Hi to all on this drizzly April day..
I have been home sick for a while now. I know we all think of our home town on occasion, but I really miss my little town sometimes . The simple life, and the so very fond childhood memories of it..
The smell of lilac blooms in the spring, the scent of cold rain on the hot sidewalk in early fall. The sound of the noon whistle, and the rumble of the train lumbering down the tracks. The pink blooms of the the cherry orchards painting the surrounding hills and valleys. The Christmas decorations draped all over main street.
Yes, I loved living in my little home town. Its population is somewhat larger now. But never the less I will always remember the town I grew up in with fondness. I decided to do a few blog entries on my home town as it is a historic one.
To find my home town just follow the highway east from Portland Oregon . About 1 hour drive. It is right on the mighty Columbia River. The name "The Dalles" is a Indian name meaning; "the meeting place". Many years ago to go east from Portland settlers took a ferry (a paddle wheel) up the river to a place that was called;"Bend in the River" There is a movie called that with James Stewart staring in it. Well that's The Dalles. It was a place of meeting for trade for settlers, trappers, Indians, etc.and of course the journey east.Then this bend in the river slowly become a town mainly do to the Calvary fort "Fort Dalles" That is where I will start. Why bend in the river well the paddle wheel boat could not go upstream much farther as Cielio Falls as they were called prevented boat traffic any farther. ( the falls do not exist as they were cover with water when The Dalles dam was built in 1957.
Captain Thomas Jordan was transferred to Fort Dalles from Los Angeles in March 1856. He was quartermaster and was assigned to redesign the fort. Jordan worked with Louis Scholl, an accomplished artist, to design the fort. They patterned the buildings based on the “picturesque” architectural style, created by Andrew Jackson Downing. Downing stressed that the landscape was very important in the design and painting of a building. So too was the needs of its occupants, over the appearance of the exterior. The basic design was that of an English cottage. Verandas and porches were also an integral part of the design. Such homey and comfortable buildings must’ve seemed out of place in this frontier location.
The post was unique but had been enormously expensive to build. Department quartermaster Osborne Cross warned Jordan that the quartermaster general would not approve. Jordan had spent an average of $14,000 per month on 220 civilian workers between May and December of 1856. On March 16, 1857, Commander Wright was ordered to fire all but the indispensable. Wright refused stating there were no more men there than those needed to supply and defend the outlying posts of Fort Simcoe and Fort Walla Walla on the Washington side of the Columbia.
In the spring, General N. S. Clarke, new commander of the Department of the Pacific inspected Fort Dalles. Afterward, he issued orders that among other things, posts should be built in the simplest and most utilitarian manner possible. Deputy quartermaster General Thomas Swords was with him and he reported to the quartermaster general that the buildings were unnecessarily large and officers had at least twice the normal allotment of rooms. In his annual report, Jordan justified his expenses by describing the dilapidated condition of the fort when he arrived. Construction continued and the relatively high wages paid by the army resulted in a boom of growth in the city near the fort. Dalles City was incorporated in January of 1857.
In the fall of 1855, troops were dispatched north of the Columbia River to go after the Indians responsible for the death of Indian agent Andrew J. Bolin and some miners in the Colville area. They took part in one engagement in which they were soundly defeated. In the fall, Rains was ordered to Fort Dalles for the winter. Unfortunately, it did not have enough beds for such a large force. They had tried to build more, but earlier requests for money from the army were denied because the fort went far beyond any reasonable budget when it was first established. At least four companies had to enure the winter in tents. In December one detachment was sent to Walla Walla to back up the troops there who were engaging in battle. Several companies also assisted in the Yakima wars the following years.
Captain Thomas Jordan was transferred to Fort Dalles from Los Angeles in March 1856. He was quartermaster and was assigned to redesign the fort. Jordan worked with Louis Scholl, an accomplished artist, to design the fort. They patterned the buildings based on the “picturesque” architectural style, created by Andrew Jackson Downing. Downing stressed that the landscape was very important in the design and painting of a building. So too was the needs of its occupants, over the appearance of the exterior. The basic design was that of an English cottage. Verandas and porches were also an integral part of the design. Such homey and comfortable buildings must’ve seemed out of place in this frontier location.
The post was unique but had been enormously expensive to build. Department quartermaster Osborne Cross warned Jordan that the quartermaster general would not approve. Jordan had spent an average of $14,000 per month on 220 civilian workers between May and December of 1856. On March 16, 1857, Commander Wright was ordered to fire all but the indispensable. Wright refused stating there were no more men there than those needed to supply and defend the outlying posts of Fort Simcoe and Fort Walla Walla on the Washington side of the Columbia.
In the spring, General N. S. Clarke, new commander of the Department of the Pacific inspected Fort Dalles. Afterward, he issued orders that among other things, posts should be built in the simplest and most utilitarian manner possible. Deputy quartermaster General Thomas Swords was with him and he reported to the quartermaster general that the buildings were unnecessarily large and officers had at least twice the normal allotment of rooms. In his annual report, Jordan justified his expenses by describing the dilapidated condition of the fort when he arrived. Construction continued and the relatively high wages paid by the army resulted in a boom of growth in the city near the fort. Dalles City was incorporated in January of 1857.
Captain Thomas Jordan was transferred to Fort Dalles from Los Angeles in March 1856. He was quartermaster and was assigned to redesign the fort. Jordan worked with Louis Scholl, an accomplished artist, to design the fort. They patterned the buildings based on the “picturesque” architectural style, created by Andrew Jackson Downing. Downing stressed that the landscape was very important in the design and painting of a building. So too was the needs of its occupants, over the appearance of the exterior. The basic design was that of an English cottage. Verandas and porches were also an integral part of the design. Such homey and comfortable buildings must’ve seemed out of place in this frontier location.
The post was unique but had been enormously expensive to build. Department quartermaster Osborne Cross warned Jordan that the quartermaster general would not approve. Jordan had spent an average of $14,000 per month on 220 civilian workers between May and December of 1856. On March 16, 1857, Commander Wright was ordered to fire all but the indispensable. Wright refused stating there were no more men there than those needed to supply and defend the outlying posts of Fort Simcoe and Fort Walla Walla on the Washington side of the Columbia.
In the spring, General N. S. Clarke, new commander of the Department of the Pacific inspected Fort Dalles. Afterward, he issued orders that among other things, posts should be built in the simplest and most utilitarian manner possible. Deputy quartermaster General Thomas Swords was with him and he reported to the quartermaster general that the buildings were unnecessarily large and officers had at least twice the normal allotment of rooms. In his annual report, Jordan justified his expenses by describing the dilapidated condition of the fort when he arrived. Construction continued and the relatively high wages paid by the army resulted in a boom of growth in the city near the fort. Dalles City was incorporated in January of 1857.
*The original Surgeon’s Quarters is the fort’s last surviving building. Pioneer and military artifacts from 1860s, antique vehicles are on display.
