World file photo
The steamboat Selkirk noses in at the Entiat landing about 1905. It was part of the fleet of steamboats that connected Wenatchee with upriver points until construction of the railroad in 1914.
A historical look at the Columbia River’s local influence
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STORY BY JAANA HATTON
f you had been standing on the banks of the Columbia River in the Wenatchee area some 100 years ago, the view would have been much different from today. The currents and the shoreline in those days meandered in different locations than now. Had you been here a thousand years ago, you would have watched the native tribes conducting their daily lives and on occasion, multi-tribal gatherings with thousands of participants in the present-day Wenatchee and East Wenatchee areas. The Columbia River was the connector for traders and travelers, as well. In 1811, David Thompson led a crew of explorers along the Wenatchee
River to the Wenatchee River Delta, where it meets the Columbia River. The Thompson party encountered a hesitant group of horsemen of the Sinkowarsin tribe and after a lengthy session of pipe smoking, the Thompson crew followed the horsemen to their village near the Rock Island rapids. The visit went well and the explorers moved on in the evening with good wishes from the villagers. The Rock Island rapids at that time were notorious for being rough and nearly impassable. The local tribes, however, found the location good for fishing. These days, the strong currents are controlled by the Rock Island Dam which began operating in 1933. September / October 2020
Foothills
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