Flurry of Photos to regale history buffs in TD on Saturday, May 3

Apr 30

Boating around the new Port of The Dalles warehouses and dock that once ran along the Columbia River’s banks near the Union Street underpass.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., April 30, 2025 — Local history buffs have hundreds of local historical photos under lock and key, waiting patiently all year for a feast of history.

A portion of the immense collection will go on display for one day, and one day only as the Reunion of the Wasco County Pioneers takes place at St. Mary’s Academy, 1112 Cherry Height’s Road, this Saturday, May 3, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Curated for decades, these photos demonstrate the industry, agriculture, fun and families of Wasco County and give a sense from whence we came and maybe influence us in the direction we will go in years to come.

Floods in The Dalles were a common occurrence until The Dalles Dam was finished in 1957 and began capturing runoff in the large pool of water that now stretcjes to the John Day Dam 27 miles east.

One thing is for sure - all of these images demonstrate the difficult and likely satisfying work it took to survive during the early years of Wasco County. Photos harken back to the wildness and opportunity that existed and the price that had to be paid to play.

The annual reunion comes with lunch for those with an extra $25 to support the cause.

A special note from the Pioneer’s Steve Conover:

“Have you ever wondered how this event gets planned and organized every year? The Board works on this through out the year. This year we have experienced a decline in Board membership due to a variety of reasons. To ensure that this event continues year after year we are in need of more folks becoming active on the Board.

The Board takes the summer off and only meets for one hour a month during winter and spring. The time commitment is not that huge . We can use your help and you would be part of the crew who promotes the history of Wasco County.

If you or someone you know is interested in helping the Association continue this traditional Annual Meeting, please let us know. You can contact any Board Member either here on FB or in person at the luncheon on May 3, 2025.”

CCCNews had an outstanding chat with Myron Egbert - 2023 Pioneer of the Year - on this very same topic and he suggested this link if you would like to get involved with the effort to learn and preserve local history: http://www.wascocountypioneerassociation.org/membership/