Bachelor Island (Washington)
Encyclopedia
Bachelor Island is an island in the U.S. state
of Washington. It is located in the Columbia River
near Ridgefield
, just south of the mouth of the Lewis River
and a few miles north of the mouth of the Willamette River
. The island stretches from Columbia river mile
88 to 91.5. The northern end of Sauvie Island
lies across the Columbia from Bachelor Island.
Bachelor Island is separated from the mainland by Bachelor Island Slough and Lake River
. Bachelor Island Slough separates from the Columbia River at Bachelor Point and the southern end of Bachelor Island. The slough joins Lake River, which empties into the Columbia River at the northern end of Bachelor Island.
Most of Bachelor Island is part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
.
first called the island "Green Bryor Isd," when they passed it while traveled downriver in 1805. They changed the name to "Quathlahpotle Island" in 1806, during their return voyage upriver. The name honored a large village, "Quathlahpotle", of 14 wooden houses and 900 inhabitants on the mainland nearby.
In 1841 Charles Wilkes
of the United States Exploring Expedition
named the island "Pasainks Island". Bachelor Island Slough he called "Piscou Creek". It was sometimes called Columbia Island during the 19th century.
In 1849 or 1850 three bachelors took donation claims
and settled on the island, giving rise to its present name, Bachelor Island.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It is located in the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
near Ridgefield
Ridgefield, Washington
Ridgefield is a city in the pastoral, rolling-hills countryside of northern Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,763 at the 2010 census....
, just south of the mouth of the Lewis River
Lewis River (Washington)
The Lewis River is a tributary of the Columbia River, about long, in southwestern Washington in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range north of the Columbia River. The drainage basin of the Lewis River covers about . The river's mean annual discharge is about . Unlike nearby Lewis...
and a few miles north of the mouth of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
. The island stretches from Columbia river mile
River mile
In the United States, a River mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the River kilometer...
88 to 91.5. The northern end of Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island, in the U.S. state of Oregon, originally Wapato Island or Wappatoo Island, is the largest island along the Columbia River, at 26,000 acres , and the largest river island in the United States...
lies across the Columbia from Bachelor Island.
Bachelor Island is separated from the mainland by Bachelor Island Slough and Lake River
Lake River (Washington)
Lake River is an approximately 10-mile long, typically slow-moving waterway that runs parallel to the Columbia River. From Vancouver Lake it flows north to the northern tip of Bachelor Island....
. Bachelor Island Slough separates from the Columbia River at Bachelor Point and the southern end of Bachelor Island. The slough joins Lake River, which empties into the Columbia River at the northern end of Bachelor Island.
Most of Bachelor Island is part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a wildlife preserve, one of the National Wildlife Refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service...
.
History
Lewis and ClarkLewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
first called the island "Green Bryor Isd," when they passed it while traveled downriver in 1805. They changed the name to "Quathlahpotle Island" in 1806, during their return voyage upriver. The name honored a large village, "Quathlahpotle", of 14 wooden houses and 900 inhabitants on the mainland nearby.
In 1841 Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
of the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
named the island "Pasainks Island". Bachelor Island Slough he called "Piscou Creek". It was sometimes called Columbia Island during the 19th century.
In 1849 or 1850 three bachelors took donation claims
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
and settled on the island, giving rise to its present name, Bachelor Island.