Hamilton Island - Barge in Columbia River

Hamilton Island was historically about as far upstream as barge traffic could travel until Cascade Locks was built in the 1890's. Prior to that, only the most intrepid river barge captains would shoot the cascades of the Columbia - but always going downriver, not upriver. The river's rapids were created in a gigantic landslide that buried the river under 200 feet of rubble. The river sliced its way through the blockade, but time had not yet cleared the river's course when settlers arrived via the Oregon Trail.