Afternoon on Sauvie Island

April 23, 2006 Bec and I went for a drive and ended up on Sauvie Island. Sauvie Island is about 10 miles from the city center of Portland. We explored with Wildlife Refuge (mostly from the car) on this wonderful spring day.

Here is a history of the island from Wickipedia.

1792 - British Lieutenant William Broughton in George Vancouver's expedition explores the island and names the northern tip "Warrior Point" after being greeted offshore by 23 canoes of armed Multnomah Indians.

November 4, 1805 - The Lewis and Clark expedition lands, names it "Wapato Island" after the abundance of Broadleaf arrowhead plants.

1832 - Much of the native population dies in an epidemic; Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver removes survivors and burns settlements.

1834 - American Nathanial J. Wyeth builds and occupies Fort Williams, a small trading post, to compete with the British; abandoned 1836.

c1836 - Hudson's Bay Company establishes dairies on the island, managed by French-Canadian employee Laurent Sauvé (after whom the island is now named).

1851 - "Mouth of Willamette" Post Office established; renamed "Souvies Island" the following year.

1858 - James Bybee builds the Greek Revival Bybee-Howell House. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and today is part of the Metro's Howell Territorial Park, operated by the Oregon Historical Society.

1889 - Warrior Rock Lighthouse established at Warrior Point.

1930s - The Army Corps of Engineers builds flood-control dikes.

1940s - Sauvie Island Wildlife Area acquired by the state of Oregon

December 30, 1950 - Sauvie Island Bridge opens; Sauvie Island Ferry closes.

2006 - Multnomah County begins construction of new Sauvie Island Bridge, due to open in 2008.

To find out more about this beautiful island visit their official website Sauvie Island