Indian Villages
 

Information on the villages is only approximate and a lot of assumptions.

Most of these villages have washed away or been covered by dikes or farms. We had planned on sharing more information but then we realized this would be an invasion of the  privacy of the people now living on these sites.

 

CO-1 Warrior Rock

    This is known as a Canoe burial site. Some of the people told me that they use to bury their dead in these canoes. Not sure if that is really true. 

    The approximate location is Township 4N, Range 1W, Section 10 ; part of the Cunningham claim.

     Some say that the rock structure that the lighthouse is on is why we have Sauvie Island.  When there was a flood those rocks held back the dirt and debris and before long we had an island.  To know more about this read ... Cataclysms on the Columbia by Joh Elliott Allen and Stone Age on the Columbia by Emory Strong.

 

The next  4 villages were in Columbia County along the Multnomah Channel in Township 3N, R1W, sections 19,20.  This appears to be the original sites of DLCs of

Benjamin Morgan and later bought by Cholick. Marquis Armstrong had an early claim in this area.

       CO-6   This village was towards the uppermost section of Sturgeon Lake on the             Multnomah Channel side.  No traces remain of this site. It was considered a                    prehistoric site.

        CO-7   Pump House site  along the Multnomah Channel.  This site was studied             and excavated by the Oregon Archaeological Society. (Screenings, Vol. 4, No. 3)

    CO-8   A large village now covered by the dike.

    CO-9  Cath-lah-min-na-min

    This village was near the border of Multnomah County and Columbia County along the Multnomah Channel. It was on the claim of Benjamin Morgan. This might have been the site of the Multnomah Stone. Stories about the stone say it was on the land of an English man. Benjamin was English.  This site is also called Cholick.

 

The Sunken Village

    This village was/is  located near where the Columbia River and the Willamette meet.  Evidence of the village could still be seen at low tide a few years ago.

 

MU-2  Multnomah

    This village was located along the Columbia River on what is now the Simon Morgan Reeder Claim near Sturgeon Lake. It was the largest village on the island. 

    The legend of the  "Bridge of the Gods" was supposedly based on this site.

 Located in Township 3North, Range 1West  Sections 26, 27  below the Columbia County and Multnomab County line in Multnomah County.  Near this claim is the claim of Horace McIntyre. Relatives of the McIntyres still live on the island.

 

The next 3 villages are located around Sturgeon Lake  in T3N, R1W, section 33.

    MU-3   Ancient site on Sturgeon Lake. Located in the middle of the island.

    MU-4  In same area as MU-3 but closer to the Multnomah Channel.

    MU-5  Another village around Sturgeon Lake. Located below MU-3 and MU-4

 

Mu-6,7,8 are very close to each other and seem to be on the claims of James Logie and James Taylor.  They are along the Multnomah Channel in Township 2N, Range 1 W, Sections 6 or 7

    MU-6 Cath-la-na-qui-ah   Near the site of Fort William on the Logie?Moar claim.          Dr. McLoughlin had this town burned down because of the small pox epidemic             that        killed so many.

    MU-7  Fort William.  I think the settlers named this Fort William after the Fort               William in Scotland.

    MU-8   Another site near MU-6 and MU-7.

     

MU-9   Merrybell This site was studied and excavated by the Oregon Archaeological Society in 1958.    

 

MU-10   Located at the tip of the island near the Columbia River side of the island where the Columbia and Willamette meet.