December 10, 2016 – March 11, 2017
Fourteen miles from the mouth of the Columbia River, the 4.1-mile Astoria-Megler Bridge links Astoria, Oregon, to Point Ellice at Megler in Pacific County, Washington. The area now known as Megler stretches around a historically important point of land with a rich transportation history for the Lower Columbia River. Water crossings by ferry began in 1908 at the site that is now the Dismal Nitch Rest Area and continued until the opening of the Astoria-Megler Bridge fifty years ago on July 29, 1966.
The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco will open an exhibit exploring Megler from its acquisition by the Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Company through the steam-ship era and into the auto-ferry years. Utilizing historic photographs and first person memories, Memories of Megler captures the end of the ferry era and the beginning of contemporary auto travel on U.S. Highway 101.
“The opening of the bridge was a big deal for coastal communities at the mouth of the Columbia River,” said Betsy Millard, executive director of the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. “Easier auto access opened up both sides of the river to more travelers and made Astoria much more accessible to local residents.”
Memories of Megler will be on view from July 29 – October 2, 2016.