Historic Hood River
DeWitt’s at Collin’s Springs
7-12-2022
Notes
Researching “Collins’ Spring” led to some head scratching at first. I found it was a popular hot spring at a popular resort located at Collins, Washington near Collins Point on the Columbia. In its day it offered electric light, a bowling alley, a billiards parlor and a dance pavilion. How could I have never heard of it? Turns out it is now safely resting under the Bonneville Pool on the Columbia.
This happy group is with Pansy and Harry DeWitt. The event was Floy Clarke’s “house party.” Pansy dated the image at “about 1915.”
L.E.
A few days ago, there was a photo of Shellrock Mtn across the River from Collins Hot Springs. I commented that it was an odd geological area. Shellrock Mtn has cold wind holes, and Wind Mtn has hot springs.
Here are some good photos of the resort at Collins Hot springs.
http://www.thewebfooters.com/html/Webfooter-Extra-06-19.pdf
and Columbia River Images gives a good history of the area.
http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/collins_point.html
When William Collins first homesteaded the area, he had living with him a Black or Mulatto girl named Lucinda Till or Teal. She was not a servant. There is some evidence the family adopted her. She was sent to Portland for her education.
In 1864 Noah Chapman and Lucinda were married. They lived for a time in Portland where Noah was a teamster.
Because of Oregon’s laws about Blacks, they moved back to Washington, settling in Camas Prairie (Glenwood) Klickitat County.