The e-files copy of this photo says it was taken in February, 1935. Articles about the Columbia Slough channel were in the Oregonian several times that year. (All capitalization is original to the paper’s.)
On January 5 (p. 1) the headline was $95,000 ALLOTTED FOR SLOUGH WORK. “In announcing approval yesterday of a work relief program of more than $200,000 the state relief committee gave Portland almost $95,000 to care for labor, all from relief rolls of Multnomah county on excavation work on Columbia slough.
“The channel work is hand labor, and will run almost 3000 feet back from the Columbia river, one of the largest drainage projects undertaken by the city. It is understood that only $69 will go into equipment and approximately $400 into materials.”
By February 20 (p. 7), the Oregonian reported GRADING WORK ASKED – “Smoothing off the banks of Columbia slough east of the Columbia Country club has been asked of Commissioner Bean by Oscar Furuset, president of the club. He said the banks were left in the rough condition when brush and weeds were cut off from the west bank of the channel and the dike.”
In August and October, complaints about the slough’s filth were printed. Between the times of those reports, the Oregonian ran an article on September 15 (p. 2) titled SUM ALLOCATED FOR STATE WORK…”President Roosevelt has allocated $250,000 for another batch of WPA projects for Oregon, most important being excavating the main channel of Columbia slough and repairs along the Columbia river, involving $186,668, or more than half the allotment made today.
Is that an early version of the Columbia Edgewater GC?
The large building in the photo i believe is the clubhouse for Columbia Edgewater Country Club that opened on the banks of the Columbia river in 1926. The building was destroyed on December 27, 1979 when a Christmas tree inside the building caught fire.
Looking at old aerial photos this portion of the slough was filled in between 1955-1960 and the new clubhouse for Columbia Edgewater was built on this site after the 1979 fire.
Great info from Dennis and Liz
So is that the Columbia River in the distance with Washington in the far distance?
Susan yes you are correct, and by the early 1940’s on the North shore of the river you would be seeing a very busy Kaiser Vancouver shipyard building ships for WW II.
Vintage Portland 
The e-files copy of this photo says it was taken in February, 1935. Articles about the Columbia Slough channel were in the Oregonian several times that year. (All capitalization is original to the paper’s.)
On January 5 (p. 1) the headline was $95,000 ALLOTTED FOR SLOUGH WORK. “In announcing approval yesterday of a work relief program of more than $200,000 the state relief committee gave Portland almost $95,000 to care for labor, all from relief rolls of Multnomah county on excavation work on Columbia slough.
“The channel work is hand labor, and will run almost 3000 feet back from the Columbia river, one of the largest drainage projects undertaken by the city. It is understood that only $69 will go into equipment and approximately $400 into materials.”
By February 20 (p. 7), the Oregonian reported GRADING WORK ASKED – “Smoothing off the banks of Columbia slough east of the Columbia Country club has been asked of Commissioner Bean by Oscar Furuset, president of the club. He said the banks were left in the rough condition when brush and weeds were cut off from the west bank of the channel and the dike.”
In August and October, complaints about the slough’s filth were printed. Between the times of those reports, the Oregonian ran an article on September 15 (p. 2) titled SUM ALLOCATED FOR STATE WORK…”President Roosevelt has allocated $250,000 for another batch of WPA projects for Oregon, most important being excavating the main channel of Columbia slough and repairs along the Columbia river, involving $186,668, or more than half the allotment made today.
Is that an early version of the Columbia Edgewater GC?
The large building in the photo i believe is the clubhouse for Columbia Edgewater Country Club that opened on the banks of the Columbia river in 1926. The building was destroyed on December 27, 1979 when a Christmas tree inside the building caught fire.
Looking at old aerial photos this portion of the slough was filled in between 1955-1960 and the new clubhouse for Columbia Edgewater was built on this site after the 1979 fire.
Great info from Dennis and Liz
So is that the Columbia River in the distance with Washington in the far distance?
Susan yes you are correct, and by the early 1940’s on the North shore of the river you would be seeing a very busy Kaiser Vancouver shipyard building ships for WW II.