Drifters on the Columbia
Three adventurers arrive in Kennewick via a 300-mile journey on a homemade scow from Kettle Falls.
At 3 p.m. last Thursday, D. Bevan and A. Goddard of the Coeur d'Alene country, and Chester Cox of Colville, tied up at the Kennewick dock after a 300-mile trip down the Columbia River from Kettle Falls in a homemade scow. They built the boat near the river and drifted with the current for weeks. The boat, seven feet wide and 25 feet long, was outfitted with bunks and a table. The men, who were experienced in river travel from the Yukon to the Mississippi, planned to continue their journey to Portland, where they intended to make their homes.
“They report easy going and a fine trip with the exception of a rough time at Rock Island, six miles below Wenatchee.”
This story captures a lost era of the Columbia River, where itinerant travelers used the river as a highway before the massive dam projects permanently altered its flow and character. It serves as a reminder of the river's historic role as a corridor for human movement and informal exploration.
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