Historic Hood River
Bailey Gatzert and Regulator at the Locks
7-18-2025
Notes
I was surprised to see both the Regulator and the Bailey Gatzert in the same image, but it turns out they overlapped on the Portland to the Dalles route for several years. It was well worth the refresher to read the history of the steamers Bailey Gatzert and Regulator. I especially like the tales of the sternwheeler races which were once a regular occurrence on the river, as competing companies and their captains battled for bragging rights of who was the fastest. It’s hard to believe the Bailey Gatzert could accommodate 625 passengers on excursions. I guess people didn’t expect much personal space back then! And we complain about crowded airline cabins.
Kalley
Thanks for the great post and the links to learn more about these two wonderful ships!
Robert Rappleyea
My great grandfather was a purser on the Bailey Gatzert in the early 1900’s. His name was Steven Mcfarland. Do you have any information a bout him. The ran from Portland to the Dalles.