The photo shown on Page A6 of last week’s Chinook Observer is not the Columbia River Quarantine Station. It appears to be the Columbia River Packers Association’s quarters and fish receiving station at Hungry Harbor.

The Quarantine Station site today has two separate piling fields — the one closer to shore is the remains of Joseph Hume’s Eureka and Epicure cannery that preceded the Quarantine Station. The outer remaining piling field is situated between two sets of dolphins (clusters of piling held together by strong cables capable of mooring large ships). The large fumigation building sat between those dolphins. My parents purchased that property in 1950 and our family operated that site as a seasonal sport fishing camp and moorage — Knappton Cove Camp. That building was there and was used as part of the business operation.

The Knappton CoveHeritage Center (KCHC) — a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation since 2005 — operates a small museum in the existing 1912 lazaretto (pesthouse) that served the station. Thanks to the extensive research and documentation of Larry Weathers of the Pacific County Historical Society, this site was placed on the National Historic Register in 1980. The KCHC has an active, all-volunteer board of directors and has been in possession of a copy of the station’s logbook loaned to me by Anna Washer who was a long-time employee of the U.S. Public Health Service stationed in Astoria. I made copies of the entire logbook and donated some to many of our local museums. The KCHC has transcribed that manuscript which is in our files and is a valuable resource when interpreting this important Pacific NW history. More information as well as historical pictures and a video docuseries of the station can be found on our website: www.knapptoncoveheritagecenter.org. I have also written a book, “The Columbia River’s ‘Ellis Island’: The Story of Knappton Cove,” that documents much of the history of this site.

I commend Mr. Winters for his article encouraging vaccinations, especially keeping up to date on covid and flu vaccinations. I might add the RSV vaccination as well. I am also pleased that he donated the original station log to the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum and would welcome him to visit this historic site.

The KCHC is open Saturday afternoons in July and Aug. 1 to 4 p.m. (free admission), for special events, and by appointment.

NANCY BELL ANDERSON

President, KCHC