explore the historic photos that make up our mural
1880-1900
Men on HOrseback in Camas
Main Street in Camas, in front of the Mountain House Hotel.
This is how Camas looked in the 1880s. A group of men line up on Fourth Avenue, with their dogs. Most of the men are carrying rifles and/or pistols.
Washougal Town Pump
The first town pump in Washougal. Families would come from all around town to fill their buckets and water their horses.
Did you know that you can see the town pump inside the Carriage House at Two Rivers Heritage Museum? Check it out!
Early 1900s
Sam Jones’ BlackSMith Shop
Blacksmith Sam Jones owned the shop located on the corner of Washington and Second Streets.
Blacksmithing in Washougal traces its roots to the region’s early pioneering and agricultural days in the mid-19th century. As the area grew from a rugged settlement into a timber and mill town, local blacksmiths were the lifeline of the community, forging and repairing essential tools, farm equipment, and wagon parts.
Men on SpringBoards
Springboards were essential tools in old-growth logging used to elevate loggers above the massive, flared root systems and dense sapwood of large trees.
The Goot-husby Barn
The iconic 3 story Goot-Husby dairy Barn was constructed around 1907. It was a historical landmark until it collapsed in 2006. Today, a portion of the original Goot family farmland is preserved as Goot Park, located near the Washougal River Waterway.
1910s
dalles city sternwheeler
Riverboats hauled freight and people between the numerous communities along the Columbia River. Shallow draft sternwheelers could navigate the river’s shoals and stop at any sandy bank along the river.
The Dalles City, built in 1891, wasn’t fancy but was a workhorse that kept her schedules, carrying sacks of grain, barrels of apples, bolts of yard goods and assorted merchandise along with passengers. The Dalles City had thirty-seven landings on her schedule, sashaying back and forth across the river.
Sternwheeler Bailey gatzert
The Bailey Gatzert was fast! Built when racing was popular among passenger steamboats, the stately Bailey Gatzert was a contender, making it from the Dalles to Portland in a little over five hours. It was one of the most famous Columbia River excursion boats and was commemorated during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition with a song named “The Bailey Gatzert March” and a 1996 stamp.
Washougal Woolen Mills at Dock
Reincorporated and renamed from Washougal Woolen Mills to Pendleton Woolen Mills in 1953.
Pendleton Woolen Mills' history in Washougal began in 1912 when the Bishop family purchased an existing, struggling local woolen mill. Today, it is one of the last few remaining vertically integrated woolen mills in the United States, producing signature blankets and clothing.
1920-1940
Open Car Touring
The first automobiles arrived in Washougal between 1900 and 1910.
In the early 1900s, automobiles were rare, expensive novelties that shared rough, unpaved roads with horse-drawn carriages. The region lacked proper highways, gas stations, and bridges.
Mt Norway-Bear Prairie Covered Bridge
Kirkpatrick’s old Dodge truck crossing Bear Prairie-Mt Norway bridge about 1926. There is little historical reference to this covered bridge. Here is an excerpt from The Columbian’s Clark History – Bear Prairie: Gerald and Louise Erickson live at the bottom of the Skye Road. Erickson was born near the covered bridge used by Bear Prairie residents to cross the Washougal.”
DownTown Camas
Opened in 1927 as the Granada Theatre, the Liberty Theater in downtown Camas is a beloved historic landmark. The Art Deco and Spanish-Moorish venue survived a devastating 1994 fire and a temporary closure, rebounding as a beautifully restored, multi-screen theater that hosts independent films and community events.