The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-05-04
CASCADES IS
OLD LANDMARK
RAPIDS BARRED PASSAGE OF BOATS
Construction Of Columbia River Highway
Relieves Isolation Of Community
Long Without Wagon Road

The mention of the csscades and
Cascade Locks in former year has no
doubt brought to your mind thoughts
of the Columbia river; for the cascades
form landmark in the gorge Of the
northwestern waterway. The voyag-
eurs of Captain John Mclaughlin, sf-
ter they had skillfully sped down the
space of narrow whirling waters there.
told of the daring in their chansons.
And how often has the story of those
dangerous rapids been told around the
firesides of 0regon's pioneers. A dec
ade ago the canal around the Cascades
was completed and the lockgates in
stalled to lift steamers over the rivers
barrier. placed there, if we would be-
lieve the legends Of the Indians. by
the fall of the mighty arches Of the
Bridge of the Gods. And thus the lit
tie picturesque town in the very heart
of the Cascade mountains was given
the name of Cascade Locks, a name
fully significant to the inland nayi-
gator.
Cascade Locks is on the line of the
o.. W. R & N. Co., and until the rail
line was completed in 1882, residents
of the community had been privileged
to travel to Hood River and The Dalles
by the old state road, portions of the
retaining wall of which remain on
Shell Rock mountain. The old walls
are now the home of porcupines. pine
squirrels and chipmunks. All that is
left Of works actuated by pioneer as.
piration, we can imagine these falling
walls as tombs Of the old road. In
wild currant bushes that have sprung
from the mossy crevices. the old gold
of the Oregon grape and the silvefy
flowers of dogwood. and in fall the va
rious tints of wild shrubs foliage,
etched by frost, all pay natures trib-
ute to the memory of the pioneer road
builder.
For more than quarter of century
Cascade Locks has been denied egress
to the outside world except by river
boat or over the railway line. A Cas-
cade Locks resident might own sad
die horse or an automobile. But until
last year, when the Columbia river
highway was opened, he could canter
or motor only over a short stretch of
road between his home town and Wy
eth. To the east and to the west the
jutting cliffs of the great canyon ex-
tended to the very edge of the railway
track and turned back vehicles. For
more than quarter of century Cas-
cade Locks men and women, it is de-
clared, have been dreaming of high
way. They have taken pride in the
little stretch of road possible to them,
and it was as well graded and taken
care of as though it led to populous
center. The people of no community
from Astoria to Pendleton rejoiced
more sincerely at the opening of the
Columbia river highway than those of
Cascade Locks.
In pioneer days every prospective
settler who travelled across the plains
and thence down the Columbia to the
Willamette valley was forced to make
the portage at the Cascades. Passen-
gers on the early, river boats, too, will
remember it for the portage and the
surrounding points of scenic grandeur
on gigantic scale. The passengers Of
the O.-W. R. & N. line and the North
Bank line, which runs below the cas-
cades but stones throw away from
the rail line of the south bank, recall
the towering cliffs on either side of
the river and the whirling rapids OF
the stream itself.
To the leisurely motorist, travelling
through the Cascade Locks community,
varying moods may come and 60. At
points on the highway. where a sheer
wall of the gorge rises on the south
and an opening in the forests permits
an expansive view of the Columbia and
the north shore, he may be exalted.
But q few hundred rods away, and he
is buried in a sylvan quiet. tall forest
trees swaying over the lesser growth
of dnderbrush. A ripping brook adds
an idyllic touch to the picture. The
traveller can shake off that sense OF
awe produced by the vastness Of pro-
portions at the more scenic attractions,
and sensing the heavy resttul perfume
of the earth, be contented to dream
there awhile.
Although State Engineer Lewis was
recently reported to have declared the
Legendary "Bridge of the Gods" of the
Indians a myth; that no physical or
geological evidence was at hand to
support a belief in the old tale, 1t Is
difficult for one after reading the stor'
\ les that have been collected by John
H. Williams and "The Bridge of the
Gods, "by Fredric Homer Balch, not to
picture at some caller century the
huge span of stone that formed con-
tinuous chain in the Cascades and
made an arch over Wauna, the great
river. 10 the Indian legend the district
of the Cascades was one of Importance
both to deity and mortal. Wanna
flowed deep between the country OF
the Klicitats and Multnomahs. But
that the people might always be
| friendly Ssghslie, the chief god, built
a bridge of stone over the stream.
Loowit, a witch woman, resided on top
| of the great arch and stood custodian
of the only fire in the world. The wom-
an saw the misery of human beings
without fire, and at her persuasion the
Indians were permitted to come and
get a brand from the blazing heap
guarded by the witch. Saghalie was 30
we'll pleased that he promised the
| woman anything she might desire.
nhe spoke for youth and beauty.
It followed that many chiefs saw the
beaHtifull woman and Immediately fell
| in love with her, among the wooers be.
ling Kiickitat from the north and VII
| Yeast from the west. Loowit hesitated
| between these two. who grew jealous
and plunged their tribesmen into q
deadly war. Saghalie grew angry and
as q. punishment broke the arch of the
great bridge. Wiyeast was changed
into Mount Hood, Klickitat became
Mount Adams and Loowit the great
symmetrical snow peak, Mount st.
Helen. And today one can see off to
the north of Cascade Locks the sheer
sides of a bssalt formation called the
abutments of the Bridge of the Gods.
Because of the impossibility of navi-