Vancouver Spends $2,500 to Open Its River Gate to Bigger Ships
The Northern Pacific dredger cleared a channel with at least fourteen feet of water over the bar below Vancouver, and citizens who guaranteed the cost now wanted an improvement district—and a federal jetty—to keep it open.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Vancouver, Wash., Oct. 9. — The Northern Pacific dredger has completed its work on the bar just below this city and has returned to Portland. The bar now has at the least fourteen feet of water in the shallowest place and this runs up to eighteen feet. The committee of citizens who had the work done are highly pleased at the results obtained. The larger vessels can now come up to this place, load and sail without trouble. In the opinion of those who are acquainted with the river no more trouble will be had until next fall at least. It is possible that the bar will keep itself cleaned out hereafter, and if it does no more dredging will be required in the near future. In order to make it permanent a jetty will have to be built, and this the government will be asked to do by an appropriation. The total cost of the dredging is about $2,500, which was guaranteed by citizens. To raise this sum an improvement district will be formed and the taxpayers will be taxed to pay it. The commissioners will take action soon to this end. The improvement will be of vast importance to this city and surrounding section. The shipping interests will receive a great impetus and it is possible that projected manufacturing concerns will now locate here, as they can get vessels in and out without annoyance.
“The total cost of the dredging is about $2,500, which was guaranteed by citizens.”
Vancouver’s 1903 dredging was a reminder that ports are made, not born: citizens fronted the money, then asked taxpayers and the federal government to keep the channel open. Modern ports still fight over dredging, improvement districts, and federal appropriations, with the same promise of manufacturing jobs.
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