The frontage road that parallels Highway 30 is a fragment of the old highway. The island and the land in its vicinity were named by Lewis and Clark. It remains a sleepy hamlet with a store, a scattering of houses, and a trailer court.

Oregon State Archives - A 1940 Journey Across Oregon

DEER ISLAND, 34.2 m.  [West of Portland] (48 alt., 75 pop.), is a small community opposite the island of the same name visited in 1805 and again in 1806 by Lewis and Clark. The naming of Deer Island is thus accounted for in the report of Lewis and Clark: "We left camp at an early hour, and by nine o'clock reached an old Indian village.... Here we found a party of our men whom we had sent on yesterday to hunt, and who now returned after killing seven deer in the course of the morning out of upwards of a hundred which they had seen."

Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images.com: Deer Island, Oregon

Deer Island is a large island nearly 5 miles long and 2 miles wide, encompassing over 3,000 acres, and is located on the Oregon side of the Columbia River beginning at River Mile (RM) 77. Directly across the Columbia from Deer Island is Woodland, Washington, and Martin and Burke Islands. Downstream lies Goble, Oregon, and upstream lies Columbia City and St. Helens, Oregon. Just off the east shore of Deer Island lies Goat Island. Deer Island is one of the few remaining large islands in the Lower Columbia area that has remained largely undeveloped. The island, which contains sloughs and lakes interspersed with grassy marshes and pasture, receives heavy use by wintering waterfowl as well as bald eagles, purple martins, and a variety of other wildlife.

According to J. Neilson Barry (1932, "Columbia River Exploration", IN: Oregon Historical Quarterly):

"Broughton gave the name Burial Head to Coffin Rock. He then named Sandy Island. The passage behind Deer Island was supposed to be the mouth of a river, which he called Hartwell's River. Deer Point was charted as Point Scott, probably for Midshipman James Miller Scott, on the Chatham. The name Urry's Islands was given to Martin and Burke's islands ..." [Barry, 1932]

Lewis and Clark referred to this island as "E-lal-lar Island" or by the translated name of "Deer Island".

"... the Indians call this large Island E-lal-lar, or Deer Island, which is a very appropriate name.    the hunters informed us that they had Seen upwards of a hundred Deer this morning on the island ..." [Clark, March 28, 1806]

On November 5, 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition stopped on Deer Island to dine.

"... an extensive low Island, Seperated from the Lard side by a narrow Chanel, on this Island we Stoped to Dine ... I walked out found it open & covered with grass interspersed with Small ponds, in which was great numbr. of foul, the remains of an old village on the lower part of this Island, I saw Several deer ... [Clark, November 5, 1805]

On the Corps' return trip in 1806, the men camp on Deer Island.

Historical Marker: Oregon History - Deer Island

Deer Island in the Columbia was named by the Lewis and Clark Expedition which stopped to dine here November 5, 1805 on its way down river. Homeward bound the explorers camped on the island on March 28, 1806. Captain Clark recorded "This morning we set out very early and at 9 a.m. Arrived at an old Indian village on NE side of Deer Island where we found our hunters had halted and left one man with the canoes at their camp. They arrived last evening and six of them turned out very early to hunt, at 10 a.m. They all returned to camp having killed seven deer... The Indians call this large island E-Lal-Lar, or Deer Island. 

THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE: Oregon History - Deer Island

Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 45° 56.111′ N, 122° 50.871′ W. Marker was near Deer Island, Oregon, in Columbia County. Marker was on Columbia River Highway (U.S. 30) near North Buck Way, on the right when traveling north. 

...

Marker was removed prior to April of 2015 and my understanding is that it is now with the Oregon Historical Society because the Oregon Department of Transportation does not want to maintain it.

Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images.com: Deer Island, Oregon

Deer Island Slough 

Deer Island Slough is a 6-mile-long backwater channel of the Columbia River and separates the western side of Deer Island to the adjacent floodplain. A dike was constructed about at the mid-point of the Slough and completely separates the slough into a northern and southern section, known as North Deer Island Slough and South Deer Island Slough. Water levels are regulated by tide gates located on the northernmost and southernmost ends of the two sloughs.

Merrill Creek 

Merrill Creek, nearly 8 miles in length, is a tributary of lower Tide Creek and enters Tide Creek approximately one mile upstream from Tide Creek's confluence with South Deer Creek Slough.

According to Oregon Geographic Names (McArthur and McArthur, 2003), Merrill Creek was named after George Merrill who settled on Deer Island in 1851 and filed a Donation Land Claim. Merrill Creek rises in the hills west of Deer Island.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database (2012) shows George and Ann Merrill being granted title to 640.68 acres of T5N R1W, sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 16, and 17, on June 16, 1868 (1850 Oregon-Donation Act).

Links

ColumbiaRiverImages.com:  Deer Island, Oregon

Includes ... Deer Island ... "E-lal-lar Island" ... Tide Creek ... Merrill Creek ... Deer Island Slough ... Campsite of March 28, 1806 ... Hunters campsite of March 27, 1806 ...

http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/deer_island.html 

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