explore the historic photos that make up our mural

Early 1900s

Sam Jones’ BlackSMith Shop

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.

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.

The Goots 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

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.

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.

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.