Washougal Tutors

About Washougal

In the shadow of Mt. St. Helens to the north and Mt. Hood to the south, Washougal, Washington is on the northern banks of the Columbia River about 30 minutes east of Portland. When the Lewis and Clark expedition reached the confluence of the Columbia and Washougal River, William Clark noted that it was a “good wintering Place.” A few years later, fur trader Alexander Ross of the John Jacob Astor Company referred to the area as Washougal in his journal Adventures of the First Settlers Upon the Oregon or Columbia River. In the Chinookan Native American language the word means “rushing waters,” a fitting label for this section of the Columbia. In the years before it became part of the Oregon Territory there was only sporadic settlement, mostly trappers and fur traders. More settlers began to invade in the 1840’s. In 1845, African-American pioneer George Washington Bush explored what would later become Washougal and the first American child born north of the Columbia came from his group. Richard Ough and David Parker, who took advantage of Donation Land Claims (640 free acres per couple), are usually credited as the first permanent settlers in Washougal. By 1909 the town was well developed with local magazine The Coast boasting that Washougal “has its waterworks and fire department; an up-to-date telephone system with lines extended through all the surrounding farming districts.”

A year later the Union Woolen Mill came to town offering jobs and prosperity. Over the years the mill has changed names but continues to be one of the largest employers in the community. The mill consistently produces the best men’s Pendleton shirts in the world. Indeed, one of the most interesting things to do in Washougal is the Pendleton Mill Store Tour. Pendleton shirts were originally developed in Pendleton, Oregon and began to be made in Washougal in 1924. The tour is sometimes guided by Charles Bishop, a descendent of the Bishop brothers who originally founded the mill. The tour has been listed by CNN as one of the “Nine Great American Factory Tours” and the mill was recently honored by the local chamber of commerce as “Business of the Year.”

A Washougal tutor will keep you caught up on your studies so you can enjoy a little time away from the books. For nature lovers, the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge is on the eastern edge of Washougal where the Cascade Range meets the Columbia River. The refuge is over 1,000 acres of wetlands and woodlands with ample opportunities to view local birds and animals. It offers over two miles of trails where hikers may see birds such as loons and cormorants as well as Osprey and Bald Eagles. In fact, the refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds. Mammals include beaver, mountain lion and river otter. The lake itself is also home to more than 30 different types of fish.

For those interested in the history of the area, the Two Rivers Heritage Museum has a large collection of objects including Native American baskets and artifacts. The museum features over 6,000 photographs of historical buildings and people as well as cemetery records and family history records. “School Days” is one of the most recent featured exhibits at the museum with a display which depicts a typical one-room schoolhouse from the 1800’s and early 1900’s.