Many old references to "Dalles City". Now, and for many years, always hear "The Dalles". Was "Dalles City" ever an official name, and does anyone know when the name change took place

Buzz on 4th June 2014 @ 7:44am

I can't believe this, Fred Diemer was my great-uncle, married to my great aunt, Gladys Clark Diemer. They married in 1929 in New York. He was born in New Jersey, and I don't know what brought him west. I know he was here in the teens as I have family photos with him in them. He later worked for the New York Port Authority on the 17th floor of their building looking over the river later. I have all the photos he took from his office window of all the old ocean liners that traveled the river. He was a world wide traveler, in his old age. I have all his slide photos from all over the world. Arlen would love the train photos that I have.

He came to visit when I was in my teens, a very remarkable man.

I wonder how this one ended up in the museum. Are there more by him?

charlott on 4th June 2014 @ 8:09am

Connections, connections, connections.......what a wonderful service you are providing to us Arthur. I sure hope you are getting at least some of the joy you are providing to us, your viewers.

Arlen Sheldrake on 4th June 2014 @ 8:45am

Congratulations Charlott. Pretty neat knowing the photographer.
Buzz....wikipedia has a pretty good article and history on The Dalles. Didn't see that it was ever called Dalles City.
The name Wascopam is still seen in a lot of history articles.
Wishram was called Falls City into the 1900's.

Is it just me on my little lap top or do the boat and people look out of proportion?

l.e. on 4th June 2014 @ 8:47am

charlott, I don't think we have any other images by Fred Diemer. The note on the back was written sometime later and attributes the photo to him. We don't know how it wound up in the collection.

Arthur on 4th June 2014 @ 8:54am

I think I have an idea and if I saw the hand writing I might be able to tell who wrote that on.

charlott on 4th June 2014 @ 9:11am

The more I look at this the man on the left, he just might be one of my great-uncles, who would later be Diemer's brother-in-law. Wish I could get a full view of him.

Makes me wonder why they were at Cascade Locks? Maybe just an outing as my family has always been know for going.....

Charlott on 4th June 2014 @ 9:20am

glenwood that was my reaction too. Had toadjust my brain by looking at the people on the boat and then the shore people. Very strange. Was trying to figure out if it had been 'photoshopped.'

nels on 4th June 2014 @ 11:30am

I had never heard that Wishram was called Falls City but the post office was Fall Bridge 1911 - 1926 The name is still faint on one of the buildings, possibly the old post office.

Kenn on 4th June 2014 @ 7:15pm

Fall Bridge I posted above was actually one word, Fallbridge WA.

Kenn on 4th June 2014 @ 9:14pm

Oooops, you are right Kenn. Fallbridge. I forget there are history buffs here to check up on my lack of knowledge.

I have been searching through old Goldendale Sentinel articles for something and been surprised at all the references to Fallbridge, ....like everyone knew where it was. When I looked it up I was surprised to find out it was Wishram.

Another place I wish I knew more about is Grant which I think was by Biggs and washed out in the 1894 flood.

l.e. on 5th June 2014 @ 5:46am

Dalles City (steamer)
An unusual marine mishap occurred on the Columbia River on September 14, 1912, when the Regulator Line stern -wheel steamer Dalles City was wrecked as the result of a sand storm. So violent was the blinding storm sweeping down the Columbia River gorge that the steamer, while attempting to land at Stevenson, Washington, was blown ashore and so firmly stranded that two other steamers at the scene were unable to free her. Part of her wheat cargo was removed, after which she was refloated and placed back in service. Gordon Newell, Maritime Events of 1912, H. W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest., p. 210.

l.e. on 5th June 2014 @ 5:56am

Yes, Grant was just up the river from Biggs, between Biggs and Rufus. Closer to Biggs. Not a big community, but that is where the distillery was that my great-grandfather and his friend Dixon McDonald took the ferry tug "Nellie" out and roped it in, stopping it down from Biggs about a mile. I do have a photo of the distillery there and I have seen another one of the community of Grant. Naturally it was named for Ulysses S. Grant.

Charlott on 5th June 2014 @ 7:09am

I think this is a composite of two different photographs. Notice the distinct edge to the shadow the quay casts onto the water, It looks to me like two different photos were joined here. Maybe this was a way for the photographer to get himself into the picture?

The shadows of the men on the quay would indicate that their picture was taken a little bit earlier in the day than the picture of the Dalles City.

longshot on 5th June 2014 @ 10:04am

Well done Longshot---you are so right! Very perceptive.

Scott Cook on 5th June 2014 @ 12:11pm

The Dalles was known as Dalles City for much of the 1900s. You'll see "Dalles City" inscribed on many-a-monument, like the 1920 Conde McCullough bridge over Mill Creek for example.
Wishram was re-named Wishram from Fallbridge as a RR publicity stunt. happy Googlng :-)

Scott Cook on 5th June 2014 @ 12:16pm

I'm sure glad someone else besides nels and I thought the photo looked photoshopped.

l.e. on 5th June 2014 @ 8:30pm

One more ramble on Fallbridge. The RR division point was at Cliffs east of present Wishram where trains were ferried to OR to start construction of the Deschuttes RR. The division point was then moved west to the bridge construction camp and called Fallbridge. Bridge construction was simplified as all 11 piers were on dry rock at normal water level. and no lift span, only the still visible 250' swing span over Celilo Canal.

Kenn on 6th June 2014 @ 7:31am