The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, OR., June 7, 1905, page 2

EARLY STORY OF PORTAGE

     The opening of the portage road today marks the successful termination of a fight waged for many years by the people of the interior of Oregon and Washington for the opening of our great river to the traffic of the world. The early settlers fully realized the great commercial value of the Columbia and Snake rivers, and fully half a century ago the movement for their opening to navigation was inaugurated. But little progress was made for many years. Then a concentrated organized effort occupied the attention of enterprising citizens of three states.
     An issue of the Walla Walla Union some days ago contained the following history of the efforts of pioneers to the end attained today:
     On December 2, 1885, at The Dalles, was organized the "Columbia Waterway convention," which for six years laboring to secure congressional aide for the herculean task of opening the two rivers to navigation.
     The Columbia Waterway convention was called to meet at The Dalles by the following commercial bodies, in an open call issued November 16, 1885. The Dalles Board of Trade, Astoria Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver Board of Trade, City Council of Goldendale, Wash.; Walla Walla Board of Trade, common council of Dayton, Wash.; City Council of Waitsburg, Wash.
     These representative bodies sent representatives to The Dalles, where Hon. E.L. Smith, now of Hood River, Ore., then of The Dalles, called the body to order December 2, at 10 o'clock. The committee on the credentials found that seventy men from The Dalles, Portland, Walla Walla, Astoria, Pendleton, Vancouver, Weston, Big Bend and Colville, Waitsburg, Union, Wasco and Goldendale were entitled to seats in the body.
     J.Q.A. Bowlby of Astoria, was elected president, and W. Byron Daniels of Vancouver, secretary. A memorial was sent to congress asking aid for the river work, and setting out some of the many claims of the western country to consideration at the hands of the national Rivers and Harbors committee.
     The second session of the convention was held at Vancouver, October 4, 1886, and E.L. Smith, of The Dalles, was chosen president, and W.H. Brewster, of Vancouver, secretary. Strong resolutions were adopted urging national action, and a scheme for the construction of a "boat railway" around the obstructions was developed.
     At that time a tedious delay was being tolerated in the work of constructing the Cascade locks, and the convention appointed a committee to ascertain the cause and see if the work could not be rushed to completion. The convention showed that the rate charged for carrying cattle from the Dalles to Portland, 87 miles, was $2, and the charge on wheat was 12 cents per bushel.
     The third session of the convention was held at Astoria and the officers were re-elected. Cowlitz county, Wash., and Franklin county, Wash., Oregon City, Pacific, Chehalis and Wahkiakum counties, Wash., Clark county, Wash., Arlington and other places sent delegates. At the time it was shown that forty-six men were employed in constructing the Cascade locks, and the work was going on very slow.
     The fourth session was held at Portland, and here, perhaps, the first steps were taken which ultimately led to the completion of the present portage road. A memorial was sent to the Oregon legislature asking the state to appropriate money for the construction of the portage road to be operated by the people at a cost of service. The memorial recited that the body was about discouraged with the snail-like progress being made by congress both at Cascade locks and in considering further improvements of the river.
     The fifth session was held at Portland, October 10, 1889. J.F. Halleran, of Astoria, was chosen president, and J.P. Shaw of Oregon City, secretary. Among those marked present at the meeting were Governor Sylvester Pennoyer, of Oregon, Governor Shoup of Idaho, and Governor Miles C. Moore of Washington. It was reported that the legislature of Oregon had refused to pass a bill appropriating $60,000 to build the portage railway. In addition to memorializing congress the Washington legislature was asked to appropriate money to assist in the work.
     Being discouraged at the apparent lack of interest in the work and the poor chances of securing aid from either the local general government or Washington or Oregon, the promoters of the Waterway association gave up the fight with the sixth and last meeting held at Oregon City, October 22, 1890.
     Hollon Parker, of Walla Walla, was chosen president, and J.P. Shaw of Oregon City, was re-elected secretary. E.M. Rand, then of Oregon City, now of Clark county, Wash., was the leader of the senate in the last session, and was an active member of the last waterway convention, and introduced the last resolution passed by the body.
     The body was never called to gather again, and but few of the present citizens of the states of Washington and Oregon remember anything of the early efforts put forth to bring about the opening of the Columbia river now made a fact.

[HOME]
©  Jeffrey L. Elmer