Mount Coffin (also known as Coffin Rock) in Longview, Washington served as native burial grounds for the Cowlitz Tribe. The 225-foot mound of black basalt was located on the north bank of the Columbia River, three miles downstream from the mouth of the Cowlitz River. The site was eventually owned by a sand and gravel company, and the burial mound became no longer visible over time.
Coffin Rock: 3,000 elongated skull burials destroyed in Long View, Washington
Site mentioned
📍 Coffin Rock
Key facts
- Site was located in Long View, Washington and known as Coffin Rock or Mount Coffin
- Chinuk tribe had approximately 3,000 burials with artificially elongated skulls placed in elevated canoes
- The site was destroyed by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes' campfire approximately 10 years after Lewis and Clark visited the area
- RA Long subsequently mined the site for basalt gravel and used it to pave roads in the city of Long View, which was laid out in the shape of a pyramid
- The Daughters of the American Revolution attempted to purchase the site but were denied
- The site was considered sacred by Native Americans as a place for rebirth in their afterlife beliefs
Sources
Recreating the Columbia River Highway - Coffin Rock, Washingtionsites.google.com
It was a 225-foot mound of black basalt on the north bank of the Columbia River, three miles downstream from the mouth of the Cowlitz River. This rock had long ...
Along the Journey - November 6, 1805 - USGS Volcanoesvolcanoes.usgs.gov
On October 7, 1805, Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" began their journey down the Clearwater River and into the volcanics of the Pacific Northwest.
Mount Coffin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Mount Coffin was a promontory in what is now Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, US. It served as native burial grounds for the Cowlitz Tribe.
Mount Coffin - PeakVisorpeakvisor.com
Mount Coffin was a promontory in what is now Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, US. It served as native burial grounds for the Cowlitz Tribe.
Coffin Rock Burial Ground in Longview, Washington - Find a Gravefindagrave.com
This is a historical native burial mound. It was eventually owned by a sand and gravel company. Eventually the mound was no longer visible as a native burial ...
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