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MARKER DATABASE
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Goldendale in Klickitat County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
 

Lewis & Clark Trail

1893-1806

⎯⎯⎯
Samuel Hill Bridge

A Memorial

 
 
Lewis & Clark Trail Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 12, 2026
1. Lewis & Clark Trail Marker
Inscription. Two panels are found on this marker:
Panel 1:
" I have scarcely experienced a day since our arrival without some novel occurrence or uncommon object."
Meriwether Lewis

President Thomas Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition across an uncharted continent, which culminated in a journey down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson called his daring group the "Corps of Discovery" for they faced many obstacles and challenges along the way, including Celilo Falls, just west of Maryhill. In October, 1805, the leaders and some men ran the dangerous falls in their pirogues, while others portaged around,

Panel 2:
"Old makes way for new as bridge replaces Columbia's Maryhill Ferry."
The Seattle Times, November 25, 1962

The tug-barge ferry made its final official run from near Biggs, Oregon, to just east of Maryhill, Washington, on the last day of October, 1962. The ferry was replaced by the nearly one-half mile long Samuel Hill Memorial Bridge, which filled in a missing link of U.S. 97, often called "the inland sunshine route to the south," and connected it with the Columbia River
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Highway, U.S. 30 (I-84). Sam Hill had drawn plans for such a bridge more than fifty years earlier
 
Erected by Maryhill Museum of Art.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Exploration. In addition, it is included in the Lewis & Clark Expedition series list.
 
Location. 45° 40.701′ N, 120° 51.697′ W. Marker is in Goldendale, Washington, in Klickitat County. It can be reached from Maryhill Museum Drive near Lewis and Clark Highway (Washington Route 14). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 Maryhill Museum Drive, Goldendale WA 98620, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Columbia River Gorge, in the Columbia Basin and in Yakima Valley. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles
Samuel Hill Bridge Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 12, 2026
2. Samuel Hill Bridge Marker
of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lewis & Clark Journals (here, next to this marker); Grain Elevators / The Oregon Trail (a few steps from this marker); Loops Road (within shouting distance of this marker); First Sight of the Columbia River (approx. 1.2 miles away in Oregon); Stonehenge (approx. 2.9 miles away); Sam Hill Country (approx. 3 miles away); Deschutes River Crossing (approx. 3.9 miles away in Oregon); Deschutes River Crossing Oregon Trail Kiosk (approx. 3.9 miles away in Oregon). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goldendale.
 
Also see . . .  Samuel Hill (1857-1931) - History Link. "Samuel Hill made the Northwest his home for a little more than 30 years, leaving a legacy of philanthropy, monuments, and highways still visible in the twenty-first century." (Submitted on September 10, 2026, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.) 
 
Lewis & Clark Trail / Samuel Hill Bridge Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 12, 2026
3. Lewis & Clark Trail / Samuel Hill Bridge Marker
Portrait of Samuel Hill by Yvonne Thivet, Maryhill, ca. 1926 image. Click for full size.
4. Portrait of Samuel Hill by Yvonne Thivet, Maryhill, ca. 1926
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2026, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 10, 2026, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
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Oct. 27, 2026