Ross Island was originally a group of 4 islands: Ross, East, Tack and Toe Islands. The stones in the rich gravel beds were brought down from Montana by the Missoula Flood at the end of the Pleistocene age. Before the conquest, the Willamette River was so shallow at this location; one could walk across the waist deep water.  As the city of Portland grew, the Olmsted Landscape firm proposed (1903) that the island become a park accessible by a pedestrian bridge with a formal garden and green lawns. The Olmsted plan was never realized. Instead, the land was purchased (1924) by an investor for industrial gravel mining. Ross Island has been the inspiration for many projects.