Early Highway of the West - Gee Creek Rest Area
N 45° 47.957 W 122° 40.817
10T E 524846 N 5071796
This historical marker resides within the Gee Creek Rest Area off of the southbound lanes of I-5 in Washington State.
Waymark Code: WMG9D2
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 02/01/2013
Views: 6
Travelers heading south on I-5 and stopping here at the
Gee Creek Rest Area might notice a historical marker standing inconspicuously by a bulletin board near the restrooms. The historical marker was erected by the
Washington State Parks in reference to the historic journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The following text is taken from the marker and reads:
Early Highway of the West
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 beive was merely to indulge their curiossity 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...."