined the voyage for short distances. In March 1806, a large flotilla of canoes accompanied Lewis and Clark as they paddled upstream. Lewis wrote, "their principal object I believe was merely to indulge their curiosity in looking at us."
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November 6, 1805
"The Indians in this part of the country have but few horses, their intercourse and business being chiefly by water." ~ Patrick Gass
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March 30, 1806
"there were several large canoes drawn out on shore and several natives seting in a canoe apparently waiting our arrival; they joined the fleet and continues with us some miles.... we were joined by several other canoes of natives from the Island." ~ Meriweather Lewis
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Handsome Canoes
Expedition



members marveled at the canoes of the American Indians of the Lower Columbia. Carefully crafted from large cedar trees, the canoes were designed to glide smoothly through rough waters.

Some canoes were decorated with carved figures on the bow and stern. Lewis and Clark described and illustrated five styles of Indian canoes used for different purposes on the river, including the one shown above. Clark wrote, "They prize their Canoes very highly: we have been anxious to obtains Some of them, for our journey up the river...."

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Show me all markers in:  Ridgefield, WA  |  Clark County  |  98642  |  Washington  |  United States of America

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