Memaloose State Park is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
in the
U.S. state of
Oregon, 11 miles west of
The Dalles and accessible via
Interstate 84. Memaloose Island to the north is visible from the state park.
Victor Trevitt, an early member of the
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...
, was buried on the island after his death in 1883; his grave marker is visible on the southern shore of the island.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the island was long used as a Chinook
burial ground
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
.
Rather than truly burying their dead, the Indian peoples wrapped the dead, placed them in canoes, and then left the canoes on the island, some inside cedar vaults.
The name is derived from "Memaloose Ilahee", the
Chinook Jargon for "land of the dead".
Memaloose Island was originally referred to as "Sepulcher Island" by American explorers
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...
and
William Clark in their
1804-1806 expedition.
The state park was established as Memaloose Island Overlook in 1925 on an initial land donation of 2.64 acres. It was further expanded in 1952 and 1953 as private land was purchased for the construction of
I-84
Interstate 84 may refer to:
* Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N
* Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts)
Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...
, with land not used for the freeway being transferred to the park.
Only about a third of the island as seen by Lewis and Clark is still visible above water. The rest of the island was flooded with the construction of
Bonneville Dam further down river, completed in 1937.
Memaloose Island is mentioned in the 1941 folk song,
"Roll on, Columbia, Roll on," by Woody Guthrie.
See also
*
List of Oregon state parks
References
External links
*
*
State parks of Oregon
Parks in Wasco County, Oregon
{{WascoCountyOR-geo-stub