Goble, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Goble is an unincorporated
community in Columbia County
, Oregon
, United States
. It is located on U.S. Route 30 and the Columbia River
.
.
Goble was first settled by Daniel B. Goble in 1853. He took up a donation land claim
and later sold it to it George S. Foster, who laid out a town and named it after Goble. Until there was a railroad bridge built across the Columbia River at Vancouver, Washington
, Goble was the Oregon terminus for the train ferry
to Kalama, Washington
. Goble had a post office from 1894 to 1960.
The history of the area is complicated because there are at five or six different community names applied to at least three locations in close proximity to each other all dating to about the same era. These names include: Hunters, Reuben, Goble, Mooreville, Red Town, Enterprise aka Enterprise Landing, and arguably Beaver Homes.
The history of the area begins with the selection of Kalama, Washington
as the beginning point for the construction of the Pacific Division of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1870. At least by 1879, there was a landing on the Oregon side of the Columbia River across from Kalama known as Enterprise Landing. Reuben, which is a post office name assigned to the location when a post office was sought in 1890 and it was found that the name "Enterprise" was already taken. The physical location is given to be about a mile south of the present day Goble. Reuben was named for the brother of the first postmaster, Reuben R. Foster.
Scheduled Rail service of the Northern Pacific Railway from Tacoma to Kalama began on January 5, 1874. It connected to regular riverboat traffic on the Columbia River. However the Northern Pacific Railroad was chartered to construct transcontinental railroad and telegraph lines between Lake Superior and Puget Sound and completing the connection required a Portland to Kalama route. In 1877, Oregon Senator John Mitchell sponsored legislation calling for the Northern Pacific to forfeit 7000000 acres (28,328 km²) of land grants unless they completed a line to Kalama "as far as practicable along the Oregon side of the Columbia River". The bill didn't pass congress, but on September 8, 1883 the Last spike was driven at Gold Creek, Montana to close the gap in the Rocky Mountain Division section of the Northern Pacific Railroad. A special train celebrating the opening of the transcontinental line arrived in Tacoma on September 13, 1883, which had traveled over the Portland-Hunters line. The Train Ferry Tacoma would go in service the following year.
Hunters, being the railroad ferry site, was also the site of the first post office in the area called "Hunters", which was established May 29, 1888. Hunters was a location about two miles (3 km) south of present-day Goble, and was soon abandoned by the Northern Pacific Railroad in favor of a new ferry slip at Goble. There is no good record of when the move was made, but the Hunters post office was closed to Reuben in October 1893, and Goble was platted in 1891.
and Vancouver, Washington, Goble was the site of an important train ferry.
The Northern Pacific Railroad had built a railroad on the Oregon side of the Columbia River to Goble. In the 1880s, the company bought the second largest ferry
in the world and shipped it to Oregon.
In order to ship the ferry, crews disassembled it into 57,159 pieces and shipped it around Cape Horn
. The ferry, named The Tacoma, was reassembled in Portland and it transported trains across the Columbia first from Hunters and later from Goble to Kalama, Washington from 1884 until 1908.
, supported by logging
, the wood-fired Columbia River steamboat
s that stopped there for refueling, and as many as six trains that stopped in the community daily on the way to Seattle
.
Today there are few businesses remaining in Goble, but the Goble Tavern remains open.
While Rainier
is most often cited as the home of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
, it is actually closer to Goble and Prescott
.
Two types of Zeolite
, called Tschernichite and Boggsite, were first discovered in Goble.
Deer Island, an uninhabited Columbia River island where Lewis and Clark stopped in 1805 and 1806, lies in the Columbia River upstream from Goble. The community of Deer Island
is nearby on the Oregon side of the mainland.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community in Columbia County
Columbia County, Oregon
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for the Columbia River, which forms its eastern and northern borders. As of 2010, its population was 49,351. The county seat is St. Helens.-Economy:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on U.S. Route 30 and 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...
.
History
The Goble area was most likely a stop for the Lewis and Clark ExpeditionLewis 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...
.
Goble was first settled by Daniel B. Goble in 1853. He took up a donation land claim
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 later sold it to it George S. Foster, who laid out a town and named it after Goble. Until there was a railroad bridge built across the Columbia River at Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, Goble was the Oregon terminus for the train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
to Kalama, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Goble had a post office from 1894 to 1960.
The history of the area is complicated because there are at five or six different community names applied to at least three locations in close proximity to each other all dating to about the same era. These names include: Hunters, Reuben, Goble, Mooreville, Red Town, Enterprise aka Enterprise Landing, and arguably Beaver Homes.
The history of the area begins with the selection of Kalama, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
as the beginning point for the construction of the Pacific Division of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1870. At least by 1879, there was a landing on the Oregon side of the Columbia River across from Kalama known as Enterprise Landing. Reuben, which is a post office name assigned to the location when a post office was sought in 1890 and it was found that the name "Enterprise" was already taken. The physical location is given to be about a mile south of the present day Goble. Reuben was named for the brother of the first postmaster, Reuben R. Foster.
Scheduled Rail service of the Northern Pacific Railway from Tacoma to Kalama began on January 5, 1874. It connected to regular riverboat traffic on the Columbia River. However the Northern Pacific Railroad was chartered to construct transcontinental railroad and telegraph lines between Lake Superior and Puget Sound and completing the connection required a Portland to Kalama route. In 1877, Oregon Senator John Mitchell sponsored legislation calling for the Northern Pacific to forfeit 7000000 acres (28,328 km²) of land grants unless they completed a line to Kalama "as far as practicable along the Oregon side of the Columbia River". The bill didn't pass congress, but on September 8, 1883 the Last spike was driven at Gold Creek, Montana to close the gap in the Rocky Mountain Division section of the Northern Pacific Railroad. A special train celebrating the opening of the transcontinental line arrived in Tacoma on September 13, 1883, which had traveled over the Portland-Hunters line. The Train Ferry Tacoma would go in service the following year.
Hunters, being the railroad ferry site, was also the site of the first post office in the area called "Hunters", which was established May 29, 1888. Hunters was a location about two miles (3 km) south of present-day Goble, and was soon abandoned by the Northern Pacific Railroad in favor of a new ferry slip at Goble. There is no good record of when the move was made, but the Hunters post office was closed to Reuben in October 1893, and Goble was platted in 1891.
Train ferry
Before there was a railroad bridge between Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Vancouver, Washington, Goble was the site of an important train ferry.
The Northern Pacific Railroad had built a railroad on the Oregon side of the Columbia River to Goble. In the 1880s, the company bought the second largest ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
in the world and shipped it to Oregon.
In order to ship the ferry, crews disassembled it into 57,159 pieces and shipped it around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. The ferry, named The Tacoma, was reassembled in Portland and it transported trains across the Columbia first from Hunters and later from Goble to Kalama, Washington from 1884 until 1908.
Economy
In the 1890s, Goble was a boomtownBoomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
, supported by logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, the wood-fired Columbia River steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s that stopped there for refueling, and as many as six trains that stopped in the community daily on the way to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Today there are few businesses remaining in Goble, but the Goble Tavern remains open.
While Rainier
Rainier, Oregon
Rainier is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,687 at the 2000 census. Rainier is located on the south bank of the Columbia River across from Kelso and Longview, Washington-History:...
is most often cited as the home of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
Trojan Nuclear Power Plant was a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant located southeast of Rainier, Oregon, United States, and the only commercial nuclear power plant to be built in Oregon. After sixteen years of service it was closed by its operator, Portland General Electric , almost...
, it is actually closer to Goble and Prescott
Prescott, Oregon
Prescott is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. It was named in 1905 for the owner of the local sawmill. The population was 72 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
.
Points of interest
Goble is home to the Goble Caves and other unique geological formations that produce rare crystals.Two types of Zeolite
Zeolite
Zeolites are microporous, aluminosilicate minerals commonly used as commercial adsorbents. The term zeolite was originally coined in 1756 by Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt, who observed that upon rapidly heating the material stilbite, it produced large amounts of steam from water that...
, called Tschernichite and Boggsite, were first discovered in Goble.
Deer Island, an uninhabited Columbia River island where Lewis and Clark stopped in 1805 and 1806, lies in the Columbia River upstream from Goble. The community of Deer Island
Deer Island, Oregon
Deer Island is an unincorporated community in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. Deer Island is located along U.S. Route 30 north-northwest of Columbia City. Deer Island has a post office with ZIP code 97054....
is nearby on the Oregon side of the mainland.
See also
- Cities on the Columbia RiverCities on the Columbia RiverListed in order going downstream:*British Columbia:** Headwaters to the U.S.-Canadian border***Canal Flats***Fairmont Hot Springs***Windermere***Invermere***Radium Hot Springs***Spillimacheen***Golden***Mica Creek***Revelstoke***Nakusp***Castlegar...
- Historic ferries in OregonHistoric ferries in OregonHistoric ferries in Oregon are water transport ferries that operated in Oregon Country, Oregon Territory, and the state of Oregon, United States...
- Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
- U.S. Route 30 in Oregon