"... The first ferry service to cross the river at this spot was in operation by 1854. From 1865 various enterprising persons tried to gain support for a bridge. Both Oregon and Washington highway departments approved the idea in 1947. But the dream was not realized until Congress gave approval to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1951 to begin planning The Dalles Dam. The bridge was built in connection with the dam. Wasco County, Oregon, officials financed it by issuing bonds, to be repaid by tolls. ..." [Washington State's "HistoryLink.org" website, 2006]

The steel-truss-cantilever bridge was completed in 1953, one of two cantilever bridge built in Washington State during the 1950s. The bridge is 3,339 feet long and cost $2.4 million. It was a toll bridge until 1974. Less than a mile upstream of The Dalles Bridge is The Dalles Dam.

"In 1854 Wasco County authorized Orlando Humason to operate ferries here and on the Snake river in Idaho. He probably never personally operated either of them, but sold the licenses. In 1859 The Dalles Ferry was owned and operated by James Herman and John Golden, founder of Goldendale, Wash. was credited with being his FIRST passenger. Before that Indians canoed any travelers across the river or they swam their horses. The soldiers during the Yakima Indian War of 1856 swam the river and rowed their supplies across in dugouts, rafts, canoes and boats. Some of those military rafts, with sails and oars, might be considered "the first ferry here". The charter granted Dalles City, by the Oregon legislature (1857) authorized the city to build a bridge across the Columbia and or to own and operate a ferry here." "The Dalles ferry was established by James H. Herman in 1859 and it was said that his first passenger was John Golden who founded Goldendale. It is interesting to note that that first ferry was a sail and oar operated ferry. Oh windy days the sail would propel the ferry- across the river, it being steered, by oars. On still days oarsmen had to row the ferry across the river. The captain or owner operated the steering oar, his deckhand operated the other rear oar. The passengers were required to operate the 2 forward oars and "work their way across the river." Those first ferries could haul 2 wagons and their teams. Alonzo Curtiss was one of the early owners of the ferry. Traffic was not very heavy in those days and the ferry was operated only once or twice a day. Foot passengers used a row or sail boat, as did saddle horsemen, who left their mounts at Rockland. Source:    Wm. H. McNeal, 1953, "History of Wasco County, Oregon".

• The December 2, 1921 Klickitat County Agriculturist of Goldendale reported that Klickitat County had nearly 100 miles of river front on the Columbia river, and 6 ferries were operating within the County. The ferries were White Salmon (to Hood River), Lyle (to Rowena), Grand Dalles (to The Dalles), Maryhill (to Biggs), Roosevelt (to Arlington), and Alderdale (to Boulder). ["Klickitat County Agriculturist, December 2, 1921, courtsy "Rootsweb.com" website, 2006]

• The September 18, 1921 Oregon Daily Journal reported "The Dalles-Grand Dalles ferry operates from The Dalles. The ferry Queen makes the trip. It is a 10-car boat, with plenty of room for passnegers. Charge is $1.03 with six passengers one way and $1.55 for the round trip. After 6 p.m. $1.55 one way and 25 cents per passneger." ["The Oregon Daily Journal", September 18, 1921, courtesy "Newspapers.com" website, 2016]

• The January 15, 1931 Goldendale Sentinel, in a report on the proposed The Dalles Bridge, stated that the The Dalles to Grand Dalles ferry had an income of $17,250 per year, the Maryhill to Biggs ferry made $25,700 per year, the Roosevelt to Arlington ferry made $30,000 per year and the Lyle to Rowena ferry made "about $9,000 per year". ["Goldendale Sentinel, January 15, 1931, courtsy "Rootsweb.com" website, 2006]

• The May 20, 1932 Klickitat County Agriculturist reported a new ferry boat called Columbia began operating with 24-hour service between The Dalles and Grand Dalles. Columbia was 53 feet long and 16 feet wide, and was "large enough to carry anything which travels the highways, including trucks with trailers." The ferry could carry nine cars at a time and was powered by a Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine. The former ferry was to be repaired and used as a backup. ["Klickitat County Agriculturist, May 20, 1932, courtsy "Rootsweb.com" website, 2006]