Skamania, Washington
Encyclopedia
Skamania is a small unincorporated community
in Skamania County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
of Washington.
Skamania is home to Skamania Elementary School and the Skamania General Store. It is also, in Franz Lake, home to wintering grounds for Tundra Swans, and 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of Wapato, previously extinct in Washington and endangered in Oregon, now scarce but stable in both states.
. It is also near the Sams Walker Day Use Site, which is maintained by the US Forest Service
.
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...
in Skamania County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington.
Skamania is home to Skamania Elementary School and the Skamania General Store. It is also, in Franz Lake, home to wintering grounds for Tundra Swans, and 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of Wapato, previously extinct in Washington and endangered in Oregon, now scarce but stable in both states.
Geography
- Skamania is located at Latitude: 45.614717 : Longitude: -122.051644
- Skamania is located in the Columbia River GorgeColumbia River GorgeThe Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
National Scenic Area.
History
The Stevenson area has been home to Native American settlements for thousands of years. Their villages were focal points for commerce and social gatherings as they came to trade and fish along the riverbanks. Some of the first explorers and missionaries in the area included Lewis & Clark, David Thompson and Dr. Spaulding. They used the Columbia River to get through the Cascade Mountains on their way to the Pacific Ocean. In 1843, the Oregon Trail brought the first settlers there. Pioneers portaged around the Cascade Rapids on their way to the Willamette Valley. Some of these pioneering families chose to stay there. The Stevenson family, who settled there in the 1800s from Missouri, founded the town of Stevenson on the old Shepard donation land claim. Under the supervision of the Stevenson Land Company, George Stevenson purchased the original town site for $24,000 in 1893, building the town along the lower flat near the river. Settlers expanded the original dock to serve the daily arrivals of sternwheelers unloading passengers, cargo and loading logs.Recreation
Skamania is near Beacon Rock State ParkBeacon Rock State Park
Beacon Rock State Park is a state park of Washington, USA, in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, on State Route 14 about east of Vancouver, Washington....
. It is also near the Sams Walker Day Use Site, which is maintained by the US Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
.