Fishing at Willamette Falls - c. 1842

This engraving is taken from the five-volume set (plus an atlas) "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition", by Charles Wilkes, published in 1845. The Wilkes Expedition spent four years circling the globe, returning to the U.S. on the Pacific Coast, before making their way back to Washington D.C.

Thus the original sketch by Joseph Drayton was made on site in 1841, and the engraving likely created by Jordan and Halpin in 1842. The scene, of course, is traditional fishing at Willamette Falls, featuring men from the Clowwewalla and other tribes.

-- This engraving is restored and printed by Old Oregon.