Original Courthouse Opens Vault of Columbia Gorge History With 165 Rare Audio Recordings

Jun 5

From Rodger Nichols

The Dalles, Ore., June 5, 2026 — For history lovers, genealogists and anyone fascinated by the people and stories that built the Columbia Gorge, the Original Wasco County Courthouse has quietly assembled one of the region's most remarkable collections of local history.

More than 165 audio recordings — many unavailable anywhere else — preserve the voices of pioneers, historians, fishermen, ranchers, authors and longtime residents sharing firsthand accounts of life in The Dalles, Wasco County and the Columbia River Gorge. Better yet, the collection is available at an affordable price, with proceeds helping support the courthouse's ongoing preservation and history programs.

History Forums Organized by Topic and Interview Subject

These are audio recordings of the Regional History Forums held every Saturday in February beginning in the 1970s, along with several interviews conducted with local pioneers before the forum series began. The audio series ends in 2005, when the programs began being videotaped. More recent programs are available on the museum's YouTube channel.

All recordings are available for digital purchase at the Original Wasco County Courthouse, 410 W. Second Place, behind the Chamber of Commerce. The courthouse is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., May through September.

Recording length and audio quality vary significantly because the collection spans several decades. "ND" indicates that no date was available for the recording. The earliest programs were recorded on reel-to-reel tapes, with later recordings made on cassette tapes.

Pricing is as follows:

• $5 for a thumb drive, plus:
• $5 per program for up to 10 programs
• $4 per program for up to 25 programs
• $3 per program for up to 50 programs
• $2 per program for up to 100 programs
• $1 per program when purchasing the entire collection of 165 recordings

Whether your interests include Celilo Falls, sternwheelers, local railroads, pioneer families, Native American history, agriculture, bootlegging, the Oregon Trail or the early days of The Dalles, chances are there is a recording waiting to be discovered. Many feature speakers and eyewitnesses whose stories can no longer be captured today, making the collection both an entertaining listen and an important historical resource.

Print a copy of the list and mark the programs you would like. Bring the list to the Original Courthouse, and staff will copy the selected recordings to a thumb drive. Credit cards are not accepted; payment must be made by cash or check.

Every purchase helps support the courthouse's mission of preserving and sharing the rich history of Wasco County and the Columbia Gorge for future generations.

Catalog

Columbia River & Waterways History

Archeology of the Columbia River — Emory Strong (ND)
Celilo Canal — Jim Weeks (ND)
Celilo Canal — Jim Beer (Jan. 31, 1987)
Celilo Canal, Fishing and Sternwheelers — Jack Miller (July 5, 1991)
Celilo Canal Construction — Jim Beer, Fritz Cramer and Marilyn Ericksen (May 17, 1991)
Celilo Falls Dipnetting, Part 1 — Fritz Cramer and Jack Miller (May 6, 1987)
Celilo Falls Dipnetting, Part 2 — Fritz Cramer and Jack Miller (May 15, 1987)
Fishing at Celilo — Fritz Cramer (Jan. 27, 1978)
Dipnetting Salmon at Big Eddy and Celilo — Fritz Cramer (July 10, 1991)
Fisheries on the Columbia River — Fritz Cramer (Feb. 2, 1980)
Fishing — Seining on the Columbia — Jack Kaser (Oct. 23, 1991)
Fishing — Seining on the Columbia Below Celilo — Marvin Markman (Oct. 23, 1991)
River Transportation — Winifred Flippen (Feb. 20, 1982)
Steamboats of the Columbia — Clare Penners (March 22, 1980)
Steam Navigation — Pat May (Jan. 18, 1992)
The Dalles-Celilo Canal — Jerry Palfenier (Feb. 18, 1984)
Water Supply System of The Dalles — Bill Keyser (Jan. 30, 1988)
The Columbia River — Soundtrack of Vintage Filmstrip (ND)

Transportation, Railroads & Roads

Bridge Stories — Sharon Wood Wertman (Jan. 29, 2000)
Old Columbia River Highway — Doug Reid (Feb. 11, 1984)
Old Columbia River Highway Tunnels — Stan Lehl (Feb. 11, 1995)
Sam Hill and the Columbia River Highway — Patti Krier (Feb. 9, 1980)
The Dalles-California Highway — Del Couthard (Feb. 9, 2002)
Pioneer Trails and Old Roads — Jim Weeks (Feb. 2, 1991)
Wagon Roads and Portage Roads — Fritz Cramer (ND)
Great Southern Railroad — Walt Grande (Nov. 18, 1979)
Railroad Wars of the Deschutes Canyon — Jim Beer (Feb. 3, 1990)
Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad and Oregon Trunk Line — Leland and Nola Huot (Feb. 10, 1990)
Transportation History in the Gorge — Ivan Donaldson (April 14, 1977)
Wagon Trip to Valley Forge for the Bicentennial — Chris Christiansen (March 1, 1980)

The Dalles History

Banking and Coins in The Dalles — Rodger Nichols (Jan. 22, 1992)
Catholic Church in The Dalles — Msgr. William Stone (Feb. 28, 1998)
Chinese in Early The Dalles — Marilyn Urness (Jan. 30, 1982)
Comini Apartments — Hal Fancher (March 15, 1978)
Preserving Downtown The Dalles — John Manley (Feb. 2, 1985)
Fire Departments in The Dalles — George Telfer (Feb. 19, 1994)
Stained Glass Memorials in The Dalles — Robert Carsner (Jan. 26, 1990)
Stained Glass Windows — Bob Carsner and Julie Reynolds (Feb. 13, 1982)
Stone Masons — John Lundell (Jan. 18, 1986)
The Dalles Irrigation Project — Don Bailey (ND)
Truck Farming in The Dalles — Walt Ericksen (ND)
Preacher, First in The Dalles — Karl and Jean Vercouteren (March 24, 1979)
Mary Leonard, Oregon's First Woman Lawyer — Fred Decker (Sept. 7, 1978)
Moody Family of The Dalles — John Lundell (Feb. 8, 2003)

Mosier, Hood River & Gorge Communities

Hood River History as I Have Known It — Kathleen Nichols (Feb. 4, 1984)
Early Mosier Show and Tell — Willis Gholsten (Feb. 12, 2005)
Mosier History — Willis Gholston (March 8, 1980)
Mosier History (2.5 Hours) — Willis Gholston (June 15, 1991)
Clyde Root — Mosier Interview (ND)
Clyde and Christine Root with Son Vern (June 14, 1978)
Wishram History — Cletus Beloit (Feb. 17, 1990)
Boyd History — Ada Tidwell (Feb. 7, 1981)
Upper Mill Creek Community — Barbara Bailey (Jan. 19, 1980)
What's Old in Dufur — Nancy Gibson and Mike Johnson (Feb. 1, 2003)
Dufur, Early Days — Sandy Bisset (Feb. 19, 2005)
Dufur Threshing Bee (1974)
Dufur Threshing Bee (1979)
Dufur Threshing Bee (Aug. 11, 1979)
Dufur Threshing Bee (Aug. 12, 1979)

Native American History & Culture

Native American Language and Thought Along the Columbia — Linda Walker (Feb. 1, 1992)
Indian Wars of Oregon: A Tragedy in Five Acts — Terrence O'Donnell (Feb. 21, 1998)
Kamiaken and the Yakima War — Don Bailey (March 4, 1989)
Lewis & Clark Discovered by Indigenous People — Pat Courtney (Feb. 16, 2002)
Chief Joseph — Elizabeth Buehler (Jan. 16, 1982)
Gathering and Feasting in Indian Heaven — Barbara Hollenbeck (Feb. 16, 1985)

Oregon Trail, Exploration & Early Settlement

The Oregon Trail — Gladys Seufert (Feb. 11, 1989)
The Oregon Trail's First Woman — Jim Beer (Feb. 6, 1993)
Lewis & Clark's Dog — Jim Weeks (ND)
Lewis & Clark, Truman and Trivia — Molly Newton (Jan. 31, 1998)
Lewis & Clark — Richard Engeman (Nov. 2, 2004)
Ezra Meeker Exhibit Opening (May 18, 1993)
Chautauqua History — Molly Newton (Feb. 19, 1983)

Agriculture, Ranching & Rural Life

Fruit History in Wasco County — Glenn Cooper (Jan. 26, 1980)
Flour Mills — Jim Beer (Jan. 22, 1983)
Life on Fifteen Mile and Seufert's Cannery — Viva Dahl (May 21, 1979)
Raising Wheat with Horses — George and Everett Metzentine (May 24, 1979)
Raising Wheat with Horses — Everett Metzentine (ND)
Wheelwrighting — Everett Metzentine (March 17, 1979)
Wheelwrighting — Everett Metzentine (Dec. 16, 1980)
Logging in the Gorge — Chuck Rollins and Steve Lehl (Feb. 22, 1997)
Early Forest Service History — David Gross (Feb. 19, 2000)
Wildlife in Wasco County — John Beck (Feb. 13, 1980)

Pioneer Families & Local Characters

Barton Family History — Tracy Barton (Dec. 22, 1978)
Bourland, Mary — Wagon Train Interview (May 15, 1983)
Crandell, Lulu and the Donnell Family — Presented by Pam Loyell (Feb. 18, 1989)
Camilla Donnell's Writings — Marilyn Ericksen and Jean Vercouteren (Feb. 21, 1987)
George McDonald Interview (March 21, 1985)
Orlando Humason — Brian Johnson (Feb. 17, 1996)
Col. Lewis Nichols Interview (Feb. 16, 1983)
John and Annie Goodknecht Interview (April 2, 1979)
Joseph and Gertrude Mee Interview (Dec. 1, 1978)
Petersburg Landowners — Joan Wagenblast (Feb. 24, 2001)
Pioneer Association at 75 Years — Pat May (Feb. 15, 1997)
Pioneer Association History — Nancy Ward Zopf (Feb. 23, 2002)
Sally Wright, Age 100 Interview (Nov. 4, 1978)
Fred Smith Interview (June 13, 1978)
Molly Coyle Smith Remembered — Mary Francis (ND)
Will A. Raymond, Early Sherman County Photographer — Joan Wagenblast (Jan. 28, 1984)

Crime, Law & Notorious Stories

Bawdy Houses of The Dalles — Meredith Van Valkenburgh (ND)
Bootleggers — Sheriff Harold Sexton (ND)
The Last Hanging — Marie Huntington (Oct. 13, 2001)
Necktie Parties — Diane Gardner (Feb. 15, 2003)
Necktie Parties — Diane Gardner (Oct. 14, 2005)
Ku Klux Klan in Oregon — Edward Toy (Feb. 21, 2004)
Oregon Sheriffs Association — Judy Gage (Oct. 4, 2002)
Harold Sexton Interview (June 15, 1978)

Oregon History & Politics

History of Oregon: The Balance So Rare — Terrence O'Donnell (Feb. 8, 1992)
Oregon's Most Exciting and Defining Year: 1942 — Dr. Thomas Edwards (Feb. 14, 1998)
Tom McCall: The Controversial Governor — Bruce Howard (Oct. 4, 2003)
Utopic Oregon in 20th Century Art: Eden to Ecotopia — Jeff Uecker (Feb. 20, 1999)
Thomas Condon Lecture 1 — Dr. Robert Clark (April 9, 1989)
Thomas Condon Lecture 2 — Dr. Robert Clark (April 10, 1989)
Washington State Counties and Schoolhouses — Fred E. Carver (ND)
Sherman County Centennial — Chet Oats (Jan. 20, 1990)
Sherman County History — Patricia Moore (Feb. 28, 1981)
Wasco County Happy Birthday — Nancy Zopf (Feb. 14, 2004)

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Folk Music — Prof. Dianne Dugaw and Linda Danielson (Feb. 8, 1997)
Music on the Oregon Trail — Chere Jones and Janice Staver (Feb. 27, 1993)
Musical Mudslinging: Political Campaign Songs — William Earl (Feb. 6, 1999)
Mark Twain: Folklore and Far West Journalism — Andrew Giarelli (Feb. 3, 2001)
Folklore of Oregon — Dr. Sharon Sherman (Jan. 28, 1995)
Quilts: The Tie That Binds — Mary Cross (Feb. 22, 2003)
The Face of a Place — Terrence O'Donnell (Feb. 12, 1994)
Maryhill Museum — Linda Mountain (Feb. 9, 1985)
Vista House — Steve Lehl (Jan. 29, 1994)

Oral Histories & Interviews

Hans Blaser Interview (April 5, 1980)
T. Leland Brown Interview (ND, more than three hours)
Grace Crichton Interview (April 14, 1978)
Louis Kelly Interview (Sept. 22, 1978)
Alf Wernmark Oral History (Nov. 30, 1978)
Max Schmidt Oral History (Date Not Listed)
Eck and Mae Rorick Interview (March 21, 1985)

Original Wasco County Courthouse & Preservation

Saving the Original Wasco County Courthouse — Lew Nichols (Jan. 5, 1980)
Second Wasco County Courthouse — Don Rhode and Leon Kinner (Feb. 15, 1997)
Courthouses: Classic Columns and Simple Chambers — Kathleen Wiederholdts (Feb. 26, 2000)
Landmarks — Don Williams (ND)
Rock Fort Dedication (Oct. 22, 1977)