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1943 Map of St Helens

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of St Helens
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Columbia River navigation and the sprawling network of islands and sloughs define this 1943 topographical study. On the Oregon shore, the industrial and residential centers of St Helens and Columbia City are shown at a time of significant growth, connected by the Northern Pacific railroad and the Seattle Highway. The map reveals a landscape of rural schoolhouses and family-named landmarks like Bachelor Flat Sch and Shilo Basin Sch, providing a detailed record of local geography before mid-century modernization.

The river itself is a complex environment of shifting bars and channels, including Bachelor Island and the northern reaches of Sauvie Island. Across the water in Washington, Woodland sits near the confluence of the Lewis River, where landings such as Caples Landing and Fales Landing reflect the era's maritime transport economy. In the western uplands, the Wilark Guard Station and small settlements like Yankton and Trenholm illustrate the expansion into the timbered hills of Columbia County.