Fleck's Auto Camp & The Stone Watchman

Ben Carscallen, June 10, 2020

"[The reverse was a] view of Vista House from probably the chalet grounds. It’s a B.C. Markham view from the 20s no doubt. He was based in The Dalles at that time."

Steve Hart, July 16, 2020

I've been messing around trying to find a place that Aaron posted a bit ago. Fleck's Auto Camp and the Stone Watchman. They are supposed to be near each other and near Rufus.

I found a lot of stuff online about Flecks, but it was all really brief. One site said it was located at the junction of the CRH and the road to the Maryhill Ferry. That's at Grant, maybe a mile east of the Biggs Bridge. I couldn't find the Watchman or a likely curve.

Another site said Fleck's was a mile west of Rufus. That didn't seem promising either, because the CRH west of Rufus travels straight across the flat valley all the way to Grant. Fleck's in the photo is on a curve and it's near the hillside.

My mom was raised in Rufus and I've been to the town many times. I've always wondered about 2nd Street. Rufus is generally laid out in a standard N-S-E-W grid. The CRH cuts across at a diagonal angle. 2nd Street also cuts across at a diagonal, but it's at a different angle than the CRH. I've always though it weird that TWO oddball street would come in across the grid at different angles.

I found a 1947 aerial view and guess what, 2nd Street used to continue west straight as an (diagonal) arrow, until it reached the bluff. Then it continued west all the way to Grant, where it crossed the 20s CRH and became the Maryhill Ferry Road. Hmm. Is it possible people once referred to the entire road as the Maryhill Ferry Road, Does it possibly predate the CRH and it was only road from Rufus to the Maryhill Ferry? The route today can still be traced on satellite, but it's a mix of driveways and farm roads.

Well, what is a mile west of Rufus on this route? The remains of an orchard. The old views show many more orchards. The curve looks promising too, although trees have covered the hillside on the south and of course development has changed things on the north.

What about the stone watchman? This one is a real reach. In fact I found a dozen rocks that look more like a face than the initial photo. Still, here's a Google Maps view of the bluff directly above the curve. Is there a watchman?

(ADD - Thank's to Kathy for noticing the rock formation. We may be a few 100 feet off, but we've definitely found Fleck's.)

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Kathy Roberts Kennedy, June 16, 2020

Look at the stone outcrop, and compare it to the photo of the Auto Camp. I think this photo is a little further east.

Steve Hart, June 16, 2020

Good call. There's another curve a bit farther west that might be it, but it's not publicly accessible. That's definitely the same rock though!! Thanks for pointing that out.

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Richard Loseth, July 11, 2020

...as a side note, it is remarkable that Verne Baker survived nearly 3 years of war torn Europe (1942/44) before meeting his death.

Kirk J. Poole, July 11, 2020

He was KIA in Leyte, Philippines. He had a lengthy wartime lifespan.

Richard Loseth, July 11, 2020

I cannot begin to imagine his story, how fantastic!

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