Historic The Dalles, OR

Nestled along the banks of the mighty Columbia River, The Dalles, Oregon offers the visitor grand vistas, great outdoor recreation, and a glimpse into another time through our murals, museums, and historic sites. These are sites that tell the story of a land so rich in history, so rich in resources, and so diversified. The area served as a center for trade for 10,000 years. The county of Wasco was once the largest in the United Sates, stretching from the Cascades to what is now Yellowstone National Park. Today, the cherry orchards that dot the hills surrounding the town provide the largest sweet cherry crop in the world. The winds of the Columbia provide ideal conditions for windsurfers and nearby tributaries provide great whitewater rafting and kayaking experiences. We are confident that you will see why so many of us proudly call this area home… for the beauty and bounty of the land, the friendliness of its people, and the gorge winds that keep our skies clear and sunny.

The Dalles was a center of Native American trade for at least 10,000 years. Different tribes from across the West met here to trade and obtain supplies.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition camped at The Dalles en route to the Pacific in October 1805 and again on the trek eastward in April 1806. The area soon became one of the Pacific Northwest's most important early cities, first as a center of the fur trade, and later as the "End of the Overland Oregon Trail."

The Dalles became an outfitting center for gold mining and operations base for the U.S. Army through its local garrison, of which the Surgeon's Quarters (1857) survives today as Fort Dalles Museum, est. 1905. The year 2005 marks the centennial of Oregon's oldest historical museum.

The Dalles was incorporated in 1857, three years after becoming the county seat of the largest county ever created in the United States. Wasco County reached the present states of Wyoming and Montana, and the Original Courthouse (1859) still stands in The Dalles. The city's historic Catholic Church (1898) is preserved today as a museum, St. Peter's Landmark. The first motion picture theatre west of the Mississippi designed for "talkies," the Granada Theatre (1928), is also preserved in The Dalles. The Theatre, which has been recently renovated, is currently for sale.

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