Clark County Life

This week in Clark County history

January 6, 2023, 5:10am Clark County Life

A weekly look back compiled by the Clark County Historical Museum from The Columbian archives available at columbian.newspapers.com or at the museum. Read story

Angelo Luna, from left, Toni Lumbrazo Luna and Christopher Luna display their respective books at home in Hazel Dell. The family members have all authored books of poetry.

Vancouver’s Luna family always at home with poetry

January 5, 2023, 6:02am Clark County Life

When someone says “family fun,” the activities that spring to mind might be board games, mini golf or camping. “Writing poetry” probably isn’t even on the list, but for the Lunas of Vancouver — Christopher Luna, his wife, Toni Lumbrazo Luna, and his son, Angelo Luna — poetry has always… Read story

Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra's Tritone Trio (Matt Goodling, left, Sammuel Murry-Hawkins and Tim Lafolette) perform a rendition of "Three Little Blues Pigs" in three-part harmony.

Try This: Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra, Poetry Moves, First Friday Open Music Night

January 5, 2023, 6:00am Clark County Life

Five things to do this week Read story

What could be simpler than biscuits? My Southern mom made them as easily as breathing. I guess I should choose breathing over biscuits, because these were awful.

Biscuits that take the cake

January 4, 2023, 6:01am Clark County Life

Around Christmas, we usually take a trip to the coast because I have an unreasonable love for stormy skies, thundering waves and misty Northwest beaches. We could go anywhere, but when Christmas bells are ringing it awakes in me a wild desire to stand at the edge of the continent… Read story

Goats munch on hay at Chris Dunning's farm east of Ridgefield. This year, Dunning had about a dozen kids, or baby goats.

Clark County goat group: the kids are all right

January 2, 2023, 6:05am Clark County Life Subscriber Exclusive

When Chris Dunning and his family moved to property outside of Ridgefield in 2012, he wanted to teach his children how to care for livestock. Cows, chickens and pigs all called his property home at some point or another. Read story

Top Photos of 2022: Reaching for normalcy

Hikers walk near the entrance of Ape Caves in Gifford Pinchot National Forest on July 22. The caves were discovered in 1942 and are lava tubes from an eruption of Mount St. Helens 2,000 years ago. Temperatures in the caves are 42 degrees year-round.

The past year marked a transition from the COVID-19 precautions that began in 2020 to something resembling prepandemic normalcy. That made 2022 an interesting year for us in The Columbian’s photo department. We were able to capture our subjects’ unmasked faces again. Sports, meetings and events returned in person. Read story

Clark County History: Burnt Bridge Creek

Bridge workers pose for a photo during the construction of Burnt Bridge Creek rail bridge in 1904. The stream's namesake seems to derive from two bridges that burned about 40 years apart. Both were about 2 1/2 miles north of Fort Vancouver. Hudson Bay Company built the first one to move livestock and agricultural goods across the creek, separating pastures and agricultural land from Fort Vancouver.

A fire raging westward from Camas toward Fort Vancouver in 1844 troubled James Douglas. It hungrily gobbled timber, pasture and farmland from Camas to Lake Vancouver for four days. It also burned a Hudson Bay Company bridge. Douglas wrote to Dr. John McLoughlin about how the blaze alarmed him. Read story