Fort Dalles

The Fort Dalles

Today we drove the 30 miles to check out the historic town of The Dalles. The Oregon Trail stopped at this place on the Columbia River right below Celilio Falls. From here the travelers used rafts to complete their journey down to Portland and then into the fertile Williamette Valley. A Methodist Mission was established by Jason Lee in The Dalles in 1836 and the fort was established in 1853.

We visited the site of Fort Dalles. One of the original officer’s houses, the doctor’s quarters, has been restored and is open for touring. The grounds also contain the Anderson House which is an 1890’s farmhouse that was moved in from its original prairie location ten miles to the south. Two other outbuildings contain many horse and gasoline powered vehicles waiting for a larger location to house them. Be sure to take the short trip up Union Street to visit the Fort Dalles Museum.