Block House at the Upper Cascades on the Columbia River. Photographed by Albert H Wulzen, 1887.
The Oregon Historical Society. #42142
Each week Oregon Experience shares a photo highlighting the state’s diverse, exciting history.
Taking photographs in the Columbia Gorge was a popular hobby near the end of the nineteenth century. The Gorge had become more accessible, allowing many people to travel through it on the newly constructed Transcontinental Railroad. Photos of this era, such as this one taken by Albert H. Wulzer, show us a gorge different from what we see today. One where the main section of the river still flowed freely – even after construction of the Cascade Locks, completed in 1896 by the Army Corps of Engineers. When the Dalles Dam went online in 1957 the Columbia River Gorge was forever changed.
Watch the Oregon experience documentary “The River They Saw” to learn more about how the Columbia Gorge has inspired both novice and accomplished photographers.
This series is in partnership with The Oregon Historical Society