Steamer Hassalo Going Over the Cascades of the Columbia - 1888

This was quite the famous photo in its day. That day was May 26, 1888 when the Hassalo was taken down the Cascades of the Columbia, making the 6 mile trip in 7 minutes.

The motivation was not to create a spectacle, though a spectacle it was, with three thousand people gathered on the banks of the river to watch. Rather, under the command of Captain Troup, the steamboat was being taken off the "middle river", due to the ascendency of railroads, which didn't require as much loading and unloading of passengers and cargo.

-- This photo is restored and printed by Old Oregon.