Historic Hood River
White Salmon Dock
Notes
We don’t have many views of the White Salmon dock which was where the Park and Ride is now. This is an Ella May Davidson photo circa 1912. This must have been very important to the people of White Salmon when most traffic was on the river. We know keeping the dock and Dock Grade Road up to White Salmon was a major effort, and records the dock was destroyed by fire and high water several times. This article describes the situation before the construction of this dock (about 1911). This article gives some interesting “color” to the tensions between White Salmon and Bingen over commerce. Maybe some of the White Salmon historians can fill us in on more of the dock’s history. I’d also like to know more about the “Bingen Observer” newspaper mentioned in the second link.
You can see the dock from a few other angles here.
Tags: 1910s, Columbia River, Davidson, dock, Dock Grade, ice, snow, White Salmon
L.E.
I am surprised Dock Grade Road and the Bluff stairs don’t show up better in the snow. You can see the railroad grade.
This area is actually a part of the City of White Salmon. East of the Bridge, in the area of the fruit warehouses, becomes the City of Bingen. The Amtrak RR station, located in the City of Bingen is called the Bingen-White Salmon station. I have read it is the only station in the U.S. using the name of two towns. I don’t know it that is true.
When settlers first began arriving in the area, boat landings were usually east of here, in the Bingen bottom ground. The White Salmon Blockhouse, built in 1856 was built on what we today call Bingen Point. I don’t think there was ever an actual dock built in Bingen.
I am curious where Ella May was standing when she took this photo. Looks too close to be from the Oregon bank.