Historic Hood River
Cascades Canal Detail
Notes
Eleven years ago we looked at this spectacular Carleton Watkins image of the construction of the canal at Cascade Locks. Its full title is “Cascades Canal, Columbia River, Oregon/ View of Lock Pit.” It is dated December 1, 1883 and is one of my favorite images in our collection. I told you I could see at least 24 people in this view, but neglected to offer a detail so you could enjoy. So here’s a fine detail showing six of the 24 workers who have stopped to pose for the photographer.
In 2019 I was alerted to diaries of Willard Young (Brigham Young’s son) who worked on this project. I found entries documenting Watkin’s visit to the site, which I describe in this post.
It’s hard to comprehend how they could move man-sized boulders with the tools at their disposal.
L.E.
Some of the first homesteaders in my community of Glenwood, worked on this project. The wife would stay on the farm and the husband would travel out to work as a stone mason on the canal.
One account I read, said if he wanted to come home, he took the steamboat to Lyle, then walked the twenty miles to Glenwood.
I wonder where they stayed while working on the canal.