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St Helens was founded around 1840 by enterprising but largely uncooperative enterpeneurs, seeking money, status and recognition for their families. At this early point in local history, St Helens had the possibility of rivaling her Eastern neighbor, Portland, for supremecy as the port of choice on this section of the Columbia River. Because Portland was determined to facilitate team work and partnership, efforts to build St Helens into a river port of stature became futile and St Helens was overshadowed by the sleeping giant that was to become Portland.

Logging became the primary source of revenue for these same families and clear cutting reigned supreme. Dams were constructed on Milton and Scappoose creeks, backing up the water into large log ponds that were then filled to capacity with old growth lumber. Once the ponds were full, dynamite was used to blow the dams, and the cataclysmic release of logs and water thundering to the Multnomah channel would scour the life giving gravel from the beds of the streams and eventually killed all but the hardiest of aquatic life. These streams still struggle to produce trout in any kind of harvestable numbers. As the 19th century closed, even though logging had taken its toll, the mills thrived regardless, and began into the cutting of the second growth.

Another industry that started strong but fizzled into obscurity were the Nutria farms. Nutria were a fur bearing but vicious animal, known for their silky pelts but difficult to raise. Many farmers having been bitten repeatedly, released these animals into the wild areas of the Multnomah channel riverbanks, where the ferral Nutrias live to this day (see http://www.american.edu/TED/NUTRIA.HTM )It is said that the Nutrias helped prevent catastophic flooding during the deluges of 1947 and 1948, by intuitively digging pressure relieving tunnels under local dikes but it is more likely these tunnels pre-existed the high water and were a lucky happenstance. See the Scappoose entry in Wikipedia for more information on Nutrias.

One interesting facet of the maritime history of this area, is the decrepit old paddle wheeler tied up between Deer Island (so named by Lewis and Clark for the abundance of game, see http://www.oregoncities.us/deerisland/ )and Goat Island near the Trojan Nuclear powerplant. This paddle wheeler enjoys the reputation (unproven) of having once been a part of the Portland "shanghai" ring and also rumored to have been a floating gambling house and brothel (see http://members.tripod.com/cgs-mthood/shanghai_tunnels_FAQ.htm ) The local St Helens Yacht Club, ever mindful of the local maritime image, vigorously denies these rumors.

Fishing has always been a staple industry of the area and despite tremendous setbacks, the hardy Chinook continue to thrive today. Fishing is now less of an industry and more of a sport, but does contribute to the local tourism. Because revenue streams have become a focal point for local regulatory agency's, enforcement of regulations have taken a precedent over welfare and safety. This has manifested itself in larger fines for smaller infractions and especially in recreational boating has caused many of the Portland/Vancouver yacht clubs to give St Helens a wide berth. In turn, this has caused a decline in pass thru or tourist boating revenues to the lower section of St Helens, also known as Olde Towne.

As tourism has declined, many of the businesses of Olde Towne St Helens have closed or downsized, creating controversy among the business owners wishing for changes in regulation, tourist outreach and public works efforts to rebuild this forgotten backwater. Efforts to kindle change have been largely blocked by the incumbent aristocracy, who feign concern but seem largely apathetic.

One apparent goal is to create a large central commercial block in the heart of the city by changing zoning to commercial and making it difficult for current homeowners of lesser means to sell or refinance. This allows the aristocracy to buy up these lands at below market value and package these lots into larger commercial parcels. This process of de-populating core residential areas for corporate profit has caught on nationaly in the larger metro areas, but until now has been less popular in the more citizen friendly towns. Once the aquisition process has reached critical mass, it is thought that the growth inhibiting regulations and zoning restrictions will be relaxed, allowing rapid growth and profit for those who had the forthought to aquire these once residential properties. Even in the larger cities nationwide, pressure has been brought to bear on the profit barrons, to look at the damage caused to the citizenry and in the end the city itself.

Progressive cities are now looking at mixed use zoning, this becoming the benchmark for cities of vision (see http://www.fundersnetwork.org/usr_doc/LC@W_4_Vacant_Properties.pdf )However,St Helens' aristocracy has preferred a tougher, profit now model. Another article that also speaks to this phenomena is http://www.gamaliel.org/Strategic/StrategicpartnersRuskMOSESoverheads.htm that delves into the forces that push middle class families out of the cities core areas and abandon the less fortunate to a continued decline in financial opportunity and well being. The resulting lack of thoughtful public policy has resulted in St. Helens being plagued with high rates of methamphetamine useage, high school dropouts and property crimes. The lack of economic opportunity has created a community of despair for all but the financially well off and politically retarded elected officials.

St Helens still struggles to fulfill her destiny on the Columbia River, but with the promise of a fully democratic government by 2013 to replace the system put in place by the original ruling families, St Helens may yet enjoy the success once dreamed of.