thowasco.html

History of Wasco County, Oregon
by Wm. H. McNeal

This was originally published in 1953 by William H. McNeal. Permission has been given by his daughter for this compilation to be posted here to benefit research in this area.
If this information is helpful to you, and you would like to show your appreciation, please donate your family's genealogy information (if it has a Wasco County connection) to The Dalles-Wasco County Library's local history section or to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center / Wasco County Historical Museum's research library.
When editing this text I corrected spelling and punctuation errors ONLY. I did not correct the spelling of surnames, nor did I attempt to correct any of the known errors within the information that Mr. McNeal's book provides. I have tried to retain the style in which his book appeared.

HISTORY
OF
WASCO COUNTY, OREGON

by
Wm. H. McNeal
2732 Old Dufur Road
The Dalles, Oregon 97058

Originally published in 1953
by Wm. H. McNeal
Photos by The Dalles Chronicle & The Optimist

Second Printing November, 1974
Silesia Printing and Publishing Co.
19 Broadcreek Dr.
Oxon Hill, Md. 20022
(Reproduced by photo offset process
from an original mimeograph copy)

Index revised by William Howard McNeal
November 1974

F O R E W O R D

If you receive any inspiration or benefit from reading this history, please give thanks to your Heavenly Father from whom all ideas originate. If you desire to show any further appreciation, follow the Scout motto: DO AN ACT OF KINDNESS FOR ANOTHER PERSON EACH DAY. All the good we can do for others, without thought of return is SERVING OUR HEAVENLY FATHER by LIVING the GOLDEN RULE.

D E D I C A T E D

To our pioneer fathers and mothers, who, by their self-sacrifice and denial of personal wants, served Oregon for the United States and made possible many of the opportunities we enjoy today. They gave up homes, friends, families, health and happiness to make possible the Oregon territory of the Pacific northwest. We can never forget what they did for us.

CONTENTS

1. THE DALLES
Early history including Methodist Mission, emigration into, Fort Dalles, early merchants, postal history, points of interest, events, city officials, organizations, outstanding citizens, stories of, schools, industries, electricity story, newspapers, railroads, river boats and history.

2. PONY EXPRESS and STAGES
Early pony express routes; first stage routes down to 1914.

3. EMIGRATION and ROADS
Old Oregon Trail movement, Dr. Whitman, Ft. Bridger, early exploration parties, Barlow road, Columbia highway, Dalles to Boise road, other early roads.

4. MUSICAL HISTORY OF THE DALLES
Early musicians, DeMoss Family, Bettengin Orchestra, Bergfeld Orchestra, George Vause, Griffith Williams, KODL,

5. PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY
Availability of historical negatives and pictures of The Dalles and Wasco county points of interest.

6. MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY and JOKES

7. POST OFFICES WITHIN WASCO COUNTY or PLACES
Crates, Rowena, Mosier, Ortley, Matney, Chenowith, Sunset Hill, 3 Mile, 5 Mile, Thompson Addition, Seuferts, Big Eddy, Celilo, Deschutes Bridge,
Moody, Sherars, Tygh, Wamic, Victor, Wapinitia, Maupin, Flanagan, Bakeoven, Criterion, Shaniko, Ridgeway, Antelope, Clarno, Petersburg, Fairbanks,
English, Freebridge, Neabeck, Emerson, Wrentham, Rice, Boyd, Endersby, Wasco, Keen, Kingsley, Friend, Taylor, Dufur.

7. EARLY DIRECTORY LISTINGS
Directory 1873 listings; 1878; 1881; 1883; 1898; 1910.

8. BIOGRAPHIES of DALLES FAMILIES

9. OLD COUNTY HISTORY, PLACES AND EVENTS; OLD FORT DALLES

10. INDIANS
Religion, Sacred Temple, mounds, writings, wars, Bridge of Gods.

11. GEOLOGY

12. VETERANS and VETERANS MEMORIAL LIST

13. KLICKITAT COUNTY
Dallesport, Lyle, Maryhill, Wishram

14. JOKES and POEMS

15. RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY and Health Talk

16. OTHER STORIES and DATA

PICTURES
(Which appear MUCH better when printed!)

The Dalles Scene 1858; Horse Combine; Williams Family; Rodeo Grounds 1915
Freighting 1890; Flood 1894; Ruins of Ft. Dalles; First Courthouse
Regulator; Umatilla House; Western Queen
Ft. Dalles stables; Crate Cabin; Mint; Catholic church
Winter Roads
Wood Scow Reliane
Bailey Gatzert
Bend & Prineville stages; Crate Cabin; Nyce Castle; Ox Bow Bend
Bergfeld Orchestra; Dalles Narrows; Freighting to Prineville
Celilo Falls; Logging With Oxen; Ft. Dallas Bakery; Ft. Dalles Surgeon's Quarters
The Shepherd of the Hills
Dalles in 1865; Bailey Gatzert Unloading Passengers

THIS HISTORY

This history is the inspired thought of hundreds of Wasco county citizens. No one person could have possibly had the possession of more than a small fraction of the information contained herein. The task of this author was merely the assembling of all the facts in one place for the student and lover of history, with proper credit to contributors.

Much of our history has been carried to the heavens beyond by our pioneers, unrecorded by pen or printed word. We do greatly appreciate what is available and we have tried to give credit to each person known to have left any records for us.

This is an "unedited history". You will find 5% of errors in dates, names, places, spelling and punctuation. In the days when we went to school when students received a 95% grade it was called, "passing with high honors." The printed word is seldom above 98% of perfection as edited by trained literary experts, but those with that kind of training have little interest in our history nor time to devote writing about it.

This history contains a great number of facts, dates, places, names, stories and events equal to the best Hollywood movie story you ever went to see. Few of us realize and can see the "Acres of Diamonds" in our stories right here at home.

Our librarians tell us that people are thirsting for assembled historical material which they can refer to. The demand ranges all the way from school children wanting factional knowledge to the pioneer wishing to refresh his memory on past events and they don't expect 100% of perfection because people with Infinite wisdom and 100% perfection don't live in this world! The Bible Oahspe says, "the average person leaves this world, in spirit form for entry in the lower heavens, with a grade of less than 10%!" That grade is based upon how much you do for yourself and how much you did to help someone else). It therefore behooves us to be very tolerant toward our friends and neighbors. The Christian Christ said, "let him who has never sinned cast (criticize) the first stone (statement)."

Practically all our knowledge is history!

Even the daily paper is only history!

History, in its myriad forms, plays a bigger part in our lives than we generally realize. This history of our close friends and neighbors in our own county is just as important as state and federal history. Far too many people are "authorities" on national history, national athletics, national people and yet don't know their next door neighbor or who was great in their own community and county. They know all about the history of Palestine 2000 years ago and don't know anything about their pioneer neighbors of 75 years ago! Its amazing how few people even know their own grandparents! So lets get acquainted with some of our neighbors; the finest people on earth!