Where the river meets the ocean, Qiqayaqilxam, or Middle Village, was home to the Chinook people for countless generations. It was one of several villages stretching from Cape Disappointment to Pillar Rock, 25 miles upriver from the Pacific Ocean. From this strategic position along the lower Columbia River, the Chinook became mighty traders and powerful directors of commerce. By the late 18th century, Americans and Europeans arrived first for trade and ultimately to lay claim to the Northwest. In 1805, Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery arrived here and from this place achieved their mission of reaching the Pacific Ocean and advancing the U.S. bid for an empire stretching from coast to coast. By the 1850s, the McGowan family had settled here, established a town and a salmon cannery, and built a church.