Dave Knows Portland

November 4, 1805: Lewis and Clark Pass Sauvie Island

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On Monday, November 4, 1805 Lewis and Clark continued down the Columbia River towards the Pacific Ocean from their camp at the mouth of the Salmon Creek in what is now Clark County Washington.

William Clark recorded in his journal:

we proceeded on met a large & a Small Canoe from below, with 12 men

the large Canoe was ornimented with Images carved in wood the figures of 〈man &〉 a Bear in front & a man in Stern, Painted & fixed verry netely on the 〈bow & Stern〉of the Canoe, rising to near the hight of a man

two Indians verry finely Dressed & with hats on was in this canoe passed the lower point of the Island which is nine miles in length

That island was Sauvie Island, named Wappatoe Island on Lewis and Clark’s maps (Oregon Geographic Names 7TH Edition, by Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur). The expedition also spotted five volcanoes that day; Mount Adams, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens.

November 3, 1894: Oregon State University and the University of Oregon Play First “Civil War”

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Sunday Oregonian headline, 4 November 1894The first “Civil War” game between between the Oregon State University and the University of Oregon football teams took place in Corvallis on Saturday, November 3, 1894 (Sunday Oregonian, 4 November 1894).

Oregon State was then known as the Oregon Agricultural College, and the University of Oregon was referred to as the State University.

Five hundred people saw the Oregon Agricultural College football team defeat the State University eleven today by a score of 16 to 0. The game was marked by brilliant plays throughout. Playing began at 1:30 and for the first few plays the Eugene players went with a dash that won plaudits from all, and it seemed that they would do up the “Farmers” in short order. Their game consisted principally of straight runs around the ends. On center plays their work was generally ineffectual against the heavy rush line of the home team, and many times cost them considerable loss in yardage. Their interference was fairly good. Much improvement could have been made by concentration, for their playing seemed to be too open. The Oregon Agricultural College made large gains around Eugene’s right end.

The teams have met 113 more times since 1894. They have played to ties 10 times. Eugene’s team has won 56 of the match ups, while Corvallis has been victorious 46 times.

November 2, 1969: First Oregon Country Fair Concludes

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Oregon Country FairThe Oregon Country Fair, noted for fostering the Flying Karamazov Brothers and nudism, for creative smoking materials, and for being very laid back, is held each July in Veneta, Oregon along the Long Tom River (The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane, by Richard H Engeman).

But the very first Oregon Country Fair took place on November 1 and 2, 1969 in Eugene.

The Oregon Country Fair had its beginnings as a “Renaissance Faire,” a neighborhood fund-raising event for the Children’s Community School, held in Eugene on November 1 and 2, 1969. With the slogan “Come in costume,” the fair featured booths for the sale of crafts and artwork, musicians, and food; the theme reflected the then-growing counterculture movement.

The first fair featured 35 booths and drew 3000 fairgoers (The Sunday Oregonian, 18 October 1970). Known as the Oregon Renaissance Faire until the mid-70s, the fair soon acquired the permanent site near Veneta (The Oregonian, 24 June 1976).

November 1, 1889: Portland’s First Electric Street Railway Line Makes Inaugural Trip

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Morning Oregonian headline, 2 November 1889The formal opening of the Portland-St. Johns electric railway line, the first electric line in Multnomah County, took place on Friday, November 1, 1889 (Morning Oregonian, 2 November 1889). The line extended from Downtown, across the original Steel Bridge, and then North to St. Johns.

The construction company, required by its contract to turn everything over in good running order, invited about a dozen gentlemen to take part in the inaugural ride. The men boarded the well appointed car, elegantly furnished in cherry and ash . . . provided with electric lights, which made a beautiful effect at 3:30pm.

In a few minutes the words, “All right; go ahead.” was spoken, when the young man manipulating the lever, turned on the subtle fluid, and away the car sped. It ran rapidly and with scarcely a jar. There was none of the jerky motion so common to the horse, steam or cable car. “How very smooth she runs,” everybody exclaimed when the car got fairly under way and went spinning across the bridge. A few moments delay was occasioned by the swing to and fro of the ponderous draw, to enable a steam to pass through. Then away the car went whirling along. The eastern approach of the bridge was passed, terra firma was speedily reached, and then the electric motor car went “kiting” around the acute curve and shot away down the street toward Albina. After running about a half a mile, another car, upbound, was met a switch. The car coming south was loaded “to the guards” with people of Albina.

The new line, replacing old horse-drawn streetcar lines, would open for regular traffic soon after. The Morning Oregonian writer speculated, presciently, that the enterprise would open up a large section of the country, and will doubtless be the means of rapid settlement on the peninsula.

Further reading:

October 31, 1805: Lewis and Clark Reach the Cascade Rapids

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Cascade RapidsIntrepid explorers Lewis and Clark faced one of their toughest challenges when, on October 22, 1805, they reach Celilo Falls. The falls were the beginning of a 55 mile stretch of rapids, falls, and generally dangerous river conditions.

It took the explorers two days to portage several miles around Celilo Fall’s 38 foot drop. At The Dalles the non-swimmers portaged, and the foolhardy swimmers decided to shoot the rapids in their canoes . . . and they survived!

Finally, on October 31, 1805, the expedition reached the grand Shute, later known as the Cascade Rapids,

The rapids were the . . .

. . . final barrier to the broad, swift, flat waters of the lower Columbia. What Lewis and Clark called “the great Shute” was a four-mile stretch where the river ran “with great velocity fo[a]ming & boiling in a most horriable manner” (Oct. 31, 1805). ) The party cleared the last of the Cascades on November 2, at times portaging along a well-used Indian trail.