Willamette Landings was a book I originally read in the sixth or seventh grade a long time ago.  The book details the little settlements growing along the Willamette River in the mid to late 19^th century when the river served to connect the Valley to each other and the outside world.  The book impressed me so much I was able to convince my parents to take a trip visiting some of the old sites, including rides on the three ferries remaining – still, today, as well – in operation crossing the river.  The key to being able to use the river as a transportation artery was the development of the Willamette Falls Locks in 1873.