THE DALLES TIMES-MOUNTAINEER.
disseminate the truth of the Gospel among the tribes of
Indians, did not overlook the value of the country, and its
worth to the government of the stars and stripes. The
Dalles was the key to the entire country east of the Cas
cades, and Lee perceiving this used his best endeavors to
establish a permanent American settlement, that would
grow into and become a city witn the development of the
country.
In August, 1847, the Methodists transferred the mission
to Dr. Marcus Whitman, who was a missionary of the
Presbyterian Missionary Society, better known as the
American Board. Whitman, and his coadjutors of the
American Board were doing the greater portion of the mis
sionary work east of the Cascade mountains, and the
Dalles station was an important one to them. The Metho
dists were mostly occupied in the Willamette valley, where
they had more work to contend with than they could do
justice to. As an act of Christian regard, the mission was
- transferred to the American Board, for the uses and pur
poses of a mission, and with the understanding that the
missionary work would be continued on the same general
lines as were then being followed through the Northwest.
For the personal property of the mission Mr. Roberts re
ceived $600. As no title to the real property could be given
' no attempt was made to sell the land occupied by the mis
sion After the transfer Dr. Whitman returned to his
home at Wailatpu, leaving the station in charge of his
nephew, Perrin B. Whitman, then a youth of seventeen
years, who remained in charge of the station, until early in
December of the same year, when the news of the mas
sacre of Dr. Whitman reached him. He then abandoned
the mission and leaving the buildings in charge ., of some
friendly Wascoes, fled down the Columbia to escape the
murderous red skins, who were greatly excited and in
flamed against the missionaries by the instigators of the
massacre at Wailatpu. The buildings were soon after
wards occupied by a volunteer military company under
the command of Captain G. A. H. Lee, who used the mis
sion houses for his soldiers. During the continuance of
the Indian wars which followed the Whitman massacre,
these buildings were used for storing military supplies.
After the death of General Gilliam, Lee was placed in
command the post. It was never used as a mission station
Rigelow's addition to Dalles City. He also opened a store,
and for many years transacted a very considerable busi
ness. Several others came during the year, and the place
began to assume the proportions of a village.
From this year the town may be said to have commenced
its existence. Before this it was only a military post. The
soldiers attracted merchants, and being a good point for
business, many located here permanently.
The first steamboat on the river was the Flint, built in
1851. The Wasco was built in 1854, and afterwards the
Messrs. McFarland constructed the Mary. She was sold
a short time later to Colonel Ruckle. In 1852 C. W. Den
ton located a tract at the mouth of Mill creek on the east
side and established a boat landing. . This was for years
the landing place for the boats doing business on the
middle river. From 1852 regular comunication was estab
lished between The Dalles and Portland. Bradford & Co.
afterwards built the Hassalo, and a few years later the
different transportation interests were consolidated and the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company was organized; and
from the time of the organization of this company it prac
. tically controlled the transportation business on the river.
'a.he first boat owned and operated by the company was the
Idaho, commanded by Captain John McNulty. She was
followed by the Oneonta, Daisy Ainsworth, Mountain
Queen and R. R. Thompson. The O. S. N. did a prosperous
business. The transfer was made around ie dalles by
teams from The Dalles to Celilo until 1862, when The
Dalles and Celilo Railroad was built. Connecting steamers
ran on the upper river as far inland as Lewiston, Idaho.
The gold excitement of 1855 attracted thousands of pros
pectors, traders, adventurers and others, but few perma
nent settlers. All of these were obliged to pass through
The Dalles, and it soon became quite an outfitting point.
The government buildings at the fort were erected in
1858, while Captain Thomas Jordan was in command.
In April, 1859, Captain Jordan commenced the publica
tion of The Dalles Journal, the first newspaper published
.in the place. In 18G0 it was transferred to W. H. Newell,
who changed its name to the Mountaineer.
The first move toward establishing a city government
was made in 1855. On September 15th of that year a meet
ing of the residents of the then village was called for the
In the spring of 1863 the O. S. N. Co. established machine
shops at this point with John Torrence as foreman. This
was long a very prominent industry of the town.
In 1860 the first school house was erected. The old build
ing has been remodeled and removed several times, but it
still continues to do service. Prior to the erection of this
building a school was taught in one of the garrison build
ings, by one of the soldiers of the fort. Unfortunately the
name of this first schoolmaster, who, clad in the blue uni
form of the U. S. regular, instructed the youth of the town
amid martial surroundings, has not been preserved. It Is
to be doubted if this village schoolmaster, whose surround
ings savored of the bayonet, was Goldsmith's prototype.
In 1871, a large frame building was completed, and in 1882
tne present brick edifice used for a High School. In 18S1
the Wasco Independent Academy was incorporated, and in
1889 was created a State Normal School by an act of the
legisulature. The Catholic Academy was completed in
1884.
The grass clad hills of the surrounding country attracted
the attention of stockmen and ere many years tlfeproducts
of the ranges were bringing as much wealth to the city
as did the mines. The lack of facilities for transportation
to the markets of the East proved to be a drawbackbut ad
venturous spirits were soon driving great bands of beef
cattle across the plains and mountains to railroad connec
tion at Cheyenne. Every year large drives were made, the
entire summer being required to make the drive. The sheep
industry early received an impetus and has proved one of
the leading industries of the country.
By act of congress in 1865, $100,000 was appropriated for
a branch mint at The Dalles. The material obtained from
a very fine quary of granite about five miles up Mill creek
made a very pretentious looking edifice. After the first
story was completed congress refused to make further ap
propriations and the work was stopped. The building is
now used as a flouring mill.
With the decline oi the placer mines, the town began to
do less business, and to some extent lost its prestige. For
several years an air of dullness and business depression was
apparent. Prior to this time but little attention had been
given to farming, except on the creek bottoms. In 1876
tixe experiment was made of raising grain on the uplands.
X
&z vvjiir
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE DALLES.
afterwards. The death of Whitman having caused a re
laxation of the efforts of the missionaries in this part of the
. country.
In 1846 Rev. Father Rosseau established the Catholic
mission. He was superseded by Father Mesplie, under
whose supervision the old mission buildings were erected.
This mission was never vacated, and has grown into a
flourishing society with magnificent structures. It has
been an important factor in the development and growth
of the town. The old mission buildings were located west
of Mill creek.
Major Tucker, with three companies of United States
regulars, was ordered to The Dalles in the spring of 1850.
The grounds long occupied by the government as a gar
rison and fort, were selected by him for a military post.
The reservation thus selected was ten miles square. The
presence of the military, and the protection thus afforded
caused trade to center here, and the first merchant to es
tablish himself at The Dalles was John C. Bell, who came
from Salem and opened a sutler's store. Lieutenant
Woods, with two companies of the First artillery, super
seded Major Tucker's command in 1851. Captain Benja
min Alvord with two companies of the Fourth infantry
arrived at the fort in 1852. The fort was maintained for
many years, and during this time several men, who after
wards won national repuations, were quartered here.
Among these were U. S. Grant, afterwards president of
the United States, and General Phil. Sheridan.
In 1851 Mr. Bell disposed of his sutler's store to Wm.
Gibson; and during this year A. McKindlay & Co., having
obtained permission from the military authorities of the
post erected a frame building at a point near the intersec
tion of Main and Court streets, and stocked it with goods.
They placed it in charge of Perrin B. Whitman. The next
year they constructed .a larger and more commodious
structure west of where the Umatilla House now stands.
In 1853 Messrs. Sims and Humason purchased their busi
ness; and during this year Gibson removed his store from
the garrison to a point near the foot of Union street.
About this time the military reservation was reduced to
a very much smaller tract, and several donation claims
were located. W. C. Laughlin located a claim on which
the eastern portion of the city now stands. W. D. Bigelow
came to The Dalles and located a claim which now forms
purpose of adopting a code of rules for the proper division
of property and for the government of the town. At this
meeting a series of resoluations looking to the better gov
ernment of the place were adopted, and a board of trustees
elected. These were to hold office and to assume the gov
ernment of the place until April 7th, 1856, when a general
election should be held, and their successors elected. The
trustees then chosen were W. C. Laughlin, R. D. Forsythe,
J. C. Geere, W. H. LeRoy and O. Humason. At the ses
sion of the territorial legislature of 1856-7 a charter bill
was passed, on January 26th, 1857, incorporating the town
under the name of Dalles City. The first election under
this charter was on the second Monday in April, 1857.
Until 1863 five trustees were chosen annually who elected a
president from among their own number. The first recor
der was J. P. Booth, and the first treasurer O. Humason,
both elected in 1856. The charter was amended by an act
passed by the legislature January 20th, 1859. By this
charter the boundaries of tne city were established. The
charter has since been amended several times. The pres
ent charter was enacted in 1895. In 1863 J. K. Kelly was
chosen mayor. He drafted a code of rules for the city
which were adopted by the council for their guidance.
The discovery of gold in Idaho and Eastern Oregon in
1862 brought The Dalles into considerabe prominence as
a business center, and outfitting point. For many years,
and in fact until the completion of the O. R. & N. line of
railroad, in 1881, it was the only shipping point into the
interior. The boats of the O. S. N. Co. were constantly
loaded with freight and passengers going to the newly dis
covered mines. The Dalles was the center of trade for the
entire country lying east of the Cascade range. The streets
were thronged with long lines of freight teams and pack
animals coming from and departing for the mines. At this
time the quartz mines received but little, if any, attention,
and the rich placers of Canyon City, and the Salmon river
drew thousands many of whom would return to The Dalles
to winter. Coin was scarce, and paper money almost un
known, but gold dust supplied the place of currency, and
this in abundance, possessed by men who had but little
idea of economical expenditure, but who spent their dust
lavishly on whatever suited, their fancy, made the town
very lively. Many persons made ample fortunes during
this period.
The tests and experiments were highly successful, and Im
migrants began to settle the hill lands, which before that
time were supposed to be unfit for farming purposes, until
in a few years the entire country was settled by men who
have brought millions of dollars into the country in ex
change for the vast amounts of grain, wool, cattle, and
fruits that have been exported.
In 1881 the O. R. & N. Company, which had superceded
the O. S. N. Co., constructed a line of railroad along the
river from Portland. The completion of this road caused
a change in business conditions. Heretofore the closing of
the river in the winter would cause almost a cesation of
business during the winter months. The railroad, afford
ing constant communication during the entire year, made
the winter as suitable for business purposes as the re
maining seasons of the year, and greatly improved the bus
iness situation. .'
In 1859 a hook and ladder company was organized, the
organization having been authorized by a city ordinance.
This was afterwards disbanded, and on January 15th', 1862,
Dalles Diligent Hook and Ladder Company was organized.
The first engine house was built in 1860. Jackson Engine
Company was organized on January 15th, 1863, on the
same date of the dissolution of the hook and ladder com
pany. This company is yet in existence, and ready and
auie as ever to light and conquer fire. For many years the
sole protection afforded was the hook and ladder company
and the fire company. After the completion of the pres
ent system of water works, with a sufficient supply of water
and sufficient force in the mains, facilities , were afforded
for hose companies, now well drilled and proficient to do
effective work without the aid of the engine.
The Dalles has sunered severely at times from disas
trous conflagrations. The most destructive of these was
the great fire of September 2d, 1891, when above twenty
blocks were burned to the ground, and many of the finest
and best business structures were entirely consumed.
In February, 1862, a right of way and a franchise was
granted to J. S. Reynolds to lay water pipes through the
streets and to construct a water supply system. R. Pent
land obtained his franchise on September 6th of the same
year, and proceeded with and completed the work. Water
was turned into the mains from Mill creek about the first
of November, giving the city its first supply of water, and