Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
1946 State Parks Report: Crown Point State Park and Vista House
This new state park area can well be described as being the western end of the Columbia Gorge. It is twenty four miles from Portland, marked by metes and bounds as being in Section 30, Township 1 North of Range 5 East, W.M., Multnomah County, containing 28.71 acres, which includes the Vista House. Of this area 0.79 acres were a gift to the State by Multnomah County, the deed dated August 15, 1938, 0.92 acres were a gift to the State by the City of Portland, deed dated December 27, 1938, and 27 acres were purchased from Mary N. Gilbaugh, deed dated November 23, 1945.
Crown Point, with its Vista House, is probably the best known and most widely publicized view point anywhere along the Columbia River Highway. It is situated on an immense resistive rock formation that extends well out toward the river, with recessed basins on either side. A situation that permits of wonderful, unobstructed views from the Vista House, both up and down stream. Looking to the west, the immediate foreground, reveals the top of Rooster Rock. Further to the west, the river is broad, with many low-water sand bars, some naked, some willowed. Both sides of the stream have steep, rock slopes to the uplands which are patterned with prosperous farms, forming a delightfully peaceful scene that merges into the distant rising background of the Coast Range. In the eastward foreground are naked rock formations, channeled sloughs, tree covered sand mounds, islands and river bars, all clearly seen beside the Oregon river bottom farms. Fort Rock [Angel's Rest], a point on the not distant Oregon shore, reaches nearly to the river, cutting off the upstream view, with Larch Mountain looking over its rising right flank. On the Washington side, the elevated sloping plateau is also checkered with farms which reach well up on the slopes of Mount Zion. Cape Horn, tunneled for the railroad, projects prominently to the stream side, with Beacon Rock and the point beyond, intercepting the river view above Fort Rock point. This picturesque, composite view of river, hills and edifying cultural features, as seen from Crown Point, is a most pleasing and edifying introduction the the scenic Columbia Gorge and the state parks that are ahead.
It was a timely, as well as a bold, forward looking movement of the part of Multnomah County and the City of Portland, to acquire this sightly view point and construct thereon the picturesque edifice that has become so widely known, and done so much toward introducing the scenic worth of the Columbia Gorge to the traveling public. Both the County and City are to be commended for authoritatively transferring this property to the State as permanent feature of the Columbia Gorge State Park setting.
W. A. Langille
State Parks Historian
December 5, 1945
Recommendations:
Modern latrines should be installed.
Building needs general repairing.
S. H. Boardman
State Parks Superintendent
March 25, 1946
Chester H. Armstrong, "History of the Oregon State Parks: 1917-1963" (1965)
Crown Point State Park is located on the old Columbia River Highway, 24 miles east of Portland in Multnomah County.
The first area obtained for this park was a gift of 1.71 acres from Multnomah County and the city of Portland in 1938. On this land is the famous Vista House, located on a promontory jutting out from the south wall of the Columbia River Canyon. This gift was followed by two additional gifts from Multnomah County in 1952, another in 1958 and a fourth in 1962, totaling 18.02 acres. Nine areas, totaling 250.68 acres, were purchased between the years 1945 and 1962, making a total of 270.41 acres in the park at the close of 1963.
A log cabin located on the Dimmitt property, the most recently purchased parcel, was dismantled and the land was leveled in order to provide more use space.
The park land is covered with fir timber interspersed with some maple, alder, willow and other trees of lesser value.
...
Water for this park is obtained from the Corbett Water District.
Visitors at Crown Point during 1963 totaled 380,114.
Chester H. Armstrong (compiler), 1965, "History of the Oregon State Parks: 1917-1963, published by Oregon State Parks. Qtd. in Topinka, "Crown Point, Oregon" http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/crown_point.html
Oregon State Parks: Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
The first tract was given to the state by the City of Portland and Multnomah County in 1938. From 1945 to 1971, additional were added. Crown Point is a National Natural Landmark. A noteworthy architectural feature is the observation building encircled by the scenic old Columbia River Highway. The Vista House was built in 1916 to provide a vantage point and rest stop for motorists. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Acreage: 305.75
Annual day use attendance: 542,060
Oregon State Parks: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkHistory&parkId=108
Links
Oregon State Parks: Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkHistory&parkId=108
Guide to the Marshall Newport Dana Papers: 1869-1969