Parkerville Landing Site

Due to its location on the lee side of Lady Island, at the confluence of the Washougal and Columbia Rivers, the 3.88 acre site has been a settlement for Native Americans, early explorers and settlers.

Cascade Chinook Indians, including Chief Shlyhoush and family lived in longhouses and their ancestors in housepits along the Washougal River, west and north of the site. Fishing, hunting, plant gathering, basketry, beadwork, canoe travel along the Columbia River and its tributaries, and a salmon-based economy were all part of their rich culture.

David C. Parker
David C. Parker settled here in 1845. Parker obtained a donation land claim in 1851, and later platted the town of Parkersville in 1854. He built a small dock to receive supplies and accommodate riverboats on the Columbia River. Upon Parker’s death in 1858, Lewis Van Vleet, father of Dr. Louisa Wright, the county’s first female doctor, became part owner of the estate and ferry and replatted Parkersville. The Port of Camas-Washougal bought the property in 1968. View the Port of Camas/Washougal Web site for more information.

• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
• Listed on the Washington State Heritage Register in 1976.