"In the early days, nobody went to White Salmon. Everyone went to the river. In order to get there without going thru Bingen, White Salmon built the Dock Road in 1892 and the old bluff stairway in 1897. ...

These words, from an interview with the late John Wyers, are from the Sun's files. ...   Mr. Wyers died on April 5, 1961 and the Sam C. Ziegler home at the foot of the old bluff stairway burned last Sunday, June 17.

Indian Trail

When John Wyers came to White Salmon from Kansas in 1891, the shortest distance between the town and the river was a wide trail up the bluff. ...

Strangle Hold

White Salmon's lifeline to the ferry landing was an old wagon road through Bingen. When the late Theodor Suksdorf closed this right-of-way in 1892, White Salmon found itself strangled.

Teunis Wyers, Sr., Rudolph Lauterbach and Clinton M. Wolford, White Salmon's first merchant and mayor called a council of war.

They joined battle by building their own steamboat dock, the Dock Road and a wooden stiarway down the bluff. Most of the work and materials were donated by irate White Salmon men. ...

Stairway

The ladder-like stairway from the Old Ziegler Place at the foot of the bluff to the top-landing between the present Pollard and Tune Wyers' homes, had nearly 400 steps.

Several pioneers who used to 'spoon' on the landings claim there were 365, 'one for every day in the year.' ...

The steps were in use for 15 years --- for both business and pleasure.

A platform halfway down was a favorite spot to rest or romance.

Nothing remains of the old stairway which some people dont believe ever existed. The last boards were consumed in a bluff fire 12 years ago.

Now the Old Ziegler house has gone too -- the last visual proof of a pioneer feud that outlived the combatants."


Source:    "Mt. Adams Sun", June 21, 1962, Bingen, Washington

"The Sun has received comments from sevral oldtimes regarding its June 14 story [actually June 21 article] about the Dock Road and the old wooden stairway to the top of the White Salmon bluff. ...

[section about Dock Road omitted]

Stairway

How many steps were there in the old stairway?

Amos Larsen remembers counting 365 from the Dock Road to the top of the bluff, but there were more below the Dock Road. ...

The following letter ...   from Mrs. Eenar M. Sather (nee Laura Ziegler) ...   provides additional information about the old stairway.

"The part of the stairs in the picture (not shown here) was the long flight built by the town of White Salmon and kept in repair by them. Those stairs consisted of 365 steps and led from the Dock Road to the top of the bluff; and then we took a path up to town past Wyers' livery stable.

"There were two short flights up from the road, with two platforms, and then the long flight pictured, then a platform and a short flight to the top platform. There were benches on each platform to rest.

624 Steps

"I am sure the article was correct on how those upper stairs happened to be built; but my father, Sam C. Ziegler, built a long stairway from our house up to the Dock Road and there were 259 steps in that, 624 in all. ...

"My father built his stairway about 1907. Up to that time we took a winding trail up the bluff to get to the other stairs. This was much easier.

"As I look back, those stairs of ours were a real hazard as they were much narrower and had no side railings. A misstep would have sent one to the boulders below, but we were fortunate and never had an accident in all those years. ...

"The article said the steps were in use for 15 years. Well it was much longer than that for I started to school in 1906. Also, when went home on vacations I would go up the steps to town. I think the last time was about the middle 20s. Will admit they were getting pretty rickety by that time."


Source:    "Mt. Adams Sun", July 5, 1962, Bingen, Washington