Historic Hood River
The Dam Chronicle
Notes
Long time HHR readers know I love old newspapers. I’m back trying to get more of our old papers online so they are accessible and searchable worldwide. The Mosier Bulletin and The Dam Chronicle are great examples of small town newspapers that deserve a new life. The Mosier Bulletin was published from 1909 to 1917. The Dam Chronicle started in 1934, changing its name to The Bonneville Dam Chronicle and then The Cascade Locks Chronicle before ceasing publication in 1939.
Last week I had the pleasure of sharing printed copies of The Dam Chronicle with the Cascade Locks Historical Society. We discussed the great fire of 1934 (started by July 4th weekend fireworks) which destroyed much of the business district, and read about plans to rebuild. There’s nothing like a contemporaneous source to get the real story of local history.
I’ll keep you posted on our efforts to fund this latest digitization effort. Let me know if you happen to know of a corporate foundation which likes finding this sort of thing!
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L.E.
Thanks to people like you, I have all kinds of old newspaper articles to research, but more is better. The Goldendale and White Salmon/Bingen newspapers have big gaps in the years that are available online.
The Mosier Bulletin has several mentions of Mr. Middleswart who was featured in Monday’s photo with his fish.
Reading through the above newspaper, did you know that Art Kolstad had set up a theater in Cascade Locks?
Some people would like to see the return of Celilo Falls, but I would like to see what the Bradford Island area looked like previous to the building of the dam.
That isn’t going to happen, so old newspapers are the next best thing.
Arlen Sheldrake
capturing these old newspapers is absolutely a golden project…..and one that should be relatively easy to fund…how much you after Arthur? "who will ever use all that dam(n) electricity??"
L.E.: I agree with the native Americans who believe that the Falls will someday return…just not in our lifetime….maybe our great grandchildren’s.
Kenn
This paper is a great find, so much information. I had not heard of the three mile tunnel idea from the dam to Cascade Locks.
Kenn
I was surprised when I first knew of a Safeway in Cascade Locks, but knew the manager after he was transferred to Hood River. I am hoping for a better picture of that store than the one I have.
Judy
We had a little "Gossip" Paper called the Whistlepunk in HR and some news too
;^)