Submerged

by Holly Grosvenor

‘In 2020, as I walked along the river in portland oregon, I noticed it was a low tide and the top of submerged wooden piers gently break the water surface and form concentric ripples that disrupt the daylight reflections. As I stare through the swallow water, I can see an extensive array of these wooden piers; and realize this all that remains of the Ferry dock on the west side of the river. Today many bridges link the east and west sides of the Williamette River, but in the 19th century, a ferry was the only means of arrival from the east. To the many people who survived the great westward migration of the 19th century, setting foot on this dock was both the end of the longest journey in their lives and the hope for a new beginning’