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Horsetail Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Horsetail Falls ...
Horsetail Falls in 1872 ...
Mrs. Frances Fuller Victor in her 1872 publication "All Over Oregon and Washington" describes Horsetail Falls, altho one wonders whether she is instead describing Multnomah Falls. ... (p.78).
" ... Frequently from lofty ledges and terraces of rock silvery water-falls are seen descending, hundreds of feet, to some basin hidden by intervening curtains of wooded ridges. From the steamer's deck they look like mere ribbons; some of them, indeed, are dashed into invisible spray before they reach a level.
One of the handsomest of these falls has been named the Horse-tail, by somebody more given to ponies than to poetry. It has a straight descent, of several hundred feet, to a basin hidden from view, whence it descends by another fall to the level of the bottom-land, and formas another basin, or pool, among the dense growth of cottonwood, ash, and willow, which everywhere fringe the banks of the river.
..."
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Horsetail Falls in 1940 ...
From the Oregon State Archives "A 1940 Journey Across Oregon":
"... HORSETAIL FALLS, 156.6 m., forming the design that gives it name, shoot downward across the face of the sheer rock wall into an excellent fishing pool. Spray from the pool continually drifts across the highway. East of the falls towers ST. PETERS DOME, a 2,000-foot basalt pinnacle.
..."
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Views ...
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Pool, Horsetail Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Stonework, Horsetail Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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- Historic Columbia River Highway ...
- View from Washington State ...
- Winter, December 10, 2005 ...
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Historic Columbia River Highway ...
[More Historic Columbia River Highway]
[More HCRH Route]
- HMP 34.6 ... Horsetail Falls/Creek Bridge (1914)
- HMP 34.6 ... Masonry Walls and Kiosk (1940)
- HMP 34.6 ... Masonry Walls and Parking Area (1985)
- HMP 34.6 ... Portland Rotary Club Bronze Fountain Artwork (1916, 1985)
- HMP 34.6 ... Horsetail Falls Developed Area
- Horsetail Falls Bridge (1914):
"This three-span 60-foot reinforced-concrete deck girder trestle is 24 feet wide and has a roadway measuring 22 feet. The curb and guardrail form an integral unit, cantilevered out from the girder."
[National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, 1996]
"This structure is a reinforced concrete girder span, 80 feet in length. It consists of three 20-foot slabs. This span is very similar to the 1914 Oneonta Gorge Bridge. ... South of the bridge is Horsetail Falls (221 feet), visible from the bridge."
[National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1983]
- Masonry Walls and Kiosk (1940):
"The USDA Forest Service improved the area south of the CRH and near the Horsetail Falls plunge pool in 1940. This work included construction of masonry walls in the NPS "Rustic"-style, and an information kiosk. The Kiosk has a masonry base, with "1940" carved in the rock. A roofed timber structure, in a complimentary "Rustic" style is mounted above the base. These structures were refurbished during a 1985 project designed to enlarge the developed area."
[National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, 1996]
- Masonry Walls and Parking Area (1985):
"In 1985, the USDA Forest Service landscaped a parking lot north of the CRH at this site. It also refurbished the existing walls south of the highway and constructed others in the same architectural style."
[National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, 1996]
- Portland Rotary Club Bronze Fountain Artwork (1916, 1985):
"The Portland chapter of Rotary International dedicated this large bronze cog, the symbol of the organization, at Wahkeena Falls in 1916. It was the centerpiece of a large fountain. In 1985, the artwork was installed at Horsetail Falls, without its fountain base. The legend on one side of the cog reads "Portland Rotary Club 1916". On the reverse, the legend read the organization's motto, "He Profits Most Who Serves Best"."
[National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, 1996]
- Horsetail Falls Developed Area:
"Horsetail Falls empties into a plunge pool southeast of the Horsetail Falls Bridge on the CRH. Masonry walls dating from 1940 and 1985, and the NPS "Rustic" style, define the plunge pool's northeast boundary. A picnic area is located east of the picnic area. Nearby, is located a large bronze cog, once part of a fountain located at Wahkeena Falls. On the north side of the CRH, a parking lot was improved and enlarged in 1985. It is bordered with "Rustic"-style walls and masonry curbs."
[National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, 1996]
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Penny Postcard: Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Penny Postcard, "Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
Americhrome, Leipzig, Berlin, New York, Printed in the United States.
Card O-6.
Caption on back: "Horsetail Falls are 208 feet high. From the new Columbia Highway Bridge, a fine view of this beautiful water fall is obtained."
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Penny Postcard: Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Penny Postcard, "Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
Postmarked 1920, Portland, Oregon.
Lipschuetz and Katz Company, Portland, Oregon.
Card 313.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
Caption on back: "Horsetail Falls. A fine view of this beautiful water fall is obtained from the Columbia River Highway. The Horsetail Falls are 208 feet high. This picture shows the Cathedral Domes beyond.".
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Approach to Horsetail Falls, Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
Image taken March 30, 2015.
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View from Washington State ...
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Horsetail Falls, Oregon, as seen from Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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Winter, December 10, 2005 ...
A cold snap and freezing weather makes for great views of
frozen waterfalls on both sides of the Columbia River Gorge, including
Horsetail Falls. The most popular spot however is Multnomah Falls.
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Winter, Horsetail Falls, Oregon.
Image taken December 10, 2005.
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Winter, Horsetail Falls, Oregon.
Image taken December 10, 2005.
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Winter, Horsetail Falls Pool.
Image taken December 10, 2005.
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Icy banks along Horsetail Falls Pool.
Image taken December 10, 2005.
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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. The Penny Postcard today is a part of history.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 2, 1805 ...
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