The Princess of Washougal

It is always pleasant to find interesting stories and histories in places we travel. One such saga comes from the small town of Washougal, Washington on the banks of the Columbia River. We passed through after an adventure on the Oregon Coast, spending only one night in Washougal. It wasn't much, but enough to give me a small taste for the setting of this story. 

Across the Columbia River from Washougal is the imposing figure of Mount Hood. This snow-capped dome is mesmerizing and attracts the gaze no matter where you are. The banks of the river are fertile, providing feed for deer and other wildlife. Nearby in the Cascade Mountains are several waterfalls, most of them much less known than their counterparts on the Oregon side of the river. Washougal is considered a gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. 

Washougal is located across the Columbia River from Mount Hood.

Before arrival of Europeans the lower Columbia River was occupied by several different bands of Chinook-speaking Indians. Early explorers classified them as Cascade Peoples. These indigenous groups thrived off salmon from the river. 

This is where our story begins. 

Richard and Betsy (White Wing) Ough.

The leader of the Cascade Indians in this area was a man by the name of Chief Schulyhus. He came from royal lineage. Early Europeans called him “Sly Horse” because they couldn't pronounce his name. His wife, Running Fawn, was from the tribe whose village was in the location of present-day Washougal. 

To this union was born a daughter they named White Wing. I couldn't find much on White Wing's childhood, other than the obvious fact that if her father was a chief, then that made her a princess. It is said of her father that he “held the Cascades and the salmon fisheries on the Columbia River.” 

Washougal is a gateway to the Columbia River Gorge.

One day around 1832, White Wing and her father were catching salmon on the river. She paddled while her father lanced them with a spear. As the story goes, when they looked up they saw, “oh so many canoes coming and lots of white men in them.” They quickly paddled to shore where they considered killing the new intruders. 

One of them, a big man named McLoughlin, stepped forward and said, “No fight. We want to trade. You go and bring plenty good skins and see all the nice things I will give you for them. I got all pretty things what Indians like.” 

This man was Dr. John McLoughlin, a fur trader and officer of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Vancouver. But it was the gentleman standing next to him that caught White Wing's attention. He was big also, standing at six foot two and weighing 240 pounds. And he “looked so nice!” His name was Richard Ough. 

Apparently the enchantment was mutual. The two couldn't keep their eyes off one another. Richard wanted to follow White Wing, but didn't in fear of losing his scalp. 

Fertile land as it may have appeared when the Cascade Indians called this home.

A month passed and Richard couldn't get White Wing out of his mind. He mustered the courage to return to the village. Here, it is said, he spent eight days haggling with Chief Schulyhus to take his daughter in marriage. Finally the chief gave in on the condition that he build her a house on the river and stay in the area for all time. 

Richard Ough didn't waste any time. The next day he summoned “100 Indian canoes” and began work on a small log cabin. This cabin was built near Fort Vancouver, which is down-river from present-day Washougal. 

The couple was married, with John McLoughlin performing the ceremony. He used the moment to seal peace between the two groups: “White Wing, this man is a big warrior and a good man. When I make you marry him, the red man and the white man will be brothers. They must live all the time in peace and never fight each other. The Indian must catch plenty salmon and get lots of good furs and trade them to the white man. The white man must get plenty things the Indian likes and always trade fair and never cheat the Indian." 

After many festivities which included singing, dancing, eating, jigging and giving gifts, the couple moved into their little cabin. It was here that they began raising a family. This was the beginning of a relationship that would last more than 50 years. During that time, Richard would call his new wife “Betsy.” 

Roughly eight years later, it was recommended that they move upriver where they could build a house and raise a farm. They bought a piece of land on the north bank of the Columbia River from a struggling Englishman for $45, a saddle horse, and a "baking of bread." This was on the location of present-day Washougal. They were the first settlers on record to have lived there. 

Betsy was known the rest of her life for her generosity. There's a story of a family passing through with two young babies. The mother was too sick to take care of them, so the Ough family took them in for a week to help her recover. On their way out, they gave them the family cow so the young girls could have milk. Betsy always referred to the babies as her "cowgirls."

Betsy and Richard spent the rest of their days in Washougal. She was known as a pioneer doctor and was designated as the community midwife. She also owned many acres of land, which was uncommon in those days for women. Richard and Betsy sold much of their land in what would eventually become the city of Washougal. 

Betsy died around the age of 100 (she didn't know her exact age). She and her husband were buried in the local cemetery. 

Parker's Landing.

Washougal is a laid-back town. Everything seems to slow down a notch on the north side of the river. Our hotel was located near Parker's Landing, just off the bank of the river. This was the location of White Wing's tribal village. 

Parker's Landing is a good place for pedestrians and anyone wanting to sit down and enjoy the breeze. There's a dock, park benches, and grass. From here there is a good view of Mount Hood on the other side of the river. Mount Hood is the tallest peak in Oregon and fourth highest in the Cascades. It is an active volcano, with occasional bits of steam escaping its vents. 

My family was kind enough to let me drive them to another cemetery. We drove north on a quiet street, past the high school, and to a point roughly between the Washougal River and Campen Creek. I'm sure that it looked much different a century ago. 

It didn't take long to find the burial plot for the Ough family. The headstone for Richard had fallen over and had recently been propped back up with a metal brace. Three large cracks revealed where the headstone had broken. Nearby we found the headstone of their daughter, Elizabeth Dunn. Surprisingly, however, there is no grave marker for Betsy. 

Burial plot for Ough family.  There is no headstone for Betsy.

Grave of Richard Ough.

Grave of Elizabeth Dunn, daughter of Richard and Betsy.

I had suspected this from my research, but it still baffled me. I supposed that Betsy White Wing Ough was some sort of historical celebrity in Washougal. But maybe not. I would have thought that by now her descendants, or the city, would have banded together to place a large memorial over her grave. Perhaps someday that will happen. 

I think there is hope. Our travels led to one more place that is attempting to preserve the legacy of Betsy White Wing. 

We left the cemetery and drove down Main Street. I have never seen a Main Street so quiet and dead. No one was out. We turned right, and then another right, and came to another empty road—C Street. We parked in front of the city library. 

On a wall facing the street was painted a large mural: seven white egrets, six of them flying through the sky; five woven baskets sitting on the ground. In the background are clouds, trees, and Native American designs. At the bottom it reads: “Dedicated to Betsy White Wing.” 

The 9 x 25-foot mural was created in 2019 by Toma Villa, an internationally renowned artist from the Yakama Nation. The birds represent White Wing with her grace and beauty. Seven is a significant number in Columbia river longhouses. The birds face east, which is the way the wind blows on the river. The baskets accentuate White Wing as a weaver. 

The artist was inspired by a quote from Richard Ough when describing his feelings for the young princess: “…he thought he could see White Wing in the clouds and in the forest and in his dreams. He said, 'Come pretty bird and fly with me, for I am lonely, and my nest is empty.'” 

View of the Columbia River from Parker's Landing in Washougal, Washington.

For someone just passing through town, I felt I had learned quite a bit about the Princess of Washougal. We drove east on the Lewis and Clark Highway, passing green fields on the bank of the river. In my mind I thought that perhaps this is what it looked like in the early 1800's when White Wing lived in her village. 

As we continued into the Columbia River Gorge, we left Washougal behind—but never will I leave behind the love story of Richard Ough and his White Wing Princess. ♠

 

Mural dedicated to Betsy White Wing, painted by Toma Villa. Located at the city library in Washougal.