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ntroduction ! issues of the Columbia River Gorge. The purposeof this pro- gram has b»en to priivid<.. resource managers, educators, decision niakci», and the intcrc»tcd public an opportunity to seefirsthand the richn<.»»,diversity, and uniqueness of the Torge. '1 his booklet is an attempt to bring tog»ih»r ihc information The Columbia River georgeis one of the most niajesiic .ind and materials which ar» presented during th» short course. '1'hc u~ique areas in the world. II»re the mighty Columbia carved goal oi this booklet is to give citizens a better understandingof out the only sea-level brcak through the Cascade Range on its the div»r»ity and uniqu» qualiry of the Gorge. It is hoped this wav to the Pacific Ocean. With the Cascadestowering as high thumbnail sk»tch will give the readera hetter appreciationof as 4,000 feei on either side oi the river, one finds an everchang- the Gorge as he or she travels through it, and ihai it will arouse ing panoramafrom lush Douglas-fir forests,craggy stands ot the reader'sinterest to further explore the past, pres»nt,and pine and oak, majestic stone-faced clifTs, and sp<.ctacularwater- future condition ot the Torge, falls, to windswept plateaus and semi-arid conditions. It is a unique geologicaland ecologicalarea, 'i'he geologic history oi th» area can readily be seen, etched in the v'ind- arid water-ssvcpt mountains. 'I here is a great botanical diversity of plants within its boundaries,with many rare species,unique to the georgearea. A variety of wildlife species can al»o be found nowledgmenfs within the Gorge, many on the threatened or cndarigcrcd list, The Torgealso is rich in history. An ancient, prosperousIn- dian cultiir» lived in the Gorge for thousandsof years.The Gorge provid»d a migratory path lor these Indian tribes. Later explorers,voyageurs, trappers, and settlersused the Gorge as a Many peoplehave combinedtheir efforts since 197I to bring pathv,ay to develop and settle the I'aciiic Northwest, Since the information together for the yearly Short Course on thc Col- Lewis and Clark explored the Gorge in the early 1800»,it has umbia River, on which this booklet is based, become an artery of comnrerce, a storehouse of l.imber and Special thanks should go to the people who initiated the Short mineral resources,a sourceof' electrical energy, and a highly Course and served as its first instructors: Dick Adlard, Ivan esteemed scenic attraction. Donaldson, the late Emory Strong, and Ruth Strong, Beginning in 1971, Washington State I.:niversity Cooperative Other instructors who have contributed tim», mat»rial», and Extension,recently in cooperationwith ihe WashingtonSea knowledge over the succession of short courses include: John Grant Program, has of'f'»redan intensive two-day educational Eliot Allen, James C. Barron, Jeff Breckel, Kathryn Brigham, tour in the ;olumbia River george.Lntitled Short Course on thc Dave Burkhart, Phil Crawford, Rick Fnsminger, Bruce Florea, Columbia, thi» educationalprogram has discussedth» history, Bill and Kclscy Gray, I,es Hastings, Cari Hav kes, :huck Hen- geology, ecology, natural re»ources, fisheries, and nianagement derson, Eric Karl»son, Ralph Mason, Dr. William McAndrew, Douglas Nosier, Jean Siddall, Esson Smith, Fritz Titntnen, Bob VanAtta, and Frank Young. This booklet was supported in part by Project A/WSU-l, Grant No, NA81AA-D-00030 from the National Oceanic and AttnosphericAdministration to the Washington SeaGrant Program. The discussionof early Indian life on the Colutnbia draws heavily on material preparedby the late Emory Strong. A pro- fessionalengineer by training, he was the author of several bookson early Indian cultures in the Gorge, including StoneAge on the Columbia River, and edited Wakemap Mound and ¹arby Sites on the Long ¹rrorJs of the Columbia River. For more in- formation on these books, see "Suggested Reading." John Eliot Allen, the author of the geology section, is Pro- fessor Emeritus at Portland State University. His writings in- clude his excellentbook, TheMagnificent Gateway:A Layman's Guideto the Geologyof the ColumbiaRiver Gorge see"Suggested Reading" !. The sectionon plants and animals in the Gorge was originally written for the short course by Ruth Strong. It was revised and updated by Nancy Russell and Russ Jolley. The 130 sites identified as significant features are based on four studies of the Gorge: A 1973 study by Wright, Gildow, Harttnan & Teegarden, Architects and Planners; a 1980 study by Ames Associates,Planning Consultants;another 1980 study by the National Park Service,U.S. Department of Interior; and a 1981 study by Jones& Jones, Inc,, Planning Consultants. Photographs courtesy Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon. Geologicdiagrams are taken frotn TheMagnificent Gatezuay:8 Layman'sGuide to the Geologyof the ColumbiaRiver Gorge,1979 edition, by John Eliot Allen. Maps are by Nicole Van Ausdle, Graphic Designer, Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Indian Legend' Loowit had a way to inakc herself needed and wanted: She had charge.of the only fire in the world. Shc saw how miserable the tribes on both sides of the river were during the long, wet winters v'ith na fire to keep theni The Old Men of the tribes say it was Tyhee Saghalie, chief of warm or to cook their fish and venison. It hurt Loowit's heart all the gods, who put the Guardians of the Columbia there, and to see the womeii always cold and wet and to scc the little they sav it was an act of harsh justice tcmpcrcd by the melan- children sick and dying, choly of a tired old man whose sons took up arms against each So one day shc make a gift of the fire to 'lyhcc Saghalie. His other. gratitude was without limit and he offered I..oawit anything she They say 'I yhcc Saghalic and his two hot-tempered sons came wanted. down the river from the Far North in search of a land suitable She asked what any ugly woman would ask and she became for the Tyhee of all gods, and after a long, arduous trip that the most beautiful maiden in the world, All the young men fell was difficult even for a god, they found the land beside the river in love with her, but she paid theni no attention. where the rocks vere like stepping stones>which the White Then she met Tyhee's sons, Klickitat and Wycast. Shc could Men named The Dalles. not decidewhich to marry and their tribes quarreledamong They had never seen a land so beautiful, and Tyhcc Saghalie themselves over which of their chiefs should have I.oowit's made it his awn. But his two sons quarreled over the possession hand. Soon war broke out betweenthe brothers' people. of that land and Tyhcc Saghaliesettled the dispute by shooting Tyhee Saghalie was sad and angry, He knew that to end the two arrows from his powerful bow; one to the west and one to fighting he must destroy the cause.First he destroyedthe the north, One son, Klickitat, followed the arrow to the north Bridge of the Gods. Then he put Loowit, Wyeast, and Klickitat and made it his land and became the grandfather of a tribe nam- to death. ed for himself. The other son, Wyeast, followed the arrow to But he felt responsiblefor the tragedy and he laved all three the west and became grandfather of the Multnomahs who lived he had put to death. Becausethey werc beautiful in life, he beside the river called Willamette. wanted them to bc adinired forever. Theii Tyhee Saghalic raised the mountains on bath sides of He made Wyeast into Mt. IIood, Klickitat into Mt, Adams, the river for a boundary between the sons' land, but he did not and Loawit inta Mount St. EIelens. raise any high enough to have a cap of snow, perhaps And the rocks from the Bridge of the Gods that fell into the remeinbcring the cold of the Far North. 'I hen he built the most river created the great Cascades. beautiful structure inan had ever seen Tahmahnawis, the Bridge of the Gods so that his sons and their children inight 'There sri. menr versionsof thc 1
Salmon could be taken altnost any place along the river but Here is the great fishing-place of the Columbia. In the the most productive places were the rapids, for the fish would spring of the year, when the water is high, the salmon as- follow well-defined channels and rest in the eddies where it was cent the river in incredible numbers, As they passthrough easy to net or spear them, In some pools they would lie in this narrow strait, the Indians standing on the rocks, or on shoals; the thrust of a spear at random into the depths was suffi- the ends of wooden stagesprojecting from the banks, scoop them up with small nets distendedon hoops and attached cient to impale one, The Long Narrows, Cascades, and Celilo to long handles, and cast them on the shore. Falls were all famous fishing sites, but best of all was the Long They are then cured and packedin a peculiar manner, Narrows or Grand Dalles, first exposedto the sun on scaAoldserected on the river The Indians caught thousands of pounds of fish at these loca- banks. When sufficiently dry, they are pounded fine bet- tions, having perfected their method of dip-netting from ween two stones,pressed into the smallestcompass, and precarious platforms and scaffolds above the churning rapids, packedin basketsor bales of grassmattitig about two feet The Lewis and Clark Expedition in l 806 described the great long and one ln diameter, lined with the cured skin of a fishing grounds at the Long Narrows and Celilo in the following salmon. The top is likewise covered with fish skins, manner: securedby cord passingthrough holes made in the edgeof the basket. Packagesare then made,each containing twelve of these preciousdentalia!, beads, canoes, baskets, and, after the whites bales,seven at bottom,five at top, pressedclose to each arrived,such trade goods as the belovedHudson's Bay Company other,with the cordedside upward, wrapped in matsand blankets. From the south came baskets, obsidian, wocas water- corded. lily seeds!,Indian tobacco,and slaves.From the plateauto the The expeditio~estitnated that over 10,000pounds of salmon eastcame animal robes including buffalo!, tneat, kouseand werestacked up on the river bankat the Indian villageof otherplants, pipestone, feathers and, after 1730,horses and Wishram. This was a small portion of the salmon that were plains-stylegarments. caught,since this wasin the fall after all but the permanent The trade tnart was a colorful affair. Indians gathered by the residentshad already left, taking their salmon with them. hundreds,even thousands. Fishing was important but the The Long Narrows was an itnportant fishing site, but more greatestattraction was social intercourse travel, trade,rnatch- importantly,it wasthe greattrade mart of the Oregoncountry. making,athletic contests, and gambling;most of all the gatnbl- The Columbia River valley is separatedinto two distinct areas ing. AlexanderRoss wrote, "The maincamp of the Indiansis by the CascadeMountains, and each area fostered a culturethat situated at the head of the Narrows and may contain, during the intermingledat the inarketand barteredthe bountiesof their fishingseason, 3,000 souls, or tnore;but the constantin- particularregion. To the west,all life centeredon the river. habitantsof the placedo not exceed100 persons. The rest are Denseforests, extending frotn Alaskato California,smothered all foreignersfrom differenttribes throughout the country,who all life exceptwhere the canopywas ruptured by the river, resorthither for the purposeof catchingsalmon, but chiefly for burns,or marshes.To the east,since most rain cloudsfailed to gatnblingand speculationnot in fish, but in other articles." surmount the Cascadebarrier, a semi-desertsustained a seini- Primitivepeoples the world overlove to wagerand havein- nomadpopulation, wandering by footand canoe from root field vented someintricate garnesof skill and chancein which they to berry patch,and to the river whenthe salmoncarne the horse did not arrive until about 1720, drastically changing the culture of those residentsof the plains but for only an instant Chinook lodge, 1845. of their total tiine on the Columbia!, Tradegoods from long distancesarrived at Long Narrows SketchbyA.1'.Agctte. ??. becauseof its key locationon the travel corridorbetween the in- creasinglydifferent cultures separated by the mountainrange, Tradegoods found nearWakemap Mound includedpipestone from Minnesota,turquoise frotn the Southwest,dentaliutn from VancouverIsland, and copperthat tnusthave come f'rom Alaska, Canada, or the Great Lakes. From downriver, the coast,and Puget Sound camedried clams and tnussels,whale and cedar products, shells especially ?C
0 risk native fortunes, Several different types of stone and bone dice, counters, and gaming pieces have been excavated froin about the Long Narrows. When the white people first arrived, the Chinook Nation of several difierent tribes and villages claimed the Columbia from the seato The Dalles. Above were the Sahaptin people Yakirna, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and others. The Chinooks lived in per- rnanent villages built from split cedar planks. Some were quite large. Quathlahpootle, near Ridgefield, Washington, had l4 houses and 900 residents in 1805, and Clackstar, near St. Helens, Oregon, had 1,200. There are more than 60 known village sites between St, Helens and The Cascades. The Sahaptins usually lived in lodges formed of rush mats spread over a wood frame. There were some semi-subterranean houses,a pit 4-6 feet deep and 16 feet wide roofed with poles, grass, and earth, A few of these "cellars" can still be seen along the river. There were few permanent villages above The Dalles; I'etroglyphs still visible ott rocks. there was no wood for fuel, and the winter winds were fierce. The natives moved back to sheltered valleys such as the Yakitna and Klickitat. The white invasion brought death to the Indians, for they The permanent inhabitants of the Narrows were the Wish- lacked immunity to diseases.A smallpox epidemic in about 1770 rams, the easternmostChinookan peoples."Scattered premiscuis- carried off thousands and a great pestilence in 1830-35 almost ly" at the head of the Long Narrows, Lewis and Clark found a depopulated the lower Columbia. John K. Townsend wrote in bustling village of 21 huge houses "the first Wooden houses 1835: "Probably there doesnot now exist one, where, five years since we left those in the vicinity of the Illinois" ! inhabited by a ago, there were a hundred Indians; and in sailing up the river, few hundred year-round residents. This village was Nixluidix, from the capeto the Cascades,the only evidenceof the ex- the famous Wishram of Washington Irving's Astoria. Across the istenceof the Indian, is an occasionalmiserable wigwam, with a river, near the oldest mound, were the longhouses of the few wretched, half-starvedoccupants. In some placesthey are Wishrams' powerful cousins, the Wascos. rather inore numerous; but the thoughtful observer cannot avoid Excavations conducted by archaeologists before the backwaters perceiving that in a few years the race inust, in the nature of of The Dalles Dam flooded this area indicate that the Indians things, become extinct; and the time is not far distant when the had continuously occupiedthis ideal fishing and trading site for trinkets and toys of this people will be picked up by the the last 10,000 years. curious, and valued as mementosof a nation passedaway forever from the face of the earth," Because of sickness and death there was little conflict with the white invaders. The dispirited remnants of a great and prosperous nation were easily Dalles Dam, The Oregon Historical Center, located in Portland, herded onto lands no one wanted, Oregon, has a major interpretive exhibition, which includes ar- The Columbia River Indians, over the centuries, developed an tifacts and rare historic photographs. The Oregon Archaeological aesthetic art form characterized by the "exposed skeleton" Society occasionally publishes booklets and papers, has exhibits motif the ribs and vertebrae are emphasized. Many massive at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, also in stone sculptures, delicate bone and antler carvings, decorated Portland, and gives illustrated talks to scbool children and ornaments, stone beads, and embellished utilitarian articles have groups. County museumslocated along the Columbia River also been found and are on display at Maryhill and other museums. have exhibits which depict the cultural history of the Columbia Sotne sculptures are considered as fine as any found in the River Gorge, United States. Early explorers record that some houses were carved and painted, and wood figures were displayed about the houses and graves. Most stone carvings are found east of the Cascades;tribes to the west utilized the beautiful, durable, easily THE EXPLORERS worked western redcedar. At Ozette, Washington, where a native housewas preservedcoinplete with all contents,when over- The Columbia River Gorge and the mighty river which flows whelrned by a mud slide, many fine wood art objects were through the Gorge were, for cans, a land and river of mystery recovered. known only to the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. The first One of the most dramatic and plentiful of the art forins was "discovery" and exploration of this area by white man came found on cliFsides along the Columbia carved or painted from the seain the late 18th century; land expeditionsfollowed designs called petroglyphs and pictographs. All but a few were in the early 19th century, wantonly destroyed during highway and dam construction; van- Soon after Columbus discovered America in 1492, many na- dals soon will deface the few remaining, some of which are tions began exploring its coastline looking for inland waterways. splendid examples of primitive art. After Balboa's discovery of the Panama Isthmus and Pacific Few traces of this vast culture remain. There was some Ocean in 1513, tnany nations explored the Pacific Coast, but it salvage archaeology, an atteinpt to save as much as possible was not until 1792 that the inythical river of the west, the Col- before sites were flooded by rising waters behind the dams. uinbia, was "discovered" by Capt, Robert Gray. Amateurs flocked along the river banks laid bare by low water Early Spanish and British explorers often sailed past the before The Dalles and John Day dams were complete, salvaging mouth of the Columbia, but none entered its waters. In 1602, a with equipment varying frain flour sifters to jeepswith Spanishsquadron under Vizcaino reportedly sighted a "great and bulldozer blades, Tons of material were found, but the work on- abundant river with a current too strong ta enter." ly attested to the once nuinerous population. Many af these In 1775, the small Spanish schooner "Santiago" under the treasures are secreted in someone's basement. Maryhill museutn commandof Capt. Bruno Hecetaapproached the mouth of a has fine displays of artifacts af the ancient people, particularly great river. He detectedfresh water and a strong current flowing baskets. Some petroglyphs are preserved and displayed at The againstthe tide, but becauseof his small ship, he decided against investigating further. In the late 1700s,the British governmentoffered a rewardof' 20,000pounds sterling to any captain who could find an inland passagefroin the Northwestwaters into HudsonBay, In these years,Spanish, British, Russian,French, and American vessels I' sailedalong the coast, but all failedto "discover"this mighty ';- river, Finally, in 1792, both the Americans and British "discovered" , the Colutnbia, The first to enter the Columbia River was a Bostonian,Capt. Robert Gray, who namedthe river after his I ship,the "ColumbiaRediviva." He atteinptedto sail up the Col- umbia, but his ship drew too much water. Later the sameyear, the British explorer, Lt. William Broughtonof Capt.George Vancouver's expedition entered the river. Broughtonwas the first white explorerto leaveany record of the Columbia,upriver from its mouth.Anchoring his ship, ' "The Chatham,"securely in theColumbia River estuary, Broughtontook a ship'sdeck boat to explorethis newterritory. Poweredby a crewof oarsmen,Broughton explored the river for a distanceof 100miles, as far eastas the Sandyand Washougal rivers,nearly to themouth of theColumbia River Gorge. Along the way, Broughtonencountered many Indian villages;he also In 1804, PresidentThotnas Jeffersonsent out the Lewis and named Mt. Hood in honor of Vice Admiral Satnuel I.ord Hood Clark expedition to explore the Northwest, to find a convenient of the British Navy. routebetween the Missouriand Columbiarivers, and to help As soonas othercaptains heard of the discoveryby Capt. establishthe U.S. claim to the disputedterritory, They also Gray, many ships came to trade with the Indians and to obtain were chargedto carefully docutnentthe f1ora,fauna, and native fresh drinking water, Soon the tnouth of the Columbia becamea peopleof the West. Their journals describein detail a majortrading center, especially for seaotter and beaverpelts; fascinatingwilderness, and record the first encountersmany Europeangoods were traded upriver to the Gorge. tribes had with non-Indians.Although the membersof the This tradebrought more prosperity and richesto the Indians. fatnousLewis and Clark expeditionare generally considered the However,it alsobrought inisery. Sinallpox and other diseases first whitepeople to journeythrough the Gorge, they did meet also carneup the river with thesegoods and killed about half of a friendly red-haired Indian who claimed to be the son of a the Native Atnerican population on the lower Colutnbia before 1800. 0 zt
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Left: "ColumbiaRediviva." and found them to be very hospitable. Afiddle: 34erisuether Lewis, The Expedition cameto the mouth of the Columbia in late Right: William Clark. fall and remained there for the wet winter, in their hastily con- structed Fort Clatsop, They had hoped that a trading ship would arrive to take them back to the United States, but none came. The following spring 806!, the Expedition departedFort Clatsop along a route that again took them through the Gorge. This time, the Expedition had a much harder time. Many of the villageswere short of food,with starvingresidents, and the first salmon were not due for several months. Trading between the Spanishmetalsmith who had surviveda shipwreckdecades Expeditionand the Indiansbecatne dificult and frustrating. earlier. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark journeyed down Eventually,the Expeditionreturned to Washington,D.C., and the Columbia in 1805~noting its prominent natural featuresas gaveits accountsof the GreatNorthwest. Other explorers soon they descended.They found salmon drying and a large number followed. of Indians campedat Celilo Falls, and shortly after portaging The next explorer through the Gorge was David Thompson, a around this obstacle,they reachedThe Dalles the Long Nar- fur trader with the Canadian North West Company. When rows!which Clark describedas an "agitatedgut swelling,boil- Thompson reachedthe mouth of the Columbia in 1811, he ing, and whirling in every direction." They passedtheir heavy founda newlyarrived group of Americansbuilding a fur trading boats successfullythrough this "agitated gut," to the amazement postfor JohnJacob Astor. Ft. Astoriabecame Ft. Georgewhen of the Indians. Along their trip to the coast,the expedition the North West Company took it over during the War of 1812. mademany maps of the area, and namedmany of the geologic Thompson,along with a partyof Astorians,travelled inland to features,including BeaconRock. They traded with the Indians the Gorge, seekingto build an inland fort and post for the rapidly expanding trade with the Indians. At this tiine, there disseminated,Protestant sects in this country becameconvinced was intense,often violent, competition among the British, of the need for inissionariesamong the Pacific Northwest In- Americans,and Indiansin developingthis lucrativefur trade. dians.Boston trader Nathaniel Wyeth madetwo attempts to Britain mergedthe North West Company into the Hudson's Bay establishfur-trading posts and cannerieson the Columbia, but Companyin 1821 to end the increasinglyviolent competition. was unable to break the British inonopoly. However, he brought In 1825, Hudson's Bay Company inoved its Northwest head- the first settlersand missionaries,which eventuallyled to U.S. quarters to Ft. Vancouver, just west of the Gorge. Under the control of the Northwest. leadershipof Dr. JohnMcLoughlin, trade expandedthroughout In 1834, Methodists Jason and Daniel Lee established a small the region. However, conflict reinained. The portage around the settlementin the Willamette Valley. They beganwork ainong Cascadeswas a crucial part of the fur-trading route and was the the neighboringIndians, and encouragedby their initial success, scene of many conflicts between the fur traders and the Native they constructeda complexof buildings,the Wascopammission, Americans. on somehigh ground at The Dalles in 1838. These may have Not all the early explorers of the Columbia Gorge were moti- beenthe first structuresbuilt by white peoplein the Gorge,and vated by monetary gain. A few were interested in scientific in- they becainethe nucleusfor the einergingcommunity there. By quiry. David Douglas, a Scottish botanist, was directed by the 1847, the Lee people decided to withdraw from the site and RoyalHorticultural Societyof London to study the Northwest sold it to Marcus Whitman, leader of a Presbyterianmission flora in the 1820s.He was known amongthe Indians as the centeredaround Walla Walla. Catholicpriests soon set up com- "Grass Man," a referenceto his tireless plant collecting. Douglas peting missions,which greatly confusedthe Native Americans. had tremendousstamina and climbed up and down the Gorge Whitman,his wife, and severalothers were killed by a band heights for two years. In 1834, a physician/ornithologist nained John Townsend and OreganoH>ensscwl Suic,'y, Ncgai c Nu65068 a botanist namedThomas Nuttall explored the Gorge. Known as the "Bird Chief" by the Indians, Townsend spent several yearsin the Gorge area. He worked as a doctor part of the time, but spent the majority of his time documentingthe bird life of the Northwest. His journals also sadly describethe pestilence and diseasethat swept through the area between 1830-1835, which killed most of the remaining Indians downstreain from The Dalles. In addition to inonetary gain and scientific inquiry, religious revivalism inotivated someearly explorersto come to the North- west. Favorablereports of the Northwest began to circulate in the East in the 1830sand helped to convince inany people to settle there. At the sametime that this inforination was being of CayuseIndians in late 1847.The Indianskilled them in THE SETTLERS retaliation to the dreaded diseasesthat were decixnating the In- dian populationand in retaliationto the influx of white settlers White settlersclosely followed the explorersin populating the who were destroyingtheir way of life. Northwest. The wave of white immigration started slowly. The The murder of the Wbitmans prodded Congress in 1848 to first white settlements in the Gorge were the result of attempts establishthe OregonTerritory, the first formal territory westof to Christianize the native indians. Early missions were establish- the Rockies.The territory included the presentstates of Wash- ed in The Dalles. The WascopamMethodist Mission, founded ington,Oregon, and Idaho,plus partsof Montanaand Wyom- in 1838 by Rev. Daniel Lee, was the first permanentwhite set- ing. U.S. troopscarne to the area,established forts, and secured tlement in the Gorge. the land for the increasinginflux of settlers to the Northwest. In addition to centersof religious activity, thesemissions serv- ed as aid stations to the increasing numbers of white settlers who traveled through the Gorge. With the promise of large tracts of land availableat little or no cost, particularly in the fer. oregonHslnr I .~icky,N~ahv< No 21%v Waikns tile Willamette Valley, many settlers carneto the area. In the 1840s,growing numbers of rugged pioneersmade the arduous,2,000-mile trek along the Oregon Trail, arriving bat- tered and weary betweenThe Dalles and Rowena.Although their destination,the fertile Willamette Valley, was near, the'set- tlers had one tnore price to pay in their long journey. They had to deal with the treacherousrapids found in the Columbia River Gorge. At the Cascades,family possessionsusually were loaded onto wagonsand transported around this hazardousstretch of river. The local Indians derived incotne from the toll levied on each family usingthe trail; additionalmonies were obtained by the Indians when they assistedemigrants making this dificult por- tage. Somepioneers tried to run the rapids, usually with disastrousresults. Until the steep Barlow Toll Road was built up and aroundMt. Hood in 1845,the settlershad only the
Far left:from 1843to 1846,covered vtagons came dozvn the Colttmbia from TheDalles on rafts or barges. lmrnediateleft: vieto of Dalles City from Rockland,1667. l choice of running the rapids or portaging around them. Also in the early 1850s,the first steamboatsappeared on the For theseweary settlers, it was necessaryto assemblethe Colutnbia River, The first steamboaton the river aptly named wagons,if they came on rafts, load their possessions,and begin Columbia was launched at Astoria in 1850, forerunner of inore the terrible passageover the CascadeSlide in the cold rains of than 450 to ply the watersof the River of the West.However, Septeinberand October, Someweary travelers launched their the Cascades,Long Narrows,and Celilo Fallswere impassible boats too soon in the treacherous currents. Mrs. Elijah White, barriers. In 1851,Justin Chenowethbuilt the first portage tram- in the spring of 1838, fatigued beyond enduranceafter two way,a carpulled on woodenrails by a singlemule, to transport miles on the terrible trail, embarked holding her baby in her goodsaround the rapids,This wasthe first railwayconstructed arms. She was thrown into the turbulence and her baby drown- in WashingtonState, Chenoweth's prices were high, so a com- ed. Only by the providenceof Indiansswiinrning froin the shore petingportage railroad was built by W.R.Kilborn, and soon ac- was she saved. Chief Factor Douglas told her later at Ft. Van- quiredby Col.Joseph Ruckel, on theopposite Oregon shore. couver that a short time before, he had lost a Hudson Bay canoe Cutting cordwood for the steamboatsbecame the tnainsource with seven tnen, all good swimmers. of incotnefor pioneersaround the Cascades.Wood was carried The diariesof pioneerstell harrowingdetails. John Minto in to the river in flumes, and the scowswhich took the wood to 1844 said that he "found men in the prime of life lying among The Dalles often had to wait days for a wind, the rocks"seeming ready to die. Mrs. ElizabethSmith in In the 1850s,there was violent conflictbetween the white set- November 1847wrote, "We have five miles to go...It is the tlers and the native Indians, With establishmentof the Oregon. worst road...Icarry my babeand lead,or rathercarry another Territory in 1848,the reinainingIndian tribeswere forced to throughthe snow,tnud and waterto my knees...coldand sign treatiesinsuring peacefor the area. nutnb ,I can scarcelyspeak or step...afterdark. I find anyhus- band sick." Nearlyall pioneerscontinued on to the WillarnetteValley Precedingpape: rien! from Fagle Creek, Oregon. Portage Railroad; alreadytnuch publicized as an agriculturalparadise and depopu- sawmill in foreground, l867, latedof Indiansby diseases.After the 1845opening of the Right: Bridal Vei! Lumber Co, BarlowRoad, many settlers chose not to float down the Colum- flume. bia, but insteadcontinued overland on the steeptoll roadfrom the vicinity ol The Dallesto the WillametteValley. The Dallesdeveloped rapidly during theseyears because the militaryerected an importantfort therein 1850and because it was the terniinus of the Oregon Trail. By 1852, the incipient communityincluded two drygoodsstores, a fewhouses, a blacksmithshop, and wharf facilitiesfor largeflatboats and shallow-draft steainboats. The Dalles became an important wintering spot and supply center for soldiers and miners.
But violations in the mid-1850s soon led to the Yakima War. One of the inajor battles was in the Columbia Gorge when Yakima and Klickitat Indians attacked Ft. Rains and the north bank settlements in 1856. Reinforcements from The Dalles and Ft. Vancouverfinally drove off the attackersand. put the local Native Americans those not hanged!on a temporary reservation between the White Salmon and Klickitat rivers. After hostilities ended,settlements at The Dalles and the Cascadeswere among the largest in the Northwest, The Dalles boomed,not only becauseof the war, but also due to the opening of the Idaho gold fields in the 1850s.Tremen- dous ainounts of gold passedover the portagesaround I'he Dalles, In six months during 1861, $2,293,656in gold passed through the area, In fact, the U.S, governinentbuilt a mint at The Dalles because so much gold from Idaho was coining through the town, but the mines fizzled out belore any coins C4cgo"H to zl92me<,, Rcport.tr Yo 542. were ever minted. For inore than 50 years, steainboatsdominated the Columbia The canal bypassingthe Narrows and Celilo Falls was not done River until the advent of the railroads. The arrival of a boat at a landing often marked the only coinmunication betweenthe set- until 1915. Hy then the sternwheelershad been replacedby the tler and his market, and the sound of the whistle brought news railroad. The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company begana to many a homesick woman, railroad into the Gorge in 18SO,and in 1883, a transcontinental The Oregon SteamNavigation Coinpany gained a monopoly on Columbia River transportationduring this time. Not only link was completedthrough to St. Paul, Minnesota, via the Northern Pacific, providing farmerswith more markets.A year did its ships travel the river, but it also controlled all the por- later, the Union Pacific was connectedto the ORN, providing a tages,In 1862, the companybrought the Oregon Pony, the first more direct transcontinental route. Railroad baron James J, Hill locomotive in the Northwest, to the south side of the Cascades to carry its passengersbetween steamboats. Also in 1862,the built his Spokane,Portland, and Seattlerailroad now the Burl- north side of the portagerailroad was extendedto 6 miles. The ington Northern! along the north bank of the Gorge in 1908. Ann, a locomotivemodeled after the Oregon Pony, beganopera- The coinpletionof the Gorgerailroad network accelerated the settlementof the Gorge and its environs, enabling people to ob- tion as north shore activities expanded.Remnants of the original tain neededequipment and supplies and to sell their produce in railway trestle and a military road built by Lt. Derby still exist, as do remains of the town of Lower Cascadesand Ft. Cascades. distant markets for high prices. Single family farms still pre- dominated and subsistence farming was still common, although The U.S. governmentbegan to construct locks to bypassthe Cascadesin 1878, but the project was not finished until 1S96, the late 1880sto undertakea program of artificial propagation work on the Columbia. Lumbering becamea major industry in the Gorge as transpor- tation itnproved and the eastern forests were depleted, Fluines and incline railways " steam donkeys"! were used to get the timber from the Gorge'ssteep slopesdown to the river, Many of the slopesin the Gorge were quickly denudedby clearcutting and fires, especially the infatnous 1902 Yacolt Burn. As the 19th cemury came to a close, the Gorge could no longer be considered a frontier area. The frontier was closed, The settlementand developmentof the area had charigedthe region from a land of harsh wilderness to an area where settle- ment and developmentcontinued to occur, to the present day. OregonH
"Cross-section"fromThe Dalles to Portland, shozuing geologic formations @which may be seen on the south side of the Gorge.The vertical scaleis exaggeratedabout 10 times, 5,000' 5,000'
0' 0'
5,000' !,000' Miles 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 "C:ross-section"from Vancouverto TheDalles along the north sideof the Gorge.Xote that the verticalscale ts exag- gerated al!out 10 times. of Stevenson. Here and farther north, a total thickness of at 21-18 million years old. It is well exposed on the south side of least 2 tniles of lava, tnudflows, and ash tell the story of great the Gorge in road cuts along the freeway for several miles east volcanic eruptions 45-21 million years ago, far exceeding in vio- and west of Bonneville, and actually underlies the basalt clifls as lence the tnore recent activity of Mount St. Helens. These rocks far east as Shellrock Mountain at elevationsup to 350 feet. It is were so deeply buried before later uplift and exposure by ero- largely composed of bouldery tnudflows a thousand feet thick sion that they have been altered by heat and pressure so that those on the Tout]e River were 250 feet thick!! and contains new, colorful green tninerals were formed in them, many petrified logs and wood fragments. Above theserocks, and making up the light-colored, relatively Beforeuplift and folding in western Oregon began,perhaps 6 flat-lying, bedded lower cliffs beneath Hamilton and Table Mountains and Greenleaf Peak, is the Eagle Creek Formation, or 7 million yearsago, the Columbia River occupied a broad valleyseveral miles southof the presentGorge. Far to the east, near the Idaho border, great, iniles-long, north-south fissures openedup, and unimaginablyvoluminous floods of black,fluid basaltic lava poured out in flow after flow to eventuallycover 50,000square miles of easternWashington and Oregonto a depthof up to a tnile half a mile in westernOregon!. These flows filled the ancestral Columbia Valley, and repeatedly shov- WASHINGTON ed the river north to near its present course,and continued on i / overthe presentsite of the CoastRange to completetheir f / 300-miletrip into the sea,This YakimaBasalt Formation, i +1/I / 16-10 million yearsold, now formsthe lower cliffs on the south side of the Gorge, fills side valleys cut in the Fagle Creek For- 'I/ II/ il / 'I q/ g wl I s/,/ i i/ I I/ //- / mationto makeup the crestsof the peakson the north sideof I the Gorge,and comprisesthe greatfolded ridges at Dog Moun- I 'I i sf <1 / I/I i - uill /i I
tributary valleys north and south of the Gorge repeatedlydam- med the river. Eroded remnants of large volcanoes form Wind and Shellrock Mountains and Beacon Rock. The Ice Age, beginning about 2 million yearsago, consisted Landslidescover an areaof about50 square miles in theColumbia River Gorge. The Cascade slide dammed the riverabout 1260 A.D., theremnants of thesit'de formed the Cascades of the Columbia, novo covered by the Bonneville dam imponndment.
A GUjDED TOUR
As one travels through the Gorge, evidenceof outstanding about a million tons of sands, silt, and gravel are carried down geologicalevents in the 50-million-yearhistory of the Columbia the Columbiaevery year, and during pastglacial ages, the Col- River canbe easilyobserved, The followingis a sectionalbreak- umbia"conveyer belt" probablycarried more than ten timesthis down of the Gorge, describingthe major geologicfeatures that amount of debris. The 1200-mile-longColumbia River and its can be seen. tributaries are wearing the earth away in all of the State of Portland to Croak Point. Traveling eastward on 1-84 near Idaho,two-thirds of the Stateof Oregon,three-fourths of the Portland, one can view the flood plain of the Columbia River Stateof Washington,and partsof Wyoming,Nevada, Utah, and and the terracesflanking it. East Portland and the Troutdale British Columbia! This is an area of 250,000 square miles. An areaare underlain by gravelsdeposited by the Columbiawhen it stood at higher levels during the past million years. Even now, average volume of 80,000-675,000 cubic feet of water per se- cover over 50,000 square miles of eastern Washington and cond flows past Vancouver, Washington. Oregon. One successionof lava floods, the Yakima Basalt, reach- Beneath the Terrace Gravels, there is a thick deposit of sands ed the seasouth of Astoria. Some lava flows cameonly part way and gravels which geologists call the Troutdale Formation. This down the ancestralvalleys. is a huge gravel fan deposited by the ancestral Columbia River One particularly interesting feature is the great bluff of basalt as it debouchedinto the Willamette basin while struggling to at Crown Point and the erodedbasalts exposed at the inaintain its course across the growing Cascade Range and Multnomah Falls area, These are remnants of a flow of Late through actively erupting late Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanoes, Yakima Columbia River Basaltthat filled an early river canyon The 750-foot-thick section of Troutdale gravels exposed on the more than 580 feet deep, These basalts now record one of the north bank across from Crown Point west of Cape Horn! has earlier courses of the ancestral Columbia River, large cobbles which are over 95'y0 Yakima Basalt Columbia Bonneville Through CascadeLocks. The north side of the Col- River Basalt Group lavas!. More significant, however, are the umbia River froin Cape Horn to 2 iniles east of Wind Mountain quartzite cobblesand pebbleswhich have been brought from ex- is bordered almost continuously by extensivelandslide debris tremely ancient rocks in the Rocky Mountains of British flows.The debrisflows headin the cliffs of the higherpeaks ColumbiaI and ridges, Of these, the largest and most typical is the Cascade In the eastern part of the Gorge, near The Dalles, similar landslide, between Bonneville and Cascade Locks. This gravel deposits are called The Dalles Fortnation, Other, still 14-square-mile slide produced the Cascadesof the Columbia older, sedimentarydeposits of silts, sands,and gravelsdeposited about 700 yearsago; now the Cascadesare drowned by Bonne- by the ancient river can be found between flows of Yakitna ville Dam. Another great slide between Wind Mountain and Basalt in eastern Washington. Dog Mountain on the Washington shore is still active, moving The fact that the Cascadetnountains are archedupward by up to 35 feet per year and causing much distortion of side folding of the earth's crust is clearly evident as you trace the roads,highway, and railroad. It is also forcing the Columbia Troutdale gravel depositseastward through the Gorge. At 1'ort- River againstthe Oregon shore, as can be seenfrom the bulging land, the Troutdale gravels are well below sea level, under toe of the slide on the Washington side of the river. The slide eastern Portland. Eastward in the Gorge, the formation is found forced abandonmentof a power transmissionline now relocated at higher and higher elevations until at Bonneville, it is found at around the slide's upper end!. Other landslides and debris flows elevations of 2,000 feet above the Columbia River, of the samekind, but of a smaller volume, fill the lowlands be- CrorvnPoint to Bonneville.Along both the Oregon and tween Cape Horn and Prindle, between Prindle and Archer Washingtonsides of the river east of Crown Point and Cape Mountain, and between Archer Mountain and Beacon Rock. Horn, the black lava flows of Yakirna Basalt are exposedand are The culprit in inost casesis the thick clay soil developedon continuously displayed along the Columbia River frotn here the surface between the Three Corner Rock Formation and the altnost to British Columbia. Columbia River Basalt Group lavas Eagle Creek Formation, which slopesgently 10 ! toward the poured out in a seriesof three major groups of lava flows, south and is deeply weatheredto a slippery red clay, The slides originating 200 iniles to the east, and spreading out to eventual- on this old weathering surface have forced the Colutnbia River ly, over a period of 7 million years 7-10 tnillion yearsago!, southwardagainst the Oregon shore, helping to produce the basalticlava and fragmentaIvolcanic debris, these tnasses of high cliffs on the southside and the moregently sloping surface dioritic igneousrock wereforced up as liquid and cooledand on the north side. Rainwater penetratingthe overlying perrnea- solidified beneath the surface. At that time, more than 6 million ble Yakirna Basalt along nuinerouscolumnar and hackly frac- yearsago, the surrounding basalt fortnation still coveredthis tures is transtnitted deeperby fractures in the Eagle Creek con- area,The mighty Columbiahas since cut downthrough the glomeratesand sandstones,When the water reachesthe Three graymass of diorite betweenWind and Shellrockmountains, Corner Rock formation, the clay absorbs the water and becomes carving them into the separatepeaks we now see. plastic.As the Gorgewas cut by the River, the verticallyjointed Shellrock Mountain to Hood River, More than a hundred thou- formations abovebegin to fall, tih, and slide downslopeon this sandyears ago, Wind River Canyon,on the Washingtonside of unstableand well-greasedskidboard. This simple inechanistnac- the river, was filled up to an e1evationof over 500 feet by gray counts for most inajor landslides and debris flows along the basalt flows which poured down the canyon from Trout Creek north side of the river. Hill, 10 iniles to the north, and enteredthe Columbia River on Prior to the building of the modern dams, the Coluinbia a front over a mile wide, Possibly reinforced by lava flows frotn floodswere powerful enough to carrythe debrisaway in most local volcanic vents on the south side of the river, the flows cases.The greatCascade Slide did forcethe river againstthe blocked the Coluinbia River with a lava dam. The Wind River southernbank, causinga big, rounded bulge in the otherwise then built a delta at least 150 feet thick and a inile long into the straightcourse of the river and the rapidsat CascadeLocks. lake above the dain before the Columbia River destroyed it. Prior to the building of Bonneville Dam, a canal with locks had West of Hood River another lava dain, built partly of yellow, to be built here to get around theserapids. The Cascadesare glassy,basaltic, fragrnental debris, which includessome the erodedremnants of a 200-foot-hightemporary landslide dam "pillows,"came from several different basalt volcanoes located which could be the basis of the Indian legend of the "Bridge of on both the north and south sides of the Columbia. A retnnant the Gods." Earlier lava dains are definitely too old to account of this dam is well displayedin roadcutsjust at the top of the for the legend. gradewest of Hood River. The rock is orangebrown andlooks BetweenCascade Locks and Shellrock Mountain on the south inore 1ike a sediment than a lava rock, This rock was probably side of the Columbia River, the outcrop trend of the slippery partof theUnderwood Mountain volcano. The crest of Under- top of the Three CornerRock Forinationis just belowriver wood Mountain can be seen above the cliffs across the Colum- level,but the weightof the greatoverlying pile of basalthas bia River, The broad shield of this volcano is exposed in the squeezedit out to producea bulgethat haslifted up the freeway cliffs beneathit, overlyingeast-dipping outcrops of Yakirna 50 feet. Basalt. She lrockand Wind Mountains. These two gray tnassesof rock Hood River to The Dalles. East of Hood River is a great north- stand eastof CascadeLocks as twin guardiansof the Columbia southtrending escarpment, inarking the locationof the Hood River. Whereasmost of the igneousrocks of the Columbia River Fault, the eastside of which hasbeen uplifted morethan River Gorgehave been formed from surfaceextrusions of mostly 2,000feet. Looking across to the Washingtonshore farther east, we can seegently arched layers of YakimaBasalt, revealing the presenceof a giantfold in the earth'scrust. Such an uplift is called an anticline and a downwarp is called a syncline. The floods known to humanity." At least six times and possibly as Hood River Fault has been intermittently traced from 15 miles many as 40 times, advances of the ice sheet from Canada into south of Hood River where it disappearsunder younger lavas! northeast Washington came far enough south to block the can- to near Hend, in central Oregon, a distance of approximately yon of the Clark I ark River east of Lake Pend Oreille and form 200 miles, Several small volcanic cinder cones and shield up to 2,000-foot-high ice dams. Behind these dams there formed volcanoes are on the trace of the fault. a 3,000-square-mile lake extending at the 4,000-foot elevation for The Batches,The Dalles from a French word meaning "flag- 250 miles to the east into Montana. This huge lake contained stone gutter"! describes the I ong Narrows of the river here. half the volume of Lake Michigan 00 cubic miles of water!, Cliffs in The Dalles Formation contain remnants of an old lake When the warming climate about 19,000 years ago reduced bed. These beds have been dated on the basis of vertebrate the height of the ice, and water overtopped the dams, they were fossils as about 5 million years old. East of The Dalles can be swept away in a few hours and the Bretz Floods resulted. An found the folds of The Dalles syncline and Ortley Columbia estimated 380 cubic miles of water then poured out each time at Hills anticline in the Yakima Basalt. a maximum rate of 9'/z cubic miles per hour for at least 40 Also around and in The Dalles can be found the best example hours over the Big Bend country of eastern Washington, sweep- of scablands. Possibly as many as 40 Bretz floods between ing southwesterly across the Columbia Plateau, Terr times the 19,000-12,000 years ago swept across the Big Bend of the Col- combined flow of all the rivers of the world 0 times the flow umbia, ripping out The Dalles Formation, The floods washed of the Amazon River! carved out the soft silt loess! and the away this formation in the syncline and tore out the underlying basaltof the plateau beneathit into the multitude of dry basalt columns and blocks, producing characteristic elongated lit- coulees, falls, and barren channels which are characterized by tle table lands, separated by undrained channels. the term "scablands," Around The Dalles there are many evidences of these floods The floods first ponded in the Pasco basin, the low point on which are better preserved in this semi-arid climate than farther the plateau, and formed Lake Lewis. They poured upstream and west. The "waterline" appears high on ridges west of town; high ponded in the Yakirna, Walla Walla, and Snake River valleys, gravel terraces can also be seen across the river to the north. and finally sought outlet down the Columbia River through the Wallula Gap into Oregon. It has been estimatedthat they came through the gap at a rate of 1.66 cubic miles of water an hour for two or three weeks, In comparison, the total water of the THE GREAT FLOODS largest historical flood on the Columbia 894! was about 2 cubic miles; the Bretz Floods were about l90 times this volume.
Towards the end of the Ice Age 9,000-12,000 years ago!, a series of culminating catastrophies occurred in the Northwest "These were first called the "SpokaneVfoods" I'rom their origin somewherenorth of' when nearly 16,000 square miles of the Columbia River drain- Spokane;then "Missoula Floods" trom the lake which coveredMissoula, Montana, l'rof. age basin was repeatedly sculptured by some of the greatest 1 H. Breta lirst describedthe fi:aturesproduced by the floods 50 yearsagn. The last seriesof up to 40 floods which occurred 19,000 l2,000 yearsago should be named after him. When earherfloods are referred to, we wtfl use "Spokane." Thesouthern extent oj thelast ice sheet is shoninby thehachured line. South of theice, nearly l6,000 square mileszoas flooded or pondedinfour temporary lakes; M'ssoula, LetJis, Condon, and Allison, The Pacific shorelinewas many miles n,est of its presentposition, due to !overedsea level
The flood crestsat Wallula Gap werc about 1,200 feet; they eluding the waters backedup in the valleys of Fifteenmile, spreadout in Oregonto coveran areaof 1,300square miles in Eightrnile, Threemile, Mill, and ChenowethCreeks. One large the LTmatillaBasin, forming Lake Condon. The water poured erratic was found at 970 feet elevation 10 miles from the mouth down the Columbia,widening the valley and cleaning off all soil of EightmileCreek. Deposits of poorlysorted gravels and lake up to elevationsof 1,000feet as far as The Dalles.Blocks and silts occurin manyof the tributary canyonsalong the Gorgeup boulders of granite and schist were floated along, frozen in to elevationsof 800 feet. In the Big Bend of the river at The icebergsto strand in tributary valleys. Hundreds of these "er- Dalles, the floods removedsubstantial amounts of The Dalles ratic" rocks have been found along the courseof the flood. The lakes in The Dalles Basin coverednearly 100 squaremiles, in- Formation, which once occupied much of the basin, and cut In summary, the approximate elevation of the Bretz floods as scablandchannels and depressionsinto the underlying basalt, they passed through the Gorge was 1,000 feet in the gap west of someto 225 feet below sealevel! The lack of any soil below The Dalles, 900 feet just east of Hood River, 800 feet at Wind 1,000 feet on the valley walls is still easily observed, and Shellrock Mountains, 700 feet at Crown Point, and 400 feet The floods overtoppedthe Mayer State Park viewpoint and in the Willarnette Valley. North of Mt. Scott, only Mt. Tabor, forined now-dry channelsat severalpoints on their way to the Rocky Butte, and Kelly Butte stood above the waters. Hood River valley. At Hood River and downstreain, there is lit- The energy released by dropping 380 cubic miles of water tle evidence that the floods rose to over 900 feet; the highest er- from 4,000 feet elevation to 300 feet below sea level is ratic found in the Hood River valley is at 800 feet. equivalentto the explosionsfor 10 days of one fission bomb Between Mosier and Crown Point, the surface of the Bretz every 4 seconds,a hydrogenbomb every 36 ininutes, or a Rus- floods dropped from 1,000to probably a little over 700 feet. sian super bomb every 27 hours. If a fiood came down during a Many waterfalls in the Gorge top out at about 400 feet in eleva- 40-hour period, these would be multiplied by a factor of six. tion, suggestingthat they are, in part, a result of the widening If comparedto the energy releasedby sometnajor earth- of the valley floor during theseand precedingSpokane floods; quakes,we get the following: 1'/2 tiines the energygenerated by the floods cut away the lower coursesof the tributary streains the largestknown earthquake magnitude 8.6!; 9'/2 times the and left high on the valley walls the hanging notches from 1964 Alaska earthquake magnitude 8.4!; 191 times the 1906 which the falls drop. San Franciscoearthquake magnitude 8.2!; and 19 million tinies The broad, recessedalcoves in which the major waterfalls lie the largest earthquake felt in Portland 962!. could not have been formed by the floods or by water erosion that undercut massive lava flows in zones of weakness in the rocks. The alcovesare undoubtedly the result of spray from the falls, which seepedinto the cracksof the finely jointed basalt, freezing and popping out small, brickbat-sized blocks of basalt. Over the thousandsof seasonsduring and since the upper Ice Age, the severalhundred feet of retreat could easily be ac- complished,since the shadedsouth wall of the Gorge could repeatedlyfreeze and thaw during winter months. Spring freshets could then remove the finer material collected at the base of the alcoves. In the Willarnette Valley, floodwaters poured out into the Portland areaand spreadsouth as far as Eugene,forming Lake Allison, which covered3,000 squaremiles. The waters rose, ac- cording to the evidence of erratics which have been found throughout the valley, to almost 400 feet. lants and Animals of the Gorge PLANT LIFE By Rn h Strong The Gorgeis a diversebotanical area. Because of the shifting wind, the range of elevation, and varying precipitation, one The Coluinbia River Gorge is a unique ecologicalarea. The finds an unusual distribution of plant growth. The prevailing Gorgeis the only sea-levelbreak in the PacificNorthwest's southwestwind is carried up the river from the humid forest of dominant mountain range, the Cascades,which rise as high as the Pacific coast toward the arid semi-desert of the interior at 4,000 feet on either side of the river. The mountains act as a The Dalles.Wintery eastwind bringsan arcticblast close to sea "catch basin" for inoist air inoving off the Pacific Ocean, level below the 4,000-footelevation of BensonPlateau and Becauseof this catch-basineffect, there is a tremendousdif- Nesmith Point. The Oregon side of the Gorge is furnished with ferencein the ainount of precipitation within the Gorge. shadedcliffs, deep-cutchasms, and wind-flung,year-round Averageannual rain and snowfallat eastPortland airport! is 42 waterfalls,The Washingtonside dependson rainfall and catches inches; this averageincreases rapidly eastwardto over 100 in- on its unprotectedshoulders the windsfrom both directionsin ches at Wind River and 150 inches in the Bull Run area, im- the greattrough. When you reachShellrock Mountain and its tnediatelysouth of the Gorge;it then dropsrather abruptly to twin acrossthe River, Wind Mountain, you ineet the influence 29 and 14 inches at Hood River and The Dalles respectively. not only of the interior desert,but the northernmostreach of Fall and winter account for 70 to 80'7oof the precipitation; the Californian-Klamath floral eleinent, and also the plant springsand summers are relatively dry. Everyfew years, freez- migrationfrom the RockyMountains. In lessthan onehundred ing winter rain locallycalled "silver thaw"! can makethe miles between Portland and The Dalles, you have moved highwaysin the Gorge almost impassable. through western flora of incredible variety. Temperaturesseldom go belowfreezing for morethan a few This complexgradient of vegetativecommunities within a daysat the lower elevations,but whenthey do, freezingspray small and well-defined area is of great interest to the botanist, from the waterfalls makesunusually spectacularice displays,A and this botanicaldiversity also enhances the scenicqualities of particularlyhard freezein 1964produced so muchice below the Gorge. Muitnomah Falls that a ininiature glacier over 500 feet long and A significantcharacteristic of the Gorgeis that 31 plant 30 feet thick moved down the canyon below the falls and broke specieswhich usuallyoccur at elevationsabove 4,000 feet are the abutinentsof the highway bridge east of the lodge. During found in the Gorge alinost alwaysbelow 1,600 feet. These the colder cliinate late in the last century, the entire river froze plants,which are limited to the steepbluffs andcool canyons over many tiines. characteristic of the south wall, are isolated from the main por- tion of their populations.This interestingdistribution is impor- tant in ecological studies. One of the more interesting aspectsof the Gorge is the many rareplant speciesit contains.Nine speciescan be found only within the Gorge.In addition,approximately 58 candidate threatened and endangered species can be found in or near the rubra!, along with various willows Salix sp.!, as the characteris- Gorge. According to a survey of the Gorge study area done in tic species of this corn~unity. the late 1970s, there are four sites within Oregon which are Looking up at the mountains from Rooster Rock, one sees the relatively unmarred and contain at least three of these proposed heavy forest cover with Douglas-fir Pseudotsugamenziesii! pre- threatened or endangered species. These sites are owned either dorninating. There is an occasional stand of noble fir Abies pro- by the State of Oregon or the Nature Conservancy: John B. cera! and mingled silver fir Abies amabilis! at high elevations Yeon State Park, Crown Point State Park> Mayer State Park and from Larch Mountain to Benson Plateau. Near Angel's Rest is a Gov, Tom McCall Preserve on the Rowena Plateau, The grove of quaking aspen Populus tremuloides! and along the Rowena Preserve is described as a pristine area with very few skyline may be spotted the mountain species of alder Ainus introduced species, Narcissus shooting star, Hall's goldenweed, sinuata!. and Thompson's ballhead waterleaf have all been found there. The moist, shady cliffs, the narrow, cool canyons, the shelter- As one travels through the Gorge, its botanical diversity can ed, damp talus slopes present singular communities of plants. easily be observed. The following is a sectional breakdown of Here, you can see many types of ferns, such as sword fern the Gorge, describing the diversity of ecological zones and Polystichum munitum!, licorice fern Polypodium glycyrrhiza!, characteristicplants found in theseareas. and maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum!, Troutdale to Shellrock Mountain, Leaving the metropolitan Other plants that can be found include: wild ginger Asarum sprawl of Portland at the Sandy River, on the Oregon side of caudaturn!,miner's lettuce Montia perfoliata!, wake-robin trillium the Columbia, you enter the river bottomlands below Crown Trillium ovatum!, fringecup Tellima grandiflora!, bishops-cap Point, Here you find a community of deciduous riparian vegeta- Mitella caulescens!,fairy-bell Disporum hookerr!, dutchmen's tion. In these poorly drained, annually flooded areas, you will breeches Dicentra cucullaria!, bleedingheart Dicentra formosa!, find black cottonwood Populus balsamifera var. californica; P. and monkey-flower Mimulus sp.!. hastata!,Oregon ash Fraxinus latifoiia!, and red alder Ainus Near Oneonta Gorge grow Romanzoffia sirchensis,which has no common name, and Howell's fleabane Frigeron horoellii!, an endemic, beautiful plant, named after Thomas Howell, an early plant explorer. In some of the canyonson steepcliffs grows the rare mountain primrose Douglasia laevigata!. The bright blue camas Camassia quamash! is on the rock ledges at Bridal Veil; X/g~ the showy Nuttall's dogwood Comus nuttallir! flowers abundant- / ly around Cascade Locks in early May. Each of these plants car- ries its own history in its Latin name. Shellrock Mountain to RoroenaLoops. The mountains change in appearance as the river widens above the ancient cascadesof the Columbia. No longer forest covered and green, the mountains are now bare and brown in surnrner. Here the advance guard of Douglas- fir wild ginger yellow pine Pinus ponderosa! straggles into openings and scrub the dry rock ledges.These twisted pines are the row in splendidarray in the desertcountry south of is the sameoak Quercusgarryana! which lifts its 90 feet into the sky in the deep,rich, alluvialsoil of nd just to the westof Portland.Here amongthe s that dreadedmember of the sumac family, poison diversiloba!,In this area,most of the plantsblootn in g. plantsthat can be found in this areainclude: service- lanchieralntrolia!, redflowering currant Ribes !, shootingstar Dodecatheonpoeticum!, prairie star gmaparviflora!, bluedicks Brodaea congesta!, purple matium columbianum!,and yellow bells Fritillaria ery springpilgrims return to the Mosier hills to fieldsof Frythron>umgrandiflorum, each calling the h his or her own childhood name for the dogtooth- n-lily, adder's-tongue,lamb' s-tongue, trout-lily, or rn to W'ind Mountain. The traveler who starts up the this vantageyou seethe wholesweep of the river as it cuts he West at Vancouveron the Washington side will throughthe inountains,As you follow the north bank,you can her reward at the viewpoint at Cape Horn. From find an earlydisplay of trilliuin in April, and the forestof Douglas-firis mixedwith westernredcedar Thuja plicata! and shaggybarkyew Taxusbrevifolia!. There are few waterfallsor creekson this side, and they dry up after the spring runoff, but the undergrowth is heavy and green until late summer. Speciesfound in theseareas include: cascara or chittarnbark Rhamnuspurshiana!, indian plum or osoberry Oemleria cerasiformis!,red elderberry Sambucus racemosa!, hazelnut Cor- ylus cornuta!,ninebark I'hysocarpuscapitatus!, bittcrcherry Prunusemarginata!, snowberry Symphoricarpos albus!, Oregon grape Berberis nervosa and also B. aalu>foh'rtm!,andsalal Gaultheriasha lion!. On the forest floor is an abundanceof spring flowers which include: inside-out-fiower Vancouveriahexandra!, twinflower Erythronium grandhflorum Linnaeaboreahs!, vanillaleaf Achlys triphylla!, foamflower Tiarella unifoliata!, bead lily Clintonia uniflora!, dwarf dogwood Comuscanadenszs!, yellow violet Viola glabella!,spring beauty Cardaminepulcherrz'ma!, and mission bells Fritillaria lanceolata!. Wind Mountain to Bingen. At Wind Mountain as you continue along the north bank the compositionof the forest gradually shifts from Douglas-fir to ponderosapine. Looking up to the 2,400-foot level on Dog Mountain, you can see wide, bare slopes which are covered in early June with balsamroot Balsamorhizadeltoidea!. In the dry talus rockslidesof Wind Mountain besidethe highway is the lemon yellow blazing-star Mentzelia laevicaulis!>which may be found in the plains of Montana south through Nevada and Utah. On the hillsides near Bingen is the California poppy Eschscholziacalifornica!, keeping company with another tnigrant from the south, the blue and white wild-lilac Ceanothusintegerrimus!, reaching frotn Baja California to the Klickitat River. Among the lava ledgescan be found such speciesas; camas Camassiaquamash!, wild onion Allium sp.!, death-camas Zigadenus eenonosus!, mariposa lily hawCalchortus macrocarpus!, Crataegusdouglasiz!,clarkiaand Sedum Clarkiaspathujolzum. quadrivulnera!, western mariPzzsa
!Lf 1z!y
P zzzzdcrzzra pine Bingento Wishrarn.The lavaterraces in this areaprovide a peculiarhabitat for spring-bloomingplants. In winter, the arctic eastwind refrigeratesthe barren slopes;in summer the saine wind brings the hot, dry air from the interior desert,but in the springthere is a fast,heavy runoIf from high-ridgedrainage. On this anticline is one of the few widespreaddisplays of bitterroot Leroisiarediviva! west of the RockyMountains. Barrett' s penstemon Penstemon barrettiae! and severalspecies of desert parsley Lornatium sp.! precedethe spreadof balsainroot Balsamorhiaasp.!. Sagebrush Arternisia sp.! is a conspicuous announcetnentof dry scabland,but along the river are often fine, large bushesof syringa or mock orange Philadelphus lezuisii!,and on a sandbank oppositeMemaloose Island is a bald eagle tnagnificentgolden currant Ribesaureum!. Hackberry Celris retieulata!makes an obstinateappearance in the inhospitable rocky canyons.The ancient origin of the hackberrymay suggest Wildlife Service'sList of CandidateEndangered and Threatened to the traveler that in this short reach of less than one hundred W'ildlifeand Plants. Five of thesespecies western spotted frog, miles from Vancouver to The Dalles he or she has inoved northern spotted owl, northern bald eagle,Arctic peregrine through a rendezvousof plants arrangedas if for display to the falcon, and Aleutian Canadagoose may currently be found learner's eye. This summarydoes not indicateexclusive range of a plant within the Gorge. The last two are only winter inigrants. Two other species,American peregrinefalcon and the Columbian inentioned, nor doesit include more than a few speciesthat grow in this area.But it doesgive a tasteof the rich botanical white-tailed deer, were historically presentin the Gorge. varietyand diversityof the ColutnbiaRiver Gorge. The western spotted frog is consideredby the Oregon State Departmentof Fish and Wildlife to be threatened.This frog is beingoutcompeted in westernOregon by the introducedbull- frog, and in easternOregon it maybe threatenedby competition from the leopard frog. ANIMAL LIFE The northern spotted owl is also consideredby the Oregon Departmentof Fish and Wildlife to be threatened,This rodent- There is a greatdiversity of wildlife within the Gorge,largely eating owl dependson denseold-growth standsfor habitat. Log- becauseof the great variety of vegetativecommunities and the ging has reducedthe atnount of old-growth standsthroughout variance in climatic conditions. Washingtonand Oregon, and therefore threatensthe northern A number of threatened or endangered species are found in spotted owl population. the region.Some of theseare includedon the U.S. Fish and In this area the northern bald eagleis consideredby both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceand the Oregon Departtnent of Fish and Wildlife to be threatened, and it is included on the list of speciesof specialinterest in the State of Washington, It has been suggestedthat the decline in the bald eaglepopulation within this area is due to the loss of nesting habitat, and the decline in salmon fish. The American peregrine falcon is also consideredby both federal and state authorities to be endangered,and it is on Washington'slist of speciesof specialinterest. This bird historically bred in Oregon, although no active nests are now known. A two-year survey of historical nest sites was initiated in 1978, and a recovery plan is being developed for the Pacific Coast states. Ahhough the Stateof Oregon recognizesonly 12 speciesas and poor land manageinent practices have caused a tremendous threatenedor endangered,17 other marninals,reptiles, and am- reduction in the number of salinon once found in the river. phibians, and all nongamebirds exceptthe starling and house Many salmon runs are nearing extinction. Efforts by federal sparrow, are also protectedfrom any hunting, trapping, buying, and state agenciesand Indian tribes are under way to protect or selling by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission's admini- and enhance the dwindling salmon stock in the Columbia River strative rules. These mammals,reptiles, and amphibiansinclude: drainagearea. A 20-year plan designedto "preserve,protect, and the fisher, pika, collared lizard, leopard lizard, short-horned enhance" the anadromous fish of'the Coluinbia River is being lizard, sharp-tailedsnake, Larch Mountain salamander,Oregon iinplemented under the Pacific Northwest Power Act of 1980, slender salamander, and tailed frog. The white sturgeon,American shad, eulachon,and Pacific Many species of both garne and nongaine fish can be found in lamprey are all migratory fish of commercial and recreational the Columbia River drainage. The largest fish found in inland importance. Lamprey are of cultural interest to local Native waters of the United States,the white sturgeon,is most American populations. Other fish found in the area include the numerousin the Columbia and Snakerivers, although its range northern squawfish,chiseltnouth, pearnouth,and many species extends in the Pacific from Alaska to California. Both the flesh of suckers,sculpis, sticklebacks,daces, and shiners. Many of and the roe of this speciesare highly valued for food, these fish are included on the Washington Department of Overharvestingin the past has necessitatedcareful regulation to Game's list of species of special interest. Other warm-water ensure the inaintenance of a fishable population. garne fish which are found in the river and backwater sloughs The salmon is another fish of prime recreationaland comtner- include bass,varieties of panfish, and the walleyed pike, cial itnportanceto the area. The chinook, coho, sockeye,and chum salmon are all found in the Columbia River. These fish require unspoiled water, The construction of dains, overfishing, Somewildlife species,such as the previouslymentioned north- opengrasslands, shrublands, or sparselywooded areas include ern spottedowl, requirevery specifichabitats. The marten, thebobcat, gray fox, badger,spotted skunk, and leopard lizard. mountainlion, fisher,lynx, and to a certaindegree the river ot- Wildlifespecies having the mostgeneral environmental re- ter, all requireextensive wilderness areas. Beaver need streams quirements,and therefore found throughout many different and lakes with hardwood trees on the banks. The Oregon typesof habitats,include the blackbear, coyote, opossum, rac- slender salamander is found in moist Douglas-fir, maple, coon,porcupine, and short-horned lizard. Depending on their hemlock,and redcedarforests, The Larch Mountainsalamander habitatrequirements, these animals will befound only in is foundonly in the ColumbiaRiver Gorge at thebase of specificsites or throughoutlarge sections of the Gorge. basalticrock outcropsin moist,dense Douglas-fir stands. Other speciesof wildlifewhose ranges extend into thearea can exist in lessspecific types of habitat.The stripedskunk, mountain beaver,mink, sharp-tailedsnake, and short-tailedand long-tailed weaselsall have relatively generalenvironmental requirements, exceptthat all requireareas close to water.A fewspecies prefer mixturesof forestsand openareas, especially the edgesbetween thesevegetation types; they include the mule deer, black-tailed deer,white-tailed deer, elk, and red fox. Speciesthat range in 4
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T C t E 0 ~ ~ 4 G Prior to the white explorers, it is estiinated that there were evelopmentof the Gorge manythousands of peoplepermanently settled between The By Afichael S, Spranger Dalles and the Cascades. This was one of the most densely populated areasin the United Statesprior to European settle- ment and expansion.These Indian settlementsthrived on the EARLY SETTLEMENTS tremendousbounty of the natural resourcesin the Gorge. They lived off the resources of the river and forests, depending on Recent archaeological studies show that men and women have hunting, fishing, and gathering. lived in the Columbia River Gorge for the past 12,000 years. Europeansettlement of the Gorge cameabout in the One of the earliest settlements was found near The Dalles, mid-1800s, The white settlers, in a short time, effectively where archaeologists found remnants of a village site that was eliminated the Indian population and settlements,through flourishing over 10,000 years ago. disease such as smallpox! or by displacing and relocating the These first village sites were semi-permanent, due to the people on Indian reservations, migratory nature of the early people. However, as they became The early settlers caine to the area with the promise of a new inore dependent upon the Colutnbia River fishery, semi- life on new land. Western migration was stitnulated by the permanentand permanentvillages becameprevalent along the Donation Land Claiin Act in 1850, the California gold rush, river. The river becameboth a food provider and a highway for railroad land grants in the 1850sand 1860s,and the Homestead these people. Act of 1862. Traveling along the Oregon Trail, many of the set- Anthropologistsstate that the Colutnbia River banks from The tlers passedthrough the Colutnbia River Gorge on their way to Dalles to Cascade Locks once were lined with longhouses, built the fertile Willamette Valley. from cedar planks and usually sunk 2 to 4 feet into the ground, But somesettlers did not go as far as originally intended, and These houses were large 5 by 40 feet was a common size!, settled in the Gorge, Reasonsvaried as to why people settled in They were usually occupied by more than one family, or by an the Gorge. Settlementswere founded becauseof planned and extendedfamily, separatedby wooden partitions. A fire pit ex- unplanned events,such as an irreparable wagon axle, an ailing tended down the center of the lodge and sleeping platforins were ofI'spring,or a disheartenedspouse. Wherever settlementsgrew, built along the walls. there was someunderlying reasonor economicvalue attachedto The early explorers,such as Lewis and Clark, encountered the local resource base which promoted this growth. many Indian villages as they traveled through the Gorge in For example,the first permanentwhite settlement,the Wasco 1805 06. In fact, the first descriptionsof this ancient civilization Methodist Mission, was established in 1838. Established came froin the journals of Lewis and Clark, for the Indians left primarily to "convert" the Indians, the mission also servedas an no written record. aid station to early settlers.Now the present-dayThe Dalles, this was the end of the Oregon Trail. Settlers too tired to travel Road building. Early Columbia River Highvouy. any further beganto settle in this area. Construction of a fort in 1850 increasedthe livability of the area. Also, The Dalles was the end of the line for early steamboattravel, and the supply business prospered. The city became an iinportant trading center in the 1860s in response to the gold rush in Idaho and eastern Oregon. The Dalles became a favorite wintering spot for soldiers and miners. In the 1860s there were over 25 saloons in the city to occupy their time. The city of Cascade Locks began as a small sawinill operation established by Roger Attwell. Hy 1860 over 50 people lived in the area; many were single inen who worked in a boat building yard, helped construct a portage road around the treacherous rapids, or worked in the logging camps. Known as The Cascades,the name of the city was changed to Cascade Locks in 1878 when the federal government began construction of a canal and locks around the rapids. The city of Hood River was first occupied by white settlers in the 1850s. The first permanent settlers, among thein Nathaniel Coe, filed a donation land claiin in 1854 on land which is now in the present-day city, This was only one of four such claims which were approved. The first school was built in 1863, and in 1867 a road from The Dalles was completed. By 1880, there Da!les City, 1867. were 17 families living in the area. In 1881 the town v as platted. Cascades and Celilo Falls. To anyone who agreed to erect a building immediately, land Many of these early settlements no longer exist; those that do was given at no charge. However, a "prohibitory whiskey" clause may have different names.For example,the first official town was inserted in these early deeds, presumably to prevent the on the Washington side of the Gorge was known as Cascades, spread of saloons in the city center. The town was incorporated This settlement was the landing place in portaging around the in 1894, impassable Cascade Rapids, At the site which became known as Warrendale, Frank War- The Cascades Post Office was established in 1851 and was the ren constructed a salmon cannery in 1876 to take advantage of only post office on the Washington side of the Gorge for 13 the tremendous runs of salmon. The cannery prospered with the years, Also in 1851 Francis Chenoweth built the first "railroad" emergence of the fishwheels in the 1880s. The swift water along in the Gorge. This railroad had wooden rails with a small four- the Cascadescreated a number of these profitable fishwheel wheel flatcar pulled by a mule. It was built to help the early sites. Settlements soon sprang up nearby. For example, the set- settlers carry their precious belongings over the two-inile portage tlement of Dodson, natned after Ira Dodson, was the site of P. around the rapids. J. McGowan's salmon cannery, constructed in the 1880s. Other With the Washington Territory legislature creating Skamania canneries and small settlements were established near the John Nels! Nelson near Rock Creek, In 1893, George Steven- son, a fisherman,purchased part of the Shepherdland claim and plattedout a newtown which he namedafter himself,He soon sold lots to the pioneers,and by 1896 there were over 28 people living in the new town. Also in 1896, the first store was established in Stevenson; settlers no longer had to row across the river to CascadeLocks to purchasegroceries, Many of theseearly settlementstook the name of early pioneersand explorers.Wyeth, a smallrailroad station, took its name from Nathaniel J. Wyeth, an early American trader and patriot,The cotninunityof Underwoodtook its namefrom Amos Underwood who came to the Gorge in 1852 at the young ageof 18. Other earlysettlements had their nameschanged fre- quently,as settlers moved in and out. For example,the little town of Skamania has been known as Fresedale, Marrs Landing, Mendota, Butler, Butler's Landing, Edgewater,and Skamaniain Warrendale Cannery. its 100 years of existence.Also, Dallesport has been known as the Fails, Grand Dalles, Rockland, North Dalles, and Dalles Countyin 1853,Cascades became the countyseat. The settle- Fort, over its 150-year history. ment prospereduntil it was nearly wiped out by a flood in Thus, ear/y settlementsoccurred in the Gorge largely in 1894. The previous year, the county seat had been moved to responseto the resourcesand resource-basedindustries which Stevenson under tnysterious circumstances, developedin the late 1800s.Many of theseearly settlements Cascades became known as North Bonneville in the 1930s grew,paving the way for further development,bringing the with the construction of the Bonneville Darn. In the late 1970s, Gorge into the 20th century. the town was leveledto make way for the secondpowerhouse at the dam. North Bonneville was relocated several miles downstream frotn its original location. Stevenson,the presentcounty seat of SkamaniaCounty> was TRANSPORTATION originally known as Shepherd'sPoint by the early rivermen. Here, thousandsof cords of wood were loaded on scows,the Transportationnetworks have played an importantpart in the wood to be used to fuel the steamboats which burned over four developmentof the Gorge. Transportation systemswere cords an hour. In 1853, only one white family lived in this area. developedoriginally to aid in the movementof peopleand sup- In 1863, a small, log-cabin school was built by Felix Irnan and plies throughthe obstacles rapids and roughterrain! in the Gorge.These systems also served to breakup the isolationof the early white settlers in the Gorge, tying them to the rest of belongingsonto rafts or boatsand beganthe precariousjourney the continent. Development of these systems also accelerated set- down the turbulent Coluinbia. Portages had to be made at river tleinent of thc region, trouble spots, such as the Great Cascadesof'the Columbia, The first transportation in the Gorge was by foot or water. Local Indians often assisted these families, deriving income from For centuries, Indians traveled by foot along trails carved out of a toll they levied on each fainily using this trail. the rugged terrain, or by canoe on the Columbia River. These The Great Cascadeswas the main roadblock in traveling routes were well traveled and well known. through the Gorge. For approximately 100 years 840s-l930s!, Thousandsof Indians traveledalong these routes each year, new transportation systems were developed to ease passage bringing their trade goods to the trading area at the Long Nar- through and around this trouble spot, rows. Herc, inany different Indian cultures mingled, traded, In 1845, the Barlow Toll Road was developed. This steep toll fished, and played. road was built up and around the south side of Mt. Hood, con- Early white cxplorers, such as the Lewis and Clark Fxpedi- necting The Dalles with the Willamette Valley, After the road tion, used these same trails as they traveled through the Gorge. was established, many settlers chose this arduous overland routes Lewis and Clark established the Gorge as the transportation cor- rather than risking the float down the Coluinbia River, ridor f'or the white settlers who soon followed. After an arduous 2,000-inile journey along thc Oregon Trail, Steamer going over the Cascades. these early settlers had to find a way around the treacherous rapids in the Gorge. At The Dalles, they of'ten loaded their
The Great Cascades,l885. orcgotlHal ~ ricesonclv, negative Ne I19 In 1851, Francis A. Chenowethbuilt a wooden-railedportage around the Great Cascadesto move peopleand goodsaround theserapids. This was the first "railroad" in Washington,con- sisting of a four-wheeledflatcar pulled by a mule. OSX WOrkS, longer Cascitilesi 1867, Steainboattravel began on the mid-Columbiain 1850.Steam- boats soon doininated travel on the Coluinbia and in the Gorge, In fact, they wereoften the only ineansof communicationfor earlysettletnents. Steamboats also provided a livelihoodfor manysettlers. Since the steamboats burned up to four cordsof wood an hour, cutting cordwood becamethe main sourceof in- comefor many.Wood was carried to the river by flumes,with were developedbetween areas such as White Salmon Tiout scowssailing much of this wood up to The Dalles, Lake and Dallesport Goldendale.Also, ferry servicewas Steamboat traffic transformed the Columbia River into a busy developedto link both sidesof the Gorge together. Ferry boats cominercialhighway; however, even these powerful stern- beganservice at important crossingssuch as the Cascades,Hood wheelerscould not ascendthe falls and rapids of the Gorge, so River, Underwood, The Dalles, and Maryhill. Someof these control of steamboattravel on the river dependedon control of ferries remained in service until the 1950s. the portagesat the GreatCascades and Celilo Falls The Steainboats dominated travel in the Gorge until the 1880s Dalles!. when the first railroad was completed through the Gorge. Henry In the early 1860s,the OregonSteain Navigation Company Villard's Oregon Railway and Navigation Company began a wasformed by a groupof competitiverivals under the leader- railroad into the Gorge in 1880, and the transcontinental ship of Capt,John Ainsworth. Through shrewd business deals railroad was completed in 1883, connectingPortland to Min- andhelped by severalfloods, the OSN gaineda monopolyon nesota,via the Northern Pacific. The following year, the ORN Coluinbia River transportation,including all of the portages.In was connected to the I.;nion Pacific, Railroad baron James J, 1862,the companybrought the OregonPony, the first locomo- Hill built the Spokane,Portland, and SeattleRailway> now the tive in the Northwest, to the south-shore Cascadesportage to Burlington Northern, along the north bank of the Gorge in carryits passengersbetween steamboats. Also in 1862,the north 1908. Coinpetition was so fierce thai railroads were built up sideportage railroad was extended to 6 miles.The Ann, a both banks of the Deschutes for many miles before a com- locoinotive modeledafter the Oregon Pony, beganoperation as p roniise was reached. north shore activities expanded. Completionof' the railroadnetwork accelerated settlement of These steainboatswere a boon to developingthe Gorge, but the Gorgeand its environs,enabling people to obtainneeded they only servedthe main routethrough the Gorge.People jour- equipment and supplies and to sell their produce in distant neyingto communitiesaway from the river had to walk or rent inarkets for high prices. The railroads had finally provided a horsesand wagonsfroin livery stables,Several stage coach lines safe,efficient land route through the Gorge, around the treacherous rapids. The federal governtnentwas also trying to find a way to cir- cumvent theserapids, providing a safewater route through the Gorge. In 1874, Congressauthorized a study of the cost and practabilityof a canaland locksto bypassthe GreatCascades of the Columbia. This would make the land portages unnecessary. Work beganon the canal and locks in the fall of 1878. However, due to tnismanagernent,poor weather,shortages of materials,and lack of federal funds, the locks and canal were not completeduntil November 1896, The canal was 90 feet wide, and 3,000 feet in length, and consistedof two locks. The new canal and locks meant that steainboats could now travel as far as The Dalles. However, by this time river travel had begun to decline because of competition from the railroads. Remnants of the canal and locks can be seentoday at CascadeLocks. The federalgovernment also provided funds for a canal and lock at the Long Narrows and Celilo Falls, Authorization for this canal was given by Congressin 1904. In 1915, an 8-mile- long canal, 65 feet wide, consistingof a seriesof five locks, bypassedthe Narrows and Celilo Falls. Unobstructed river passagewas now possibleas far as Lewiston, Idaho. However, river travel had nearly vanished at this time, due to the wealthy railroad baron, JamesJ, Hill, revived this project railroads. River traffic would not have a resurgence until major severalyears later. Sam Hill was obsessedwith building a quali- darns with locks were built on the Columbia between ty road similar to the roads of Europe. With the hiring of the 1930-1970s. famousengineer, Sam Lancaster,and with the support of in- The Long Narrows and Celilo Falls canal and lock system fluential leaders, such as John B. Yeon and Simon Benson, Hill were flooded after completion of The Dalles Darn in 1957. As was able to secure the necessary public funds from people on the 19th century carneto a close,the Gorge could no longer be the Oregon side of the Gorge and construction of the highway considereda frontier area. In the early 20th century, people beganin 1913. In less than two yearsthis highway was coin- became aware of the need for better roads in the Gorge. A drive pleted, connectingPortland with Hood River. Upon coinpletion, to build a highway into the Gorge on the Oregon side beganin the highway becamethe first major paved road in the Pacific 1909, but interest waned after only a few short sections were Northwest, and with its stone bridges, tunnels, and harmonious coinpleted. setting, was immediately recognizedas an aestheticwork. In An influential railroad attorney, Sain Hill, son-in-lawof the constructing the highway, artisans from Europe were brought over to help build the dry masonry sections of the highway. In 1916, PresidentWoodrow Wilson, seatedin Washington, milesof highlyscenic abandoned roadway exist, The highwayis D.C., pusheda buttonwhich unfurleda flagat Crown Point, a National Historic I andmark. oOiciaflydedicating the highway.This alsomarked the begin- A lesser-known,but equally interesting, highway was con- ning of the constructionof the Vista House,a tneinorialto the structed on the Washingtonside of the Gorge. Now known as early pioneers,at Crown Point. This structurewas dedicated in the Lewis and Clark Highway Washington 14!, it never equal- May 1918.The ColumbiaRiver Highwayopened up the Gorge led the beautyor constructionfirsts of the ColumbiaRiver for expandedrecreational uses, causing a greattourist tradeto Highway.But when it wascompleted it washeralded as Wash- flourish. Tourism pressurespawned the developinentof many ington'sanswer to connectingwestern and easternWashington state and federal recreational sites, and encouraged the construc- together by roadway. tion of Multnornah Falls Lodge and many other tourist facilities. The original idea for this road cameshortly after the Indian Today aboutone-third of the old highwayis still in usein the Wars of 1856-1858,The governmentfelt a tnilitary road should two scenicloops over Crown Point and RowenaCrest. After be built between Ft. Vancouver and Ft. Walla Walla, where 1949, two-thirds of the original roadwaywas abandonedor de- there still was someIndian unrest. A survey was made in the stroyedbetween Warrendale and Mosier,with the construction 1860s,but therewas little construction.By this time, steainboats of a low-level Gorge highway. Many tniles of abandoned hadbecome the preferredtnode of travel. However,by the highwayexist today,with bridges,stonework, and roadwayin- 1900s,the numbersof new settlerswho werehomesteading in tact but endangered.Between Hood River and Mosier,nearly 5 Washingtontnade legislators realize that a roadwas needed on the north side of the Gorge. Moneywas set asideby the statelegislature and work started
ElrrgonuuNr c>I soucrr, Ne~l e no3tl;4$ Precedingpage: CascadeI.ocks, 1908. Left: Craton Point Vista House, Afiddle: hfitchell Point Tunnel, Columbia River Scenic Ilighzoay. Tht'stunnel no longerexists. It zoasdestroyed during construction of the modern,uater-level highzoay. Right: approachto Afitchell Point TunneL on the north-bank highway. Deciding there was no longer a need for a road to Walla Walla, the road was to now link Van- couver with Pasco. Completed in 1907, the first roadway was little more than a goat's path narrow, rock-studded, and dangerous but it did connect the Washington communities in the Gorge together. In 1929, the "Shed Bridge," as it became locally known, was built along the cliffs of Cape Horn. For years, the cliffs had been an obstacle to road construction. This bypassed the old Washougal Valley section of the highway. Today, tourists can still travel through the Colutnbia River Gorge on this highway, part of Washington's Scenic Highway System. In the 1950s, a modern, water-level highway now Interstate 84! was completed on the Oregon side, greatly shortening travel time and increasing the availability of the Gorge and its resources to the Portland metropolitan area. In 1982, the 1-205 bridge was completed between Portland and Vancouver, just downriver from the Gorge, This bridge will increase the de- spurmandadditional for recreationaldevelopment opporturutiesonthe withinWashington the Gorgeside. and will 0Left. bridgeatLatourell,
Columbia River Scenic Highway. Right: Bonneville Darn eonttruetion, 1936, %'ATER DEVELOPMENT
The early developmentand settletnentof the Gorge area was similar to other regions of the nation, in that water was the key to settlement to facilitate transportation and to satisfy personal needs.Early waterdeveloptnent projects were aitned at improv- ing the transportationcapability of the river. The locks con- structed at the Cascades Cascade I ocks! and the Long Narrows The Dalles!around the turn of the centuryimproved the ability to transport goodsand servicesalong the Columbia. However, competition from the railroads preventeda viable water trans- portationnetwork until the constructionof the majordams bet- ween 1930-1970. The construction of the Bonneville Dain, which began in the 1930s,drastically changedthe shapeand characterof the Gorge. The dam marked the dawn of hydropower in the region. It pro- vided jobs during the Depressionyears, increasedthe naviga- tional capabilityof the river, and generatedelectricity for usein the home, farm, and workplace.It also had negativeeffects. It disruptedthe life cycleof the salmon,destroyed traditional In- dian fishing grounds, drowned the turbulent, but beautiful, rapids,and marred,to someextent, the wild scenicqualities of the Gorge. The Bonneville Dam was constructed in the Depression years, due to the efforts of Senator Charles McNary of Oregon and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. McNary wanted a darn to pro- vide upriver navigation.Roosevelt wanted a damto providejobs and power.He felt the energywould be neededfor farm, home, and industry.Industry would cometo the regionbecause of the availableelectricity, and take the Pacific Northwest off its roller- coaster economy. Construction of Bonneville Dam provided over 3,000 jobs for workers etnployedunder the Public Works Act. President Rooseveltapproved starting construction in the summer of 1933. In 1982>a second powerhouse at the Bonneville Darn was Congressdid not "legalize" construction of the dam until August completed. This second powerhouse was included in the original 30, 1935, with passageof the River and Harbor Act, The Darn congressionalauthorization for the project in the 1930s.By was dedicatedby PresidentRoosevelt in Septemberof l937 at a 1965, the demand for power in the Northwest was increasing completedcost of $31 million. It was namedafter Capt. Ben- steadily and the limitations of the 30-year-oldproject were jamin Bonneville, West Point graduate,inountainman, explorer becoming apparent. That year, the Bonneville Power Adtninis- of the Oregon country, and hero of Washington Irving's book, tration, the agency responsible for marketing power from the The Adventures of Captain Bonneville. Northwest federal dains and for projecting regional energy The building of Bonneville Dam and Grand Coulee Darn, needs, asked the Portland District Corps of Engineers to study which was constructed at the saine time, marked the beginning the feasibility of increasing hydroelectric generation at of the most active water development period in U.S. history, Bonneville. During the next 30 years, the Columbia River and its tributaries To fully utilize the water stored at newer darns upstream, were dammed more than 190 times for power production, irriga- such as Libby Darn in Montana, Dworshak Dam in Idaho, and tion, flood control, navigation, and recreation. three large reservoirs in Canada, it was decided that Bonneville Today, the river systein has been developedinto the largest would have to be enlarged. With eight main turbine-generator hydroelectricenergy systemin the world, despite early skep- units producing 66,500 kilowatts each, the second powerhouse ticism that the power would ever be needed.Bonneville Darn, will more than double the current generatingcapacity of the which was the first federal hydroelectric project on the Colum- dam. Total capacity will then be about 1.1 million kilowatts, or bia, was dubbed by severalnational magazinesas a "white 1.1 billion watts. Based on its 558,200 kilowatt capacity, the se- elephant" and "dam of doubt" during its construction by the cond powerhousecould meet the energy needsof 110,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. typical Northwest homesfor one year. Or, it could provide the Today, thesePacific Northwest dams provide one-half of the energy needed to produce 92,000 tons of alurninurn. total hydroelectriccapacity of the United States.The river is The cost of this second powerhouse has been estitnated at one of the most highly developedriver systetnsin the world. $600 million. Other costs also occurred. Altering the river's Water developmentin the Gorge has continued to the present course and shoreline brought permanent change to the face of day, and will probably continue in the future. In the 1950s, the Columbia River Gorge. Digging a new channel for the The Dalles and John Day dains were constructedin the eastern powerhousemeant loss of habitat for fish and wildlife, And ear- end of the Gorge, These dains brought more power to the ly construction required more than just uprooting trees and region and increasedthe transportationcapability of the river, relocating roads and railway. The residents of the town of North These dams also flooded Celilo Falls, the most fatnous Indian Bonneville had to be safely tnoved to a new townsite, fishing site on the Colutnbia, as well as other traditional Native Relocation of North Bonneville was, itself, a major undertaking. American fishing sites. Many Native American pictographsand This eAort to relocate residents and businesses tnarked the first petroglyphs,which depict the early culture of thesepeople, were time federal funds were spent to plan, design, and develop a also flooded and forever lost. new communityin connectionwith a waterresource project. and prosperfor centuries.Early settlerslived off theseresources The $35 million relocation project included raising the new by trapping,farining, luinbering, fishing, and mining.Modest townsite abovethe 100-yearflood plain, construction of streets, tradecenters developed and servedas the focal point for goods utilities, lighting, sewagesystem> water supply, and sewage- and services in the region. treatmentplant, flood protection,parks, a centralbusiness Beingtied to its naturalresources, the economyof the Gorge district, and all public buildings,Town siting requiredhighway wascyclical, A bootn-busteconomy has persisted ever since the and railwayrelocation, And residentsand businesses were fur- white settlers and explorersentered the Gorge. nished temporary housing until they could build their own per- In assessingthe resourcesof the region, Lewis and Clark manent homes and facilities. The new town was built for 600 found it a goodarea for trappingand agriculture.Fur trading inhabitants. Town residents celebrated its dedication in July becamethe first dominant industry in the area. Such men as 1978, John-Jacob Astor and Dr. John McLoughlindeveloped and ex- Presently,another inajor projectis underconsideration. A ploitedthe fur trade.Under the directionof Dr. McLoughlin, studyis underway to investigatethe replacementof the Bonne- the HudsonBay Companyestablished fur poststhroughout the ville Locks, Constructed in the 1930s, the locks constitute a region.The HBC not only doininatedthe fur tradein the early bottleneckon the system,Often bargetows needto be broken 1800s,but alsobecatne engaged in exportinglumber, fish, and up to passthrough this lock sinceit is smallerin sizethan the agriculturalproducts. These goods were shipped as far awayas other locks on the river. The result is that the barge traflic is Alaska,Hawaii, and South America. These early traders ex- oftenbacked up and delayed.A new and largerlock is being ploitedthe resource,This exploitation,coupled with a declining proposedand is understudy. The proposal would make all locks marketand changein taste,spelled the doomof the fur tradein- of the Colutnbia uniform in size 85 feet by 675 feet!. Pro- dustry by the late 1800s. ponentsclaim that this newlock is thekey to theNorthwest in The tiinber industry also has experienceda cyclical economy. its questto remaina majorexporter of agriculturalproducts. The earlysettlers used the surroundingtimber to build their However, construction will only occur after financial, en- hotnes,and for heating and cooking. Logging becamea major vironmental, and legislativefactors are settled. If this project oc- industryin the mid-1800s,The introductionof steamboatsand curs,the Gorgewill onceagain be altereddue to tnan'sattempt gold rushescombined to providepractical inarkets for the wood. to developand conquerthe obstaclesof the Gorge. Steamboats burned over four cords of wood an hour. Cutting firewood for the steainboatsbecame a major sourceof income for the early settlers. Firewood was also needed in the eastern corntnunities of the COMMERCE Gorge,such as The Dalles,for cookingand heating.The only other alternative was the use of coal from %'yoming. Thus, in the 1860s,wood bought for $1.25 a cord at the Cascadessold Commerceand economicdevelopment in the Gorge are close- for $4.50 a cord at The Dalles. Logs were brought down from ly tiedto its rich naturalresources, The abundantnatural the mountainsideby flutnesto the river, Sail-poweredscows resourcesenabled a highly developedIndian culture to evolve 5
Left: loadingfish for the cannery, hfiller Sands. ¹xt page:fishwheel. then hauled the wood upstream. The scowswere 80-90 feet in damage. Later great fires in 1910 and 1929 totaled 2'/2 long, and could carry up to 100 cords per trip. At The Dalles, million acres burned, about 4,000 square miles or an area 63 thesescows were beached,and horse-drawnwagons were used to iniles square. unload the firewood, Fisheriesof the Colunibia were yet another industry which ex- Construction of the railroads around the turn of the century perienced a cyclical economy. Salmon was once the region's increasedthe developmentof the timber industry, With the most prized and abundant resource, It has been estimated that easternforest depleted,logging the giant virgin evergreens the Indians, using their primitive fishing methods,annually becainethe region's major industry. Logs were brought down to caught over 18 million pounds of fish. the river and railroads by flume a 9-mile-long lumber fluine can In the rnid-1800s,new technologieswere used to produce still be seen on the Washington side of the river on the cliffs much larger catches.The developinentof the technologyfor aboveDrano Lake!, or by steepincline railroads poweredby canning salmon in the 1860sby Andrew Hapgood and others "steamdonkeys." These "steamdonkeys" startedmany forest proved to be an effective way to preserve and market the fires. Becauseof the intense logging pressureand fires, such as product, the infamous Yacolt Burn of 1902, the forestswere rapidly Gillnets, fishwheels, and horse-seines were used to catch the decimated.For exainple, the Yacolt Burn encompassedan area bountiful saltnon for the canneries which sprang up along the of 800 squareiniles, or 28 miles square,destroying an estimated river. 12 billion board feet of timber, The fire also killed over 30 peo- Fishwheelswere an ingenious, efficient way to harvestthe ple, left hundreds homeless, and caused over $14 million dollars salmon. These water-poweredcontraptions lifted the salmon from the Gorge mostlyby rail andtruck!, severalcanneries pro- clear of the water and dumped them into a box, SamuelWilson cessthe fruit locally.Orchards are located in the Hood River built the first fishwheel on the Columbia in 1879. By 1899, valley,the White Salmon River valley, between Mosier and there were 76 in operation. A good fishwheel could harvest an RowenaPoint, and aboveThe Dalles.Cattle grazing and average100,000 pounds of salmon a year. In 1913, one pasturelands are primarily on the northside of the river,in- fishwheel caught 70,000 pounds of salmon in one day. cludingareas above Wishrarn and Dallesport, the KlickitatRiver Most fishwheelswere erectedby canneries.Two fainilies, the valley,the White Salmon River valley, and in anarea between Warrens and the Seuferts, owned about one-third of the wheels. Cape Horn and Washougal. The Warrens operateda cannerynear the Cascades,and the More than one-half of the cominercial firms in the Gorge are Seufertsoperated a cannerynear Celilo Falls. Fishwheelswere involved in forest management,harvesting, processing, or the outlawed by 1934. inanufacturingof woodproducts. The mostextensive commer- Horse-seiningwas also an efficient way to catch the salmon. cial forest-harvestingactivity is on federal,state, and private Fishermenusing seinespulled by horsescould regularly catch lands in the State of Washington. Specific locations are state thousandsof pounds of fish. One fisherman in 1921 caught landsin the Wind River valley,federal lands in Gifford Pinchot 60,000 pounds of fish in one hour. This tnethod of fishing was finally outlawed in the 1950s. The salmon fishing industry reachedits peak in 1883 with a reportedcatch of 42 million pounds.Since that time, the catch has dwindled to an averageannual catch of 5 million pounds. This tremendous reduction has been the result of over- harvesting,poor tnining, agricultural, and logging practices which have silted spawninggrounds, and the construction of major dams along the river which altered the life cycle of the salmon and eliminated their spawning grounds. The developmentof the Gorge for transportation and power also contributed to the cyclical economyof the region, Boom towns developedduring the building of the railroads, roadways, and locks and dams. After this construction period, these regions suffered a treinendous economic downswing, taking many years to recover. Today, there are four major economicactivities in the Colurn- bia River Gorge: agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and tourism. Wheat, corn, small grains, fruit apples, pears, cherries, and grapes!,and livestock products are the principal agricultural commodities.Although inost of theseproducts are exported National Forest, and private lands north of Wind, Dog, and Underwood mountains, and in the Little White Salmon River valley, In Oregon, some forest harvesting is taking place on private lands betweenMitchell Point and Hood River, and im- mediately east of Hood River, Most logging involves predominantly Douglas-fir forests. Forestlandsare also heavily utilized for recreational purposes, including hiking and nature appreciation. In addition to fruit canneries and lumber mills, aluminutn reduction plants and port facilities are the other major economic activities. The major cities and towns in the Gorge have active commercial and retail areas which provide goods and services to the region, Most industrial and commercial activities in the Gorge take place within or near these urban and rural centers, Tourism is an economicactivity that is rapidly becoming more important in the Columbia River Gorge, The western end of the Gorge is only about 30 minutes driving time from the Portland Vancouver tnetropolitan area, which contains over one million people. The natural and scenic qualities of the Gorge provide many recreational outlets for the tourist. Oregon, on the south side of the river, has 26 state parks containing 6,356 acres. Washington, on the north side, has four state parks con- taining 5,l94 acres. Part of two national forests, administered by the U.S, Forest Service, lie in the Gorge: Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon has 38,000 acres and Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington has 5,069 acres. Both areas have minimal development and essentially provide the same type of recrea- tional opportunities as the state parks, such as hiking, camping, and picnicking. As tourism grows in the Gorge, there will be increased de- Highway dedication ar Afulrnomah Falls, 1916'. mand for related wholesale and retail trade and services. This will further expandthe economicactivity of the region. MANAGEMENT from this conflict which placed 4,000 acresin the Gorge under public ownership as parks and preserves. In the 1970s and 1980s, debate over the rnanagernent and For the past 12,000 years, inen and women have been at- developmentof the Gorgecontinued. Concerns about urbaniza- tracted to the riches and beauty of the Gorge. The Gorge has tion, industrialization, and damageto special resourcesled to been readily recognizedas "a specialplace." The Indians viewed studiesby federal, state, and local agencies, the Gorge as a sacredplace. The early explorers,such as David All of these studies are concerned with how the scenic Douglas and Thomas Nuttall, discoveredits unique ecological qualities and natural resourcesof the Gorge should be managed diversity. The settlers found the Gorge to be a place to settle and preserved.Proposed tnanagement scheines range from and establish their new hoines. strong federal managementto exclusivelylocal management. Despite the recognition of the Gorge as a specialplace, users There are wide differencesof opinion. Despite thesedifferences, have not alwaystreated it kindly. Attempts to utilize, manage, one common thread is apparent almost everyonefeels that the and develop the resources of the Gorge have resulted in overuse, Gorge is significant and unique, and is a specialplace. abuse, and exploitation of some of'the special features and What does the future ho!d? As so often in the past, the Gorge resources. will continue to be the scene of struggle and conflict over Since the turn of the century, there has been much discussion tnanagementof its resources,The Gorge has survived past bat- and controversyover the resourcesof the Gorge and how they tles and has been somewhat resilient. Hopefully, today's men should be managed, developed, and preserved. and women will recognizethe finite, unique natural and scenic In 1905, there was debateover the use of BeaconRock for qualitiesof the Gorgeand will find a wayto managethese ballast in Portland and at the mouth of the Columbia River for treasuresfor future generationsto experienceand enjoy. rock jetties, Henry Biddle finally bought BeaconRock, saving it from the rock crushers; it was later turned into a State Park. In 1915, the Department of the Interior mentioned the "incorn- parablepanorama of the Columbia Gorge" in its Annual Report. Also, during this time, SamuelLancaster was developingthe ScenicHighway, giving careful considerationto preservingthe unique features of the Gorge. In the 1930s, with the completion of Bonneville Dam, there were claims that cheapelectric power would createa "Pittsburgh of the West" within the scenic walls of the Gorge. In 1937, the Pacific Northwest Regional Planning Cornrnissioncalled for special protection of the Gorge. In the 1950s,plans to clearcut severalregions of the Gorge createdmuch controversy.This issue led to the establishmentof the Oregon Gorge Commission. A movement also sprang up ap of the Goxge
1. Historic Indian Village Site: landed at a village of 25 houses: this village many of them verry ¹-er-cha-de-oo. Lewis and Clark 24 of those were thatched with large and raised in bow. They! on November 4, 1805, wrote "on straw rush mats!, and covered gave us a roundish roots about the 1Vlain Land. Shore a Short with bark, the other House is the Size of a Small Irish potato distance below the last Island we built of boards in the form of which they roasted in the embers those above, except that it is until they becameSoft, This root FleC1111$lellXerihern. OI seeress above ground and about 50 feet they call Wap-pa-to" in length. This village contains On the return trip, while about 200 Men. I counted 52 campedat Washougal,an Indian canoes on the bank in front of told Captain Clark about the Willamette River, which the ex- reIPgep plorets had missed.Clark, return- ing downstream to explore it, again stopped at this village to purchasefood. He recordedin
LEGEND eee Railroad Interstate Highv ay ~ IJ,S, I ederal Highway S tate I I i gh way
County Line i 2os Hkli! et' Mountain PI
Cover~ 55 to stork Factory on Hudson Bay. part,t "I entered this house and Historic Indian Site 6. Prehistoric Iridian Village offered several articles in ex- Site. change for wappato. They were 4, Historic Indian VillageSite: 10. SteigerroaldI.ake. Seasonal sulkey and positively refusedto ¹chacokee. One occupied house 7. Prehistoric Indian Village river-bottom wetlands and water- sell any. I had a small pece of 226 feet long and 16 feet wide S'ite. fowl habitat; last remaining open port fire match powder wrapped built of wide boards, and the space and hay meadowlarids on in paper! in my pocket, off of wreck of several others. One 8. I.erois and Clark Historic north side at entrance of Colum- which I cut a pece and put it in woman was badly marked with Site. Site of Lewis and Clark ex- bia River Gorge. Area may be the fire the port fire cought and smallpox. An Indian drew a map pedition camp. last remnant of mixed Oregon burned vehemently, which chang- for Captain Clark of the white oak/Douglas-fir woodland ed the colour of the fire; which WiBamette River showing the 9, Letois arid Clark Camp in west end of the Gorge. astonished and alarmed those tributaries, villages, and nations Site. The expedition camped here nativs and they laid several in detail, hunting and drying meat for the 11. Reed Island, Washington parslesof wappato at my f'eet.!e journey ahead.Here, too, the State owned land; proposed for a No other expiorers men- 5, Troutdale Lozoland Farms, Hudson's Bay brigadeshalted for park and National Landmark; site tion this village; probably it was Last remaining open spaceand their traditional "regale," a grand of a great blue heron rookery. washedaway in a flood before hay meadowlandon south side at drinking party before the long, 1811. entrance to Columbia River arduousjourney up the Columbia Gorge. and across the Rocky Mountains 2, Historic Indian Site WseaesgaRiser Camas
Ll Washaugai Sislilt a Cseas> Lady L
Jlletisreet. 10
Reed t.
Ol, Traaidats +Zc,' 4' rt,, 56 12, Broughton Reach. Farthest was extended eastward in 1917. wheelers flourished and persisted the tip of South America because point of English Captain Brough- The Columbia, America's Great through two periods of history, it was so difTicult to double in a on's ship during his expedition Highulay Through the Cascade but they were unable to compete wind. There are some faint pic- up the Columbia River in 1792. IYfountains to the Sea 1915-1926 with the railroad when it was tographs and petroglyphs at the by Samuel Lancaster, is one completed through the Gorge on base of the cliff 13. Portland K'omen's Forum reference which tells about the the Oregon side in 1883. Still, State Park, Natural rock promon- origins of' this very significant some steamboats were making 23. Sand Island. Natural, un- tory with exceptional vistas. development, which for the first regular runs until about 1915. altered Columbia River island. time opened the Gorge to wagon 14. Rooster Rock State Park. and automotivetransport. 19. Irfount Pleasant Upland 24. Shepperd'sDeK Outstand- Oregon State Park namedfor pro- Farms, Significant scenicopen ing botanical area. ArcherMr. minent rock spire a landslide 17, I.atvton Creek, Natural space and hay meadow1and area. block! along the Columbia River. watershed for fish spawning; up- 25. Distillery I'oint. Here in per reaches are fragile, untouch- 20. I.at'ourell Falls. Outstanding the 1880s Dr. Ferdinand Can- 15. Croton Point State Park. ed, and almost pristine; many waterfall. diani made whiskey from Designated National Natural wildflowers; possible potable potatoes, Dr. Candiani im- Landmark; exceptional vista and water source for Reed Island. 21. Aft. Zion. Extinct volcano; migrated to the United States view of Gorge. Crown Point outstanding vista of Gorge. from Italy with a number of his Vista House was built as a 18. blount Pleasant Landing. memorial to the pioneers and is One of many historic steamboat 22. Cape Horn. A significant FeovzLane on the National Register of landings along the Columbia and rock; scenicvista. The early voy- Historic Places. Snake rivers. The colorful stern- ageurs named this headland after
16. Old Columbia River Scenic Htghtoay.Significant highway, on DierriicrzPoint the National Register of Historic Places. The highway was com- Mr.elan pleted to Hood River in 1915. It PI Onerrrra ri aadFain Flearuer I 1 19 22 MolrrararalrFOer , 2 CapeHoro ~ IP. reulriteeauFull. .Sinnerr ! Plcarnnt 14 Q itel Cendtot 28 .hngcirterat
CooperFallr SandI.
Ron«tricock ShenpereeDel c' YavatCr l.rrrrtM rr 'ortlandWomen's $ 'g avrellFolie gr FI 57 uJlhfittlJIsu north shore of the Columbia their boards with them to erect River in the Gorge. their summer residences, general- ly on permanent frames left for 34. Archer Mountain and Archer the purpose. Falls. Significant geological land- form; habitat for the endemic 41. Warrendale,Oregon. At the Larch Mountain salamander. site which later came to be known as Warrendale, Frank 35. Larch Mountain. One of the Warren constructed a salmon can- highest accessibleviewpoints of nery in 1876, and in 1882 the Columbia River Gorge, entered the fishwheel business. The Cascades or swift water 36, Oneonta Gorge and Falls. which existed from the head of Outstanding, unique botanical the Cascade Rapids to Dodson area; a narrow, stream-cut gorge created a number of profitable and waterfalls, Fossil forest be- fishwheel sites, many of which tween the lava flows. gradually came under his owner- ship, 1879-1935. 37. Horserail Falls. 42. Pierce Island, Natural 38. St. Peters Dome. Prominent unaltered island; heron rookery; basalt pinnacle. contains some petrified wood.
39. Dodson, Oregon. Named after 43. ¹smirh Point, Fxtinct Ira Dodson. P. J. McGowan's volcano and dramatic vertical Bucheit salmon cannery was con- topographic re!ief, structed here in the 1880s, 44. Beacon Rock and Beacon Rock 40. Hisroric Indiarr Village Sire: State Park. Beacon Rock, 800 Wahclellah. One of the maIor feet high, is the plug of an an- villages on the Columbia, Captain cient volcano. Captain Clark saw Clark wrote "14 houses remain and named the rock in 1805. entire, nine others appear to have Henry J. Biddle at his own ex- successf'ul physician and surgeon and Indian grave site. been lately reinoved, and the pense built a trail to the top of in the Gorge. Later, he became traces of ten or twelve others oF Beacon Rock in 1915-18; now ex- Italian Consul in Portland. 33, Franz Lake. Last Washington ancient date were to be seen at tensively used by hikers. site supporting wapato, the In- the rear of their present village." 26. Bridal Veil Falls and Creek. dian plant food. Bottom lowland The occupants were in the pro- 45. Hamilron Mounrain. Signifi- with sand dunes and a natural cess of moving to The Cascades cant geological feature. Capped 27, Coopey Falls. area, containing almost the only and Oregon City Falls for the by basalt flows in an ancient side existing marshland along thc fishing season, and they took valley. 28. Angel's Rest, Prominent rock outcropping. c' >ne 58 C', 46. Harnilrt!n Island. Lewis and town was relocated due to con- 50. Table ltefctunrain.Capped by .aeeaa Clark applied the natne struction of'second powerhouse of basalt flows in an ancient side "Strawberry Island" to this bit of Bonneville Dam in late 1970s. valley, above slide area. river deposit which we nov know as Hamilton Island after S. M. 49. Ivfiddle Cascades Serrientenr, Hamilton, pioneer of the I850s. Site of a settlement of the old It served as the western terminus Portage Road. of the 1862-1894 Cascades Por- tage Railway, and during the e 1920s also served as an emergen- Sreeeaeaa cy landing strip for the airplanes of that period,
47. Itfoffert Creek.
48. ¹rrk B !nnc fille. New modern planned community;
BlocLake receives high visitor interest. The mountain and the peak are en- dangeredby possibleclearcutting of their steep slopes, Cascadete! ca! Evidence of certain Indian rites is found at the base of the Red Bluffs. Exciting panoramas 51, Red Bluffs. Eagle Creek for- can be had from the top of Table l rereive f I'r i ! 50 53 mation of' volcanic Lnudflows with Mountain. The inountain s varie- outstanding red-colored rockface. ty of exposures, terrain, and ex- R rstoftcrrsHor Srrro c RRIDGE Tablesir. of ri;c iODS treme weather conditions have 57 52. Greenleaf Peak. Significant resulted in an interesting geological feature and highest assemblageof plant species not lee S Iaa! -veen point on north side of Columbia seen elsewhere in the immediate River in Gorge, Table Mountain vicinity of the Columbia Gorge. and Greenleaf Peak are the sides, The summit areaclosely resembles and the Red Bluffs the face, of the sub-alpine zone. The area is , "4@ the Great Cascade Slide of some considered to be very significant Jje 750-800 years ago. The slide nami7raat Baaaevate 56 s. botanically. Many of the species i.ocaaad Oam rttrriaknPall! I moved 5 billion cubic yards of occurring here are norma ly Prvnrkanal Pnllr 4 BO aa!e!ritte BI! material and changed the course found at much higher elevations. G,~ of the Colutnbia River. Area In all of the cliffs, rocky, and 5 «I~
I l 59 57. Indian Burial Site. I,ewis and military structure; nearby arc built one of the first local Clark wrote: "ln a verry thick remnants of an old portage electricity-generating plants. part of the woodsis 8 vatilts railroad, old military road, and which appearedclosely covered pioneer cemetery. 67. Herntan Creek. Natural, imcValley and highly deckeratedwith or- unaltered creek. Pacific Crest ¹ niments, In several of those 62, Bridge of the Gods.Significant tional Scenic Trail follows por- vaults the dead bodies were raped bridge, on National Registerof tion of creek. up verry securelyin Skins tied Historic Places; raised over 40 with cords, laid on a mat, and feet in 1930s to accommodate rise 68. St. Martins Hot Sprirtgs. some of' hose vaults had as many in water level due to construction Local historic site of hot springs as 4 bodies laying on top of each of Bonneville Dam. and lodge facilities. other. I also observed the remains of Vaults rotted entirely into the 63, Site of Columbia Cascades. 69. Wind River, Wind River was ground and coveredwith moss. Prior to being flooded by the named New Timbered by Lewis This inust bee thc burying place back-up waters of the Bonneville and Clark because here they first of maney agesfor the inhabitants Dam, these vigorous rapids posed saw the Oregon biglcaf maple, a of those rapids." Thc vauhs, an obnoxious obstruction to early new species. Later they changed which were sheds built from split shd!~sso. Q pioneers.Here pioneershad to the name to Cruzzate's River cedar plank, were describedby portagearound the rapids. To the after their French boatman. shaded areas are found rare severalother early travelers, One Indians, these rapids were There were large village sites on plants, severalpeculiar to the half mile above the vaults was a beneficial; the churning water each side of the outlet.. Columbia Gorge. village with "vcrry large houses made excellent fishing grounds. bilt in a different form from any At least eight separate Indian 70. Wind Mountain, Significant 53. Moffetts Hot Springs. A I had seen,and laterly abandon- villages were located in the vicini- geological feature: An extinct natural volcanic hot springs area; ed," For more on vault burials, ty of the Great Cascades, volcanic donie, a sister volcano to local historic site of a hot springs see 02!. Shellrock Mountain, which is and lodge facilities. 64. CascadeLocks, Oregon. Site of located across Columbia River. A 58. Ruckel Creek and Ruckel the Cascade Locks, which were portion of the pioneers' wagon 54. Tanner Creek and l alls. Ridge, Significant unaltered completedin 1896 to bypassthe route can be seen a short distance Significant stream and spawning stream and dominant ridge Great Cascades; on National above the present highway area. formation. Register of Historic Places. Washmgton 14!.
55. Bonneville l.ock and Dam. 59. Ft. Rains, Site of historic 65, Upper CascadesToyonsite. Site 71, Shellrock. Sister volcanic First hydroelectric dam on the military structure. of the historic town of Upper dome to Wind Mountain. The Columbia River, constructed in Cascades. old 1872-76 wagon road between 1930s; furthest point for tidal 60. Wauna Lakes Area. Signifi- The Dalles and Sandycan still be water fluctuations of the Pacific cant natural lake and large slide 66. Stevenson, Washington, On seen angling upward to the east Ocean. area, nearby Rock Creek, Sam Samp- across the talus toward the Sum- son, a lucky Alaskan gold miner mit Creek crossing above Benson 56. Metlako Falls/Punch Borol 61. Ft. Lugenbeel, Site of historic Point. Proof of completion of this Falls. road has not been located. rr n g cr V ii RXRR Dier.kta 82 83
A1rteheltrarrrrr
Viectto StatePark space, apple and pear orchards, carries sawed lumber fram the vineyards, and hay meadowlands, upper to the lower mill. Early in Area has unique flower and 6 78. Starvation Creek Historic Site. the logging history of the North- species. sacra-rrrrkr iree teer Cekm Crack Historic site of Chinese "coolie west, many such flumes existed. a Ficta ovens" used in building of the Some earlier residents can recall 87, Wells Island, Natural is- railroad in 19th century. one at Bridal Veil, Oregon, but land and heron rookery, the Broughron flume is believed 79. Viento State Park. to be the last one operating in 88. Union Pactftc Railroad. the United States. Henry Villard began purchase of 72. Lindsey Creek and Falls. 80. Dog Mountain. Anticline in a railroad right-of-way on the left basalt; wildflower area. 84. Mirchell Point. South-dipping south! bank of the river in 1879. 73. Mt. Defiance, Significant basalt flows capped by Troutdale Rail traflic began locally in geological feature; highest point 81, Little White Salmon River. gravels. 1880-81-82, but the transcon- in Columbia River Gorge, and Unaltered river with tinental link was not completed accessible viewpoint. fishing/recreational area; estuary 85. Burlington northern Railroad. until 1883, known as "Drano Lake." Jim Hill, the railroad mogul, 74. Hole-in-the- Wali Fails and pushed his Spokane, Portland, 89. Hood River, Oregon. Impor- Warren Creek. 82. Drano Lake Bluff. Flat, nar- and Seattle Railway now the tant agricultural area v,ith many 673 row ridge overlooking river from Burlington Northern! through the commercial fruit orchards. 75. Lindsey CreekOld Military 1,000-foot elevation. Contains Columbia Rive~ Gorge in Nathaniel Coe was the first white Road. Historic military road most impressive stand of old- 1907-08. In Age of the M Lir i rrirrriGE Blagca soundly cursed by steamboat cap- tains who sometimes tangled with the snags. rr>n gen a no nine 92. Whiskey Hill'. Significant geological feature with accessible Kobgrr, Bgaeh SiarcPark viewpoint of Gorge, Mt, Adams, and Mt, Hood. Iood River 93. Old U,S, 30. Columbia River talley Scenic Highway; one of few re- rr7nck'+ne maining segmentsof' historic highway noted for its design and engineering. burned during t.he Indian upris- Mggier 94. Bingenrf ntieline. Significant ing in March 1856. Orie were semi-subterranean. A pir geological feature. reference tells of telegraphic about 16 feet in diameter and 4 messagesbeing received on Coe's to 6 feet deep was dug, then roof- 95. M>sier, Oregon. Scenic cherry front porch via the 1868 Oregon ed over with poles covered with maney large pine trees standing orchards, Mosier Syncline. Steam Navigation Company's grass and earth. Entrance was erect as they grew, at present in telegraph line from Portland to through a ho1 e i n the center of 30 lect of water; they are much 96. Coyote Wall to Afajor Creek. The Dalles. the roof, which also served as a doated and none of them vegeta- This area, approximately 2,000 smoke hole. Once there were teing. At the lowest water of the acres, contains 12 species on the 90. White Salmon River. Historic many "sinks," remains of these river maney of those trees are in Washington list of endangered, Indian fishing site, lodges, to be seen along the Col- 10 feet of' water. The cause I threatened, or sensitive plants, umbia; now few have escaped the have attempted to account f'or as and one species listed as possibly 91, Bingen-White Salmon, bulldozer. Here, too, in times of I descended." These stumps were extinct in Washington. Six of the Washtngton, Urban areas with extreme low water before Bon- the remains of'a forest killed by listed species are local or regional ethnic German-style commercial neville Dam, ruins ot villages the pool behind th» Cascade only, Also contains excellent ex- business district. There were 18 drowned by th» Cascade Slid» Slide, This famous Drowned amples of a variety of plant houses in an Indian village in this could be seen. I ewis and Clark Forest caused much speculation habitats. The area is very signifi- vicinity in 1806. Some of them saw near Bingen "the trunks of by the early travelers, and was cant botanically. 100 'lW 9 8 "":, MotorCrcck Antilinc rchnnrrrnrrnrnLnhc rota andhnhe 104 106 Lyra 109 oltrnt!'r~ Hittc A irnlin, Rorncnaeront 101 110 I tiet ulk cSk not i COL .'r61llA tttut:ft trttca- 'otnniaiaI MernttlooaePark'9'7. Tke Dalles-Sandy Wagon HI rHW Y Airla tiiic Trail, Old historic 19th century wagon trail between The Dalles rSSaycrState ? and HoodRiver. The Dalles- Park 107 g Sandy wagon road of 1872-76 was constructed f'ar back in the hills 101. cWenralousePark. Cherry away from the river up over orchards. Dam, was still being used until recreational and fishing area. Seven Mile Hill west of Thc flooded by the dam. Since I,ewis and Clark came to this Dalies to Mosier, thence to Hood 102. I.amer Afenraloose Island. members of many tribes con- river on October 28, 1905, and River, It is now called the Old Significant archaeological site and gregatedat The Dalles during the "we landed to smoke a pipe with Pioneer Road, and makes an in- sacred Indian burialground. This fishing season, each disposed of the people ot a village of 11 teresting drive for those who site was the burialground for cen- the dead according to their houses we found those people wish to explore in a mild way, turies for Indians of The Dailes custom which might be crema- friendly. Their village is situated area. The bodies were wrapped in tion, rock slide burials, vault, or immediately below the mouth of 98. Rokoiland Dr Boise I.ake. Pic- reed mats or buckskin and lain interment in graves underground. a River which heads in the nic and recreational fishing site. one upon another in sheds made Below the Cascades, burial in mountains, the Indians inform us Archaeological feature, prehistoric from split cedar plank, the canoes on rocky headlands and that 10 nations live on this river stone st r uctu res above t he lake, customary method of the natives islands or placing the body in by hunting and on buries. The Similar structures across the Col- from The Dalles to the Cascades. trees was customary.Consequent- River we cali Caterack River," chron'nrh Sc umbia River, The sheds were called vaults, ly, no prehistoric burials have On the return trip they stopped andi:rrih Lewis and Clark counted 13 ever been found on the Lov er here to purchase horses but were 99. Catherine Creek. Natural, vaults full of bodies when they Columbia. unsuccessful, "they would not unaltered deep ravine creek with landed on the island in I806, rake the articles we had in ex- C significant natural bridge geologic The stone obelisk on the south 103. Rotuena Point and Dell. change, they wanted an instru- feature; outstanding wildflower side marks the 1883 grave of Vic- Flood-scoured bench, mounds of ment which the Northwest area. tor Trevitt, pioneer of The St. Helens ash; outstanding view- traders call an eye-dag which we Dailes, who requested that he be point, wildflower area. had nor." 100. Iftlajor Creek anticline. Strik- buried there "with my friends, ing geological feature and the Indians." Upper Memaloose 104, Kliekitat Risrer. Traditional 105, Ikfayer State Park. Outstan- wildflower area. Island, just above The Dalles Indian dip-net fishing area; ding vista with view of eastern The Pall 63 end of Columbia Gorge; excellent 97!. Many of the pioneersof the 112. Historic Indian Village Site. Lewis and Clark called this bird-watching area for raptors, middle 1800s built rafts at The A village of eight wood houses. chasm the Long Narrows. The Dalles or Rowena, on which they The trail from this place to the first white settlement was a 106. Lyle, K'ashington, Sam Hill, loaded their wagons and other Long Narrows is still visible in Methodist mission, begun in son-in-law to Jim Hill, caused a possessionsand floated some places. Lewis and Clark 1838 by Rev. Daniel Lee and road to be developed near Lyle. downstream to the Stevenson stopped here in 1805 to purchase H.K,W, Perkins. The area was Portions of this road can be seen area. provisions, and on the return trip named Ft. Lee in 1850 because on the ledgeto the east of Lyle. in 1806 to purchase horses. The of a military establishment there Sam Hill was an advocate of good 108. Ortley Anticline. Significant Indians called themselves Chil- during the Cayuse War. The roads, and aided development of geological feature that marks luckit-te-qua, The island opposite town of The Dalles was started the scenic Columbia River physiographicbeginning of Col- was used for burials, one of about the saine time, In 1854, the Highway on the Oregon shore in umbia River Gorge. several Memaloose Illahcc Land village was cafled Fort Dalles, 1915, of the Dead! islands in the then changed to Dalles City, 109. Historic Indian Village Site. Columbia. which is still the oAiciaf name. Columbiarlilfi Rnlr~ise Lewis and Clark stopped here The city is called The Dalles by and said the Indians "gave us to 113. Columbia Hills Ridgetop. the Post OQ'ice, first established 107. Roroena, Oregon, Pioneer l12 in 1851, to avoid confusion with wagonsof the 1840scould roll no cate Pounded dried and shredd- This open grassland ridgetop, with an elevation of 2,900-3,000 Dallas, Oregon. All the earlv farther west than Rowena. Hence, ed! fish, bread made of roots, feet, contains several important pioneers stopped at Thc Dalles, by one interpretation, this can be filbert nuts, 5 berries, We gave ro each woman of the lodge a specialplants, and a few in- and during rhc Idaho Gold Rush said to bc the end of the Old the city was host ro hordes of Oregon Trail, Joel Palmer, Sam brace of Ribon of which they troduced species, were much pleased. We call this miners with their vast quantitics Barlow, and members of their of freight. Steamboats discharged party cut the Barlow Road south the friendly village. I observed in 114. Chenotoeth Scablands and the lodge of the chief sundry ar- Creek. Only volcanic scablands here for the long portage around of Mount Hood to Oregon City the Long Narrows and Celilo 845-46!. At a later time, the ticles which they must have pro- found in Gorge area; creek historic site as end of the Oregon Falls, A United States mint was early settlers developedthc road cured from the white people, built here but not finished until up over Sevenlvfile Hill west of Such as Scarlet R Blue clot.h trail. Sword Jacket 6 hat. I also the mines were diminishing and observedtwo wide Split boards 115. The DaQes Sand Dunes. Fx- hence machinery was never in- with images on them cut and tensivc sand dunes area, stalled. The building still stands. painted in emitation of man." 116. The Dalles, Oregon. This 117. Hisroric Shaker Indian 110, Columbia Hills. Significant pleasantcity is named for the Church and Gulick Homestead. natural bridge and anticline. famous rapids called "La Grande Historic remains of I~dian site; Dallc de la Columbia" by the on National Register of Historic 111, The Dalles Syncline and French canoemen employed by Places, Ortley-Columbia Hills Anticline, the early fur traders. Dalle means Significant geologicfeature that flagstone, often used to flag gut- denotesphysiographic beginning ters, and the rocky chute, with of Columbia River Gorge. the great river swirling through it, reminded them of a gutter. 64 122 tsief Lake Pa'k 121 123 s~gcIRiel 120 sandDunea ,~ackozroca'p"u>Pom' gpgg~/rac<~< ater wit h tragic results Theift Shortw r Narrows or Tenmile R 'd are five miiles u pstream; Falls five miles fur h The swift water provi e I l s. The Dalles Dam.. H y droelec- fitable fishw e tric genenerating facility. weree dificult i to operate ecau of the great changess ini water 9. The Long Xarrozvs,res Gra~d the s ring the waters raised at least 45 feet. is b The Da es wwas t the great a aboriginal trade floo d this was some o t e mart. violen t water known,n able to pluck rocks r from t hee bottom o of 120. hfachaerocarpusr us Pond arid the channel c nearly 200 feet below Spearfish LLa ke. e. Machaerocarpus sea level and hur 1 tthem e over the is the best and least atient trave c disturbed example off vernal vern someometimesome' atte m pte toru ll pondsd rring occurr' on low, open RNKK e~ggssI. 124 ...126 127 c-,elil0»r" along t hee Columbia he eastern o 23, K Rdg d e Sand Dunes. RA11ROAj! i ipr KKinOR CPRR 125 amed after t e a t sand dune area on race. These un near-natu ral condition, covered with roc ports severaral endangere s State Highway epar safety. 121. Spearftsr ish Archaeologica' al Site, Significantt site ' or note or olo ical Site, 1 hs and site o i Significant archaeo h og og' Wishram, Wasbin ing ton. Uni- note d f o r its petroglyp s. que raiilroad company tional Register of Histori Celiloei Indian ' Village. Vi ag . Site of 127, Celilo Faalls s Monumentnt and a historic Indian ren dezvous e an Vietopoint,' t, Scenic viewpoin toric fishing gro which overlooks what wa hiel Buttes arc h a1 1 ing reemnant of once--11o i hi Falls,a, now inuinundate y sites, with w' severaal pe etroglyphs. r Indian village. ofT h eDalles Dam. 66 128.Lotoer Deschures River. Significant unaltered river designatedas a StateWild and Scenic River. l29. Afiller Island. Large seminaturalisland; generallyco sidered as eastern boundary of the Columbia River Gorge. BNtttt 0 Tss hfilier I 129Desehutes State Park 67 Columbia Gorge teith Croton Point. 1805 06. Meriwether Lev''is and William Clark were the first v.hite hronology of Events men to traversethe Gorge. Made the first maps; namedBeacon Rock and many other geographic features. 1812. Wilson Price llunt Astor party!, David Thompson, Alexander Ross, and Gabriel Francherc traversed the Gorge. 31,000B.C. Early Spokanecatastrophic floods. First Indians arrived in North America. 1823-24. The botanist David Douglas climbed mountains and cliffs along the river collecting plant specimens. 18,000 B,C, Indians widespread in both Americas. 1825, Ft, Vancouver established. 19,000-12,000 B.C. Bretz catastrophic floods, water 700 1,000 feet deep in the Gorge; 190 times larger than greatesthistoric flood. 1830-35, Pestilencekilled more than half the 80,000 Indians living along the Columbia. 8,000 B,C, Early Marmes and Wakemap! Indians occupied the area, with salmon probably their chief subsistence for the succeeding I0,000 1832. Nathaniel Wyeth brought an early group of settlers down the years.Extinction ot many large North American mammalsbegan river. about this Lime, and was almost complete by 3,000 B.C, 1833, 1840. River frozen over. 5,000 B,C, Parkdalc lava flow in upper Hood River valley. 1841, Seventy pioneer emigran s came down the river; in 1842, over 1260 A.D. Cascade landslide near present-day Bonneville Dam, raising 100 more. river 200 feet; I cubic mile of earth fanned over area of 1.4 square miles at an average thickness of 500 feet. Thc slide backed water up 1842, River frozen over. to today's community of Umatilla, This temporary dam probably resulted in the Indian legend of the "Bridge of the Gods." 1842 49. Mount St. Helens erupted, belching great clouds of fiery lava material that lighted the sky at night; ash reportedly feil '/z inch 1770. Smallpox epidemic decimated Indians. deep at The Dalles, Oregon; eruptions continued intermittently for 15 vears. 1792. Capt. Robert Gray flrst crossed the bar of the Columbia, and named it after his ship. 1843. Year of the "Great Migration," over 800 emigrants came down the river. Champoeg government established, Rev. Gustavus Hines at- 1792. October 29th near Sauvie Island!. I.t. William R. Broughton, tributed the Cascades to a landslide, Duriiig a great flood, water rose one ot Capt. George Vancouver's officers, sighted a peak and named it Il feet higher at The Dalles than in the 1894 flood. Mt. Hood. 1844. First portagewagon road around the Cascades;replaced the por- 1800. Most recent eruption of Mt. Hood. tage trail on the north side, 1845. Barlow Road built south of Mt. IIood. treaty>they reservedtheir rights while losing their lands by conquest and trickerv. 1846. Palmer Pack I'rail around the C;iscades for cattle and horses built on south side. Canadian boundary established by Treaty ol 1855 56. Yakima Indian War and "Cascades Massacre." Ghent. 1856. Cascades Indian battle ot' March 26, 27, 28. Col. Wright and 1847-48. Whitman massacre and reprisals. Phil Sheridan v.ere Army commanders,The sidewheeler"Mary" figured prominently in ihe Indian war, which ragedaround Cascades 1848. Oregon Territory established. and Bradfords' Store, 1848. Pack trail on the south side of thc Cascades improved for 1856, Fts. I ugenbeel and Cascadesbuilt after battl». wagonsfor useduring the summer.'I'he greatestobstacle was Tooth Rock now tunneled near Bonneville!. 1856. Lt. G, H. Derby built Cascadeswagon portage road; v orkmen frightened by the rcccnt Indian hostilities. 1850. I'robably the tirst steamboatto travel on the Columbia River, "Columbia." It was a sidewheeler,90 feet long, 16 feet in beam, and 4 1857, The steamship"Hassaloe" v as built by Oregon SteamNaviga- feet deep in hold, captainedby Frost. tion Company, believedto bc captainedby Baughman. 1851. First railroad at Cascades, Washington; Chenoweth's mule 1858, Wooden portage railroad replacedwagon road on south side of poweredtramway, which wassuperseded by Bradfords'Portage Cascades. Railroad; first mail deliveries from Salt Lake City; post ottrces established at Cascades, The Dallcs, and Camas, 1860. Steamship"Idaho" built by Colonel Ruckel and sold to Oregon Steam Navigation Compa nv. 1853. Washington Territory established, 1861 70, Idaho gold rush. Led to rapid expansionof navigation on 1854, A small sidewheelersteamboat 'Mary" made her app»arance; the river for supplies to miners and transportation ot gold back to she was the first steamer constructed in the middle river and was cap- Portland. tained by Dan Baughman. 1862. First steam locomotive, the "Oregon Pony," replaced mules on 1855, 'Steamship"Wasco," 70 feet long, was built by Capt. I. the southside portage at Cascades.First steel-railedrailroad on north McFartand, or Putnam Bradford history disagrees!. side portage. 1855. Ft, Rains built, 1862-73. I'homas Condon, pioneer Oregon geologist,lived in The Dalles, did the first geologicalinvestigations in the Gorge. 1855,Treaty signed by U,S. Government and the Yakima, Warm Springs,and UmatiltaIndians. The Indianshad aboriginaltishing 1863. Small log cabin school built by Felix G, Iman and John Nels! rights for thousandsot' yearsbefore the whit» man'sinvasiori. In the Nelson, It was located about 300 teet west ol present-dayRock Creek. A school was also built in Hood River. l863, Steamship "Oneonta" built at Celilo and captained by McNulty, Rapids to the delight of spectators who jammed the wharf and board- ed boats to watch. Frederick Balch's novel Bridge of the Gods 1872. Oregon legislature appropriated $50,000for a road from Trout- published. dale to The Dalles, It was not completedfor 43 years! 1890-91. Big freeze stopped all navigation on the river. 1874. Agitation started to build Cascade I.ocks and Canal; construc- tion begun in 1878, completed in 1896. 1894. Largest flood on record; 125 million cubic feet per second or five times normal flow, Stevenson post oAice established. 1878. Sternwheeler "Harvest Queen" built by Oregon Steam Naviga- tion Company at Celilo. At 846 tons, it was the largeststeamer in the 1896. Completion of CascadeLocks and Canal, permitting through upper river. steamboattraffic, which previously could only rarely run the Cascades dur ing high water, 1879. Fishwheel era started; wheels were used to harvest the enor- mous runs of salmon, era was to last for 55 years. 1896, Terrible winter, river frozen over. Will Huckaby carried mail between The Dalles and Lyle, making 47 trips across the ice on the 1879-83. Post oAices established at Carson, Washougal, Skarnania, Columbia on 8-foot skis to get the mail through. and Cape Horn, 1897. First grist mill built by Charles W, Cartell on Washougal River, 1880. November 20, first train to Bonneville frotn Portland. Frank near the Columbia,' was destroyed by fire in 1918. Estabrooksaid, "There was a Chinaman every foot building the railroad grade." 1900-10. Period of large-scale logging, Virgin Douglas-fir in the Gorge largely logged off. 1881. Rebuilding of the portage railroad on the south side at the Cascades, after floods took out the bridge around the base of Tooth 1902, Yacolt " Haunted Valley" ! Burn; known as the September "dark Rock, day." Started in the vicinity of Bonneville; burned half a million acres north of river, stopping at Mount St. Helens. This is equivalent to 1883. Completion of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company 800 square miles, or an area 28 miles square. Over 12 billion board railroad on the south side. feet of timber was destroyed, 30 lives were lost, hundreds were left homeless. Estimated dainages totaled $14 million. Later great fires in 1884. Starvation Creek named; a train with 148 passengers was stalled 1910 and 1929 totaled 2'/i million acres burned, about 4,000 square by snow slides for four days and took three weeks to reach Portland. miles, or an area 63 miles square. River frozen over from mouth to the Cascades. 1903. Charles T. Belcher tapped the mineral water at Collins Hot 1S88. River frozen over, Springs, Guest complex consisted of l6 porcelain tubs, 96 rooms, three-story hotel, reading room, barn, etc., to accommodate 300 people 1890. Sunday, May 8, sternwheeler "Harvest Queen" shot the Cascade arriving primarily by steamboats. 1905-20. Period of large-scalefishing by meansof fishwheelsand horse-seines,with consequentelimination of the great salmon runs. Underwood. River frozen over, 1907-OS.Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway completedon north 1920. Construction of flume started by W, D. Arnold, George side. It later became the Burlington Northern. Broughton, and F. E. Arnold. Flume completed 1922 and still in operation today by Broughton Lumber Company sawedcants travel 1908. First train and automobile arrived at Stevenson, Washington. the 9 miles in 55 minutes in 30 cubic feet per second of water!. 1913. Windstorm blew houses from foundations in Stevenson, 1920. Completion of' FvergreenHighway, Washington 14, on north Washington, side. 1915, Completion of the Columbia River Scenic Highway, with 1924. Away31, temperatureextreme of 117'F., Paul E. Newell, Samuel C. Lancaster as engineer. Underwood. 1916. First detailed report on the geology of the Columbia River 1924. December26, teinperature dropped 5S'F, in a one-hour period Gorge by Ira Williams. Sternwheeler"Tahoma," Captain C. N. :00-4:00 p,m.!, Paul E. Newell, Underwood. River frozen aver. Nelson's boat, frozen in ice near Cape Horn for five weeks. 1926. Bridge of the Gods completed;it was raised 40 feet in 1940> 1916. Almost end of the sternwheelerera, overtake~by the railroad. during construction of Bonneville Dam. 1917.January 16-19, four couples Frank and AlgaeKnapp; Clark and 1926. Queen Marie of Romania dedicated Maryhill Museum. Edith Weimer; Bill and Jennie Totten; and Walter and Zonobia Young! locking arms together, walked from Stevensonover frozen Col- 1926. Warren's cannery ceased operation; McGowan's cannery stopped umbia River to Cascade Locks, danced all night, and returned. Their operation between 1926 and 1935. usual mode of weekendtravel was by boat with Indian friend, Frank Estabrook. 1926. May 4, Portland-Vancouver twister. 1917-23. Ruckel slide drained by tunnels made by railroad; new tun- 1930, River frozen over. nels excavatedby Corps of Engineersin 1935 at the time of Bon- neville Dam construction, thus stabilizing the Oregon portion of the 1933, September,Bonneville Dam started '/2 inile upstream from pre- Great Cascade slide. sent location. Coffer dam washed out between Christmas 1933 and New Year's Day, 1934. 1917, December 1, temperature extreme of 27'F., recorded by Paul E. Newell at his home near Underwood, Washington. 1935,June 6, Corps of Engineer'sboat "Bonneville" with two 175-horsepowergasoline engines! went vp over the CascadeRapids on 1919. February, hardest winter weather on tree fruits in the Under- her own power. The "Harvest Queen" sternwheelerhad almost made wood-White Salmon area; day temperatureaveraged 65 F. aboveand it at an earlier time but drove a hole in her hull and backed away, dropped to 2'F. at night during entire month; from Paul E. Newell, 72 1937. Lowest river flow on record; 35,000 cubic feet per second. 1970. January 17, 18, 19, silver thaw> damaging thousands of board feet of' timber by ice breakage. 1938. November through January and February of 1938, Bonneville Pool was "born" by rising water above Bonneville Darn, thus flooding 1970 71. November through January, icestorm throughout the mid- out Cascade Rapids. Columbia Gorge. Ice f'rom Multnomah Falls built up and pushed railroad bridge off its footings and about 10 feet tov:ard Columbia 1942. Driest year on Underwood Heights, 19.45 inches ot' precipita- River. tion, Paul F., Nev,'ell, Underwood. 1975. Contract av;ardcd to construct second powerhouse on Bonneville 1946. March, major landslide '/~ mile east of Multnomah Falls, Dam; thus completing th«. engineer's dr«am of saddling all of the Col- pushing out an estimated 300,000 cubic yards of' rubble and raising umbia River's slack water. shoreline about 15 feet, 1975. Completion of the last stretch of the 1-84 Freeway. 1948. Columbia River flood, Vanport disaster, last major flood in lower Columbia River. 1976. Town of' North Bonneville, Washington, relocated. 1950. Winter of prolonged snowstorm with temperature in Stevenson 1976. Junc 23, historical rocks 1 mile northwest of Mofyct Hot dropping to -9'F. Schools closed over a long period of time. Springs, Washington, officially named "Sacagawea"and "Papoose"by Washington State 13oardon Geographic Names. This landmark was 1955. November 14, temperature dropped extremelv rapidly, 30 F. first describedby I.ewis and Clark. It is an apparent volcanic plug or drop from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at Underwood, with a total drop of' nearly basaltic remnant of a fractured ridge, 50'F. in 24-hour period +42 F. to 6 F.!. 1976, First saleto the public of vari«tal grape table wines by the 1957. Completion of' The Dalles Dam; drowning the Chutes, Narrows, Bingen Wine Cellars of Washington. Of the 20 promising varieties Celilo Falls, and the Cclilo canal. tested by grov,ers Charles Henderson of White Salmon and Don Graves, Dallesport, the following five varieties are now grown for 1960. Wettest year on Underwood Heights, 64.15 inches. wine: Gewuiztraminei, Pinot. Noir, White Riesling, Chcnin Blanc, Grenache. 1962. October 12, Columbus Day windstorm. 1977. Washington legislature recogni~edth«. scenicquality ot the Col- 1962, "Fountain" landslide near Wyeth, Oregon. umbia River Gorge to be a natural resource. 1964. Sever«wint«i flood all over Oregon and Columbia River, 1977. Driest year in recordedhistory. Pi«cipitation during crop year September-June! in Stevenson was 41.52 inches compared to the 1968. Forebay raised upstream from John Day Dam, 20-ycar average of 70.30 inches or 59"1oof normal. Precipitation of crop year in easternSkamania County was 19.60 inches comparedio 1969. January, disastrous windstorm at Cape Horn; estimated velocity 38-year average of'43.40 inches, or 45 la of norinal, No ice and snow reached 100 iniles per hour. packin nationalforests, except in the alpineareas of 1V!t.Hood, Mt. Allen, John I.ogan. PussageThrough the Garden:I.ezois Alkire, Tom. "Tv ilight for the Gorge," Will'an>etre Week. 1980. Dodds, Gordon B. Oregon: A Bicentennial History. New York; Norton. Parsons, Mark E, Across Rushiirg Waters, Washougal, WA: Hobbit 1977. Hill. 1982. Donaldson, Ivan, and Frederick Ciamei. Fishzvheeison the Coh,mbia. Ploits, Lois Davis. zt4aryhi I, Sam Hill and tlute, 1978. Portland: Binfords and Mort, 1971. Ramsey, Jarold ed,! Coyote Was Cioing There: Indian Literature of Franchere, Gabriel, Xarrative of a Voyage to the Xorrhroest Coast of rhe Oregon Country, Seattle; University of Washington Press. 1977, America,J. V, Huntingion, trans. New York: Redlield. 1954. Ray, Verne. Cultural Relationsin the Plateauof ¹rthzvestern A>nerica. French, David. "Wasco Wishram." In Perspectivesin American Indian Los Angeles: The Southwest Museum. 1939. Cui ure Change, Edward Spicer, ed, Chicago: University of Chicago Ross, Alexander. Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Co- Press. 1961. lumbia River. I ondon: Smith, Flder and Co. 1849. Glassley,Ray. Indian Wars of the Pacific ¹rthzvest. Portland: Binfords Ruby, Robert, and John Brown. The ChinookIndians: Tradersof the and Mort. 1953. Lorocr Columbia River. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. The Great Xlorthuestt A Story of a Land and Its People, I'alo Alto, CA: 1976, Thc American West Publishing Co. 1973. Seaman, N, G, Indian Relics of the Pacific Xorthz"est. Portland: Binfords Harper>Russell. Paul Kane'sFrontier. Austin, TX; University of Texas. and Mort. 1967. 1971. Smith, Courtland. Salmon Fisheries of the Colitmbia. Oregon State Hill, Beth and Ray, Indian Petroglyphsof the Pacific Xorthzcest.Seattle: University Press,Corvallis, OR. 1979. University of Washington Press, 1974. Spier, I.eslie, and Fdward Sapir. Wishram Ethnography. University of History Committee,Hisrory of SkamaniaCounty. Stevenson, WA: 1957. Washington Publications in Anthropology, Seattle; University of Hogan, Elizabeth. Rivers of the West.Menlo Park, CA: I.ane Publish- Washington Press. 1930. ing Company. 1974. Splawn,A, J. Ka-il4i-Aki>t,Last Hero of he Vakimas.Portland: Binfords An Illustrared History of Klickttat, Y'akima, and Kittitas Counties. and Mort. 1944. Evansville, IL: Unigraphic. 1977. Stallard, Bruce, Archeology in Washington. Seattle: The Shorey Book Johansen,Dorothy O., and Charles H. Gates.Empire of the Columbia: Store. 1967. A History of the PacificXorthzoest, New York: Harper and Row, 1967. Strong, Emory. Stone Age on the Columbia River. Portland: Hinfords Judson, Katharine, 4zlythsand I.egendsof the Pacific Xorthzoest. Seattle: and Mort. 1959. The Shorey Hook Store. 1910. Strong, Fmory, ed. Wakemap Ikfound and ¹arby Sites on the Long Knuth, Priscilla. "Picturesclue"Frontier: The Army's Fort Ttalles, Port- Xarroros of the Columbia River. Portland: Binfords and Mort. 1959, land: Oregon Ilistorical Society. 1968. Swanton, John. Indian Tribes of North America, Bureau of American Lancaster, Samuel, The Coiumbiat America's Greatest Highzvay Through Fthnology Bulletin 145, Washington, DC. Government Printing thc Cascade 44ountains to the Sea. n,d., Office. 1952. Lancaster, Samuel. Rotnanceof rhe GatezoayThrough the CascadeRange, Thwaites, Reuben Gold, ed, Original Journals of the Leuis and Clark Portland: J. K. Gill. 1929. Fxpedition, 1804-l806. New York: Antiquarian Press. 1959. Lawrence, Donald and Flizabeth. "Bridge of the Gods I.egcnd, Its Townsend> John. Xarrative of a journey Across the Rocky .i4ounrains to Origin, History, and Dating." Iklazama, v, 40, No. 13. 1958. the Columbia River, Fairfield, WA: Ye Galleon Press. 1970. Lockey, Fred. History of thc ColumbiaRiver Valleyfrom The Dailes to Underhill, Ruth, Indians of the Pacific Xorthtoest. Washington, DC: the Sea. Chicago: S. J. Clarke. 1928. Department of the Interior. 1945. Lyinan, W. D, Co utnbiaRiver. Portland: Binfords and Mort. 1963. Wahernap rvfnunii', A Srrariji'od Srre on rlie I.<>averCnlur»birge.San Francisco: I-'riends of the Earth. 1980. west. Ncw York: McGraw-Hill. 1972. SchaEfer,J., B. IIartline, and F. IIart!ine. The Paiific Cresr Tr«il, Vol. c', Oregon and lY'«shing on. Bcrkelcy, CA: Wilderness Press. 1974. Snavely, P. D., Jr. and H. C. Wagner, Tertiary GreologicHis ory of IJ'esrernOregon and IV«shing on.Olympia, WA; Washington Division GEOLOGY of Mines and Geology. 1963. Suchanek, Ron. "The C;olumbia River Gorge: The Story of' the River Allen, John Eliot. Tlie .!lagnif cent C'atetcay.Forest Grove, OR: Timber and the Rocks." Ore Bin, v. 36, No. 12. 1974. Press. 1979. Thronbury, W. D, R