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Cascade Locks, looking downstream.
View looking downstream from the walking bridge to Thunder Island.
The Bridge of the Gods is visible in the background.
Image taken November 4, 2004.
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Cascade Locks ...
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Cascade Locks is located on the Oregon side of the Columbia River within the Bonneville Reservoir, at River Mile (RM) 149. It is located across from Ashes Lake, Rock Cove, and Stevenson, Washington.
Downstream from Cascade Locks is the Bridge of the Gods, and upstream is the vanished community of Wyeth. Cascade Locks is located at the upstream end of Lewis and Clark's "Lower Falls of the Columbia", the "Cascade Rapids". In late October and early November 1805, and then again in mid-April 1806, the men had to portage their equipment around these rapids.
In 1896 a navigational canal and locks were completed around these trecherous rapids and the town of "Cascade Locks" was born.
In 1938 the
Bonneville Dam was completed three miles downstream, and the rising waters of the Bonneville Reservoir inundated the canal and locks. Today the Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" is based in Cascade Locks.
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Views of Cascade Locks ...
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Cascade Locks from Bridge of the Gods.
View towards the flooded Cascade Locks and Thunder Island.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Looking upstream from Bridge of the Gods.
View towards the flooded Cascade Locks with Thunder Island.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Looking upstream at Cascade Locks, with Thunder Island.
Image taken November 4, 2004.
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Cascade Locks Marine Park ...
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Cascade Locks Marine Park is located on the east side of the town of Cascade Locks, and has access to the Locks.
A bridge to Thunder Island crosses what remains of the Locks. The park also hosts picnic areas, playground, a small museum, the Oregon Pony (the first steam engine in the Pacific Northwest), and in September 2006 it had two life-size cutouts of "Seaman", Captain Lewis's newfoundland dog who made the entire journey with Lewis and Clark.
Cascade Locks Marine Park (and the Locks) was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 (Structure - #74001686).
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Looking upstream from Cascade Locks.
Looking upstream from Cascade Locks, at the sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge".
Thunder Island is on the left and Cacade Locks Marine Park is on the right.
Image taken November 11, 2004.
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Cascade Locks Marine Park.
View from bridge across the Locks to Thunder Island.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Glass enclosure, Oregon Pony, at Cascade Locks Marine Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 16, 2006.
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Cutout of Captain Lewis's dog, "Seaman", at Cascade Locks Marine Park, Oregon.
Image taken September 16, 2006.
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Cascade Locks Navigational Canal ...
In 1855 the "Jennie Clark" became the first steam-powered sternwheeler to travel the Columbia River carrying passengers. Within a few years hundreds of sternwheelers were on the waters of the Willamette, Columbia, and Snake Rivers. Before construction of locks past the Cascade Rapids and the Celilo Falls were built, passengers would have to exit one steamer, portage past the falls (see the Oregon Pony), and then board another steamer.
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"... Passengers and freight would travel the lower Columbia River to the Cascades on the Fashion, Carrie Ladd, Mountain Buck, or Julia. There they would put ashore and ride the portage railroad behind a tiny rail car, affectionately known as the “Oregon Pony,” to the upper landing, where they would board the Idaho, Hassalo, or Wasco to The Dalles. There they would ride a horse drawn wagon for a short ride around Celilo Falls then board the Colonel Wright, Nez Perce Chief, Yakima, or Spray for a cruise to Lewiston on the Snake River. ..."
["AmericanWestSteamboat.com" Website, 2006]
In 1878 construction of the 8-foot-deep Cascade Locks Navigation Canal began.
It was completed on November 5, 1896, providing a way around the infamous Cascade Rapids, a section of the Columbia which had restricted navigation up the Columbia since the time of Lewis and Clark.
Forty-two years later, early in 1938, the canal was submerged under the rising waters of the Bonneville Reservoir, behind the Bonneville Dam.
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Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" ...
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Four steamers were present when the Cascade Locks opened on November 5, 1896.
One was the sternwheeler "Maria", built at Portland in 1887 and abandoned in 1923. Another was the sternwheeler "Dalles City" which was built at Portland in 1891 and rebuilt in 1909. A third was the sternwheeler "Harvest Queen" built at Celilo in 1878 and dismantled in 1899, and the fourth was the sternwheeler "Sarah Dixon" which was built in 1892 and rebuilt in 1906. Later the steamer the "Bailey Gatzert" arrived, the first steamer built to carry passengers (the previous steamers on the Gorge were primarily built for freight).
The "Bailey Gatzert" was built in 1890 and then rebuilt in 1907 to be the most elegant steamer in the Pacific Northwest. She was the fastest on the river, reaching speeds of over 20 mph. (See "The Golden Age of Postcards" below).
Today the sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" resides at the Cascade Locks, providing today's visitors with a glimpse into the past.
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Looking upstream from Cascade Locks.
Looking upstream from Cascade Locks, at the sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge".
Image taken June 15, 2003.
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Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" at Cascade Locks, Oregon.
Image taken June 15, 2003.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards". The "Penny Postcard" became a popular way to send greetings to friends and family. Today the "Penny Postcard" has become a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Steamer entering Cascade Locks, ca.1909.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1909, "Steamer entering Cascade Locks, Columbia River". Card made in Germany, Card #10246. "The PCK Series". Card postmarked July 1909.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, Columbia River, ca.1911.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1911, "Cascade Locks, Columbia River.". Litho Britton & Rey, San Francisco, California. Card #7015. Card is postmarked 1911.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, with steamer, ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Cascade Locks, Columbia River, Ore.".
Caption on back reads: "On the Road of a Thousand Wonders". Published by M. Rieder, Los Angeles, Cal., Card #4027.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, with steamer heading upriver, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Cascade Locks, Columbia River, Oregon".
Caption on back reads: "Cascade Locks, seen from the highway, constructed by the government at an expense of nearly $3,000,000.00 to overcome the unnavigable rapids of the Cascades. The locks raise steamers 20 feet and enables them to pass around the Cascades. The indian Legend has it that the rapids were formed by the fall of the fabled 'Bridge of the Gods"'and once spanned the Columbia River."
Published by Lipschuetz & Katz, Portland, Oregon, Card #329.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, with steamers, including the "Dallas City", ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Columbia River Steamers in Cascade Locks".
Caption on back reads: "Columbia river is one of the largest rivers in the west side of America. Its estimated length is 1400 miles. The river is broken by falls and rapids into many separate portions, and the ingress and egress are embraced by a surf eaten bar, still it is open to steamboat navigation from its mouth to the Cascade. About 160 miles along the river are located some of the largest salmon canneries in the world."
Card #90.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Campsites of October 30-31, 1805 and April 12, 1806 ...
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Table Mountain and the Bonneville Landslide, near Ashes Lake.
View towards the location of Lewis and Clark's campsites of October 30 and 31, 1805 and April 12, 1806, near Ashes Lake, Washington, at the upper end of the Bonneville Landslide. View from Thunder Island, Cascade Locks, Oregon.
Image taken November 4, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 30, 1805 ...
A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out [from their camp near Drano Lake and the Little White Salmon River]
passed Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side,
[The possiblities in a two-mile area are - upstream to downstream -
Starvation Creek and Falls,
the seasonal Cabin Creek and Falls,
Warren Creek and Falls,
Wonder Creek and Lancaster Falls,
Lindsey Creek and Falls, and
Summit Creek and Falls.]
a remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine trees [Submerged Forest]
[The Submerged Forest existed along the reach from above Dog Mountain/Viento Creek on the upstream edge and Wind Mountain/Shellrock Mountain on the downstream edge.]
are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives every appearance of the rivers being damed up below from Some cause which I am not at this time acquainted with [Bonneville Landslide],
the Current of the river is also verry jentle not exceeding 1½ mile pr. hour and about ¾ of a mile in width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard. Side [Wind River] and Dined ... :
here the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large <round> Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the river,
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The bottoms above the mouth of this little river [Wind River] <which we Call> is rich covered with grass & firn & is about ¾ of a mile wide rich and rises gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river <fr Ash> New Timbered river from a Speces of Ash <that wood> which grows on its banks of a verry large and different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech in bark <& groth> but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller. passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side in the mouth of which is an Island [Rock Creek near Stevenson, Washington], passed on the right of 3 Islands <on> near the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at the head of the great Shute [head of the Cascades Rapids], and a little below a village of 8 large houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine, maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc, Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile ...
I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 2½ miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark
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a wet disagreeable evening, the only wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped [near Ashes Lake, the island is now under the waters of the Bonneville Reservoir. Ashes Lake was near the head of the Cascade Rapids. Across from Ashes Lake is Cascade Locks, Oregon.] is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen miles to daye
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Clark, November 2, 1805 ...
Examined the rapid below us [from their camp at Fort Rains, looking at the Cascade Rapids] more pertcelarly the danger appearing too great to Hazzard our Canoes loaded, dispatched all the men who could not Swim with loads to the end of the portage below, I also walked to the end of the portage with the carriers where I delayed untill everry articles was brought over and canoes arrived Safe. here we brackfast and took a Meridn. altitude 59° 45' 45" about the time we were Setting out 7 Squars came over loaded with Dried fish, and bear grass neetly bundled up, Soon after 4 Indian men came down over the rapid in a large canoe.
passed a rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposite the lower point of a high Island on the Lard Side [Bradford Island], and a little below 4 Houses on the Stard. Bank, a Small Creek on the Lard Side [Tanner Creek] opposit Straw berry Island [Hamilton Island], which heads below the last rapid, opposit the lower point of this Island [Hamilton Island] passed three Islands covered with tall timber [today there are two, Ives and Pierce] opposit the Beatin rock [Beacon Rock]
Those Islands are nearest the Starboard Side, imediately below on the Stard. Side passed a village of nine houses [Skamania and Skamania Landing], which is Situated between 2 Small Creeks [Woodward Creek and Duncan Creek], and are of the Same construction of those above; here the river widens to near a mile, and the bottoms are more extensive and thickly timbered, as also the high mountains on each Side, with Pine, Spruce pine, Cotton wood, a Species of ash, and alder. at 17 miles passed a rock near the middle of the river [Phoca Rock], about 100 feet high and 80 feet Diamuter,
proceed on down a Smoth gentle Stream of about 2 miles wide, in which the tide has its effect as high as the Beaten rock [Beacon Rock] or the Last rapids at Strawberry Island [Hamilton Island],- Saw great numbers of waterfowl of Different kinds, Such as Swan, Geese, white & grey brants, ducks of various kinds, Guls, & Pleaver [today just below Beacon Rock is Franz National Wildlife Refuge]. ...
we encamped under a high projecting rock on the Lard. Side [Rooster Rock], here the mountains leave the river on each Side, which from the great Shute to this place is high and rugid [Columbia River Gorge]; thickly Covered with timber principalley of the Pine Species. The bottoms below appear extensive and thickly Covered with wood. river here about 2½ miles wide. Seven Indians in a Canoe on their way down to trade with the nativs below, encamp with us, those we left at the portage passed us this evening and proceeded on down The ebb tide rose here about 9 Inches, the flood tide must rise here much higher- we made 29 miles to day from the Great Shute [Cascade Locks]-
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