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The Dalles, Oregon

The Dalles (/ˈdælz/), formally the City of The Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city in Oregon along the Columbia River outside the Portland Metropolitan Area. The Dalles is 75 miles (121 km) east of Portland, within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

The Dalles
City of the Dalles
The Dalles and the Columbia River in November 2008
Motto(s): 
"Cognito timor Vincit" (Latin), "Knowledge Conquers Fear" (English)
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 45°36′06″N 121°10′30″W / 45.60167°N 121.17500°W / 45.60167; -121.17500
CountyWasco County
Incorporated1857
Government
 • MayorRichard Mays[citation needed]
Area
 • City6.94 sq mi (17.98 km2)
 • Land6.66 sq mi (17.25 km2)
 • Water0.28 sq mi (0.72 km2)
Elevation243 ft (74 m)
Population
 • City16,010
 • Density2,403.54/sq mi (927.99/km2)
 • Metro
26,403
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code
97058
Area code(s)458 and 541
FIPS code41-72950
GNIS feature ID2412059[2]
WebsiteCity of The Dalles

History edit

The area around The Dalles is known to have been a trading center for Native Americans as long as 10,000 years ago and is thus one of the oldest inhabited places in North America.

The site of what is now the city of The Dalles was a major Native American trading center. The general area is one of the continent's most significant archaeological regions.[4] Lewis and Clark camped near Mill Creek on October 25–27, 1805, and recorded the Indian name for the creek as Quenett.

Etymology edit

The name of the city comes from the French word dalle, meaning either "sluice", akin to English "dale" and German T[h]al, "valley", or "flagstone", referring to the columnar basalt rocks carved by the river[5][6] (in voyageur French used to refer to rapids), which was used by the French-Canadian employees of the North West Company to refer to the rapids of the Columbia River between the present-day city and Celilo Falls. Also in the same area was the Petites Dalles or Little Dalles, or Short Narrows. In French, "les dalles" means "the slabs". When a river flows over hard flat rocks, it becomes shallow, and rapids are created.

Fur trade edit

The first use of the name Dalles, according to Oregon Geographic Names, appears in fur trader Gabriel Franchère's Narrative, on April 12, 1814, referring to the long series of major rapids in the river.[6] Starting in the 1810s, Americans and Europeans passed by what became The Dalles, active in the North American fur trade as employees of either the American Pacific Fur Company (PFC) or the Canadian North West Company (NWC). Men like NWC officer David Thompson voyaged both down and up the Columbia, traveling through Celilo Falls. The War of 1812 led to the 1813 liquidation of the PFC, its properties like Fort Astoria sold to the North West Company.[7]

 
Early illustration of The Dalles, attributed to Joseph Drayton

In 1821 the North West Company was absorbed by the giant London-based Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Fort Vancouver, built in 1824, replaced Fort Astoria as the regional fur trade headquarters. The HBC's trading network made extensive use of the Columbia River. The rapids of the Columbia River at The Dalles was the largest and longest of the four "great portages", where fur trading boats had to unload and transship their cargoes. Sometimes, during high water, boats traveling downriver would "shoot the rapids" instead of portaging, although the practice was dangerous and many people died as a result over the years.[8]

The Dalles in the 1880s
 
Second Street c. 1880
 
The Umatilla House hotel c. 1880
 
E. B. McFarland House c. 1881

Wascopam Mission edit

In 1838 a branch of Jason Lee's Methodist Mission was established at Celilo Falls, named the Wascopam Mission, after the native Wasco Indians.[9] In 1850 the U.S. Army founded a small post at the site of the old mission, being eventually named Fort Dalles. Fort Dalles became the nucleus of the town of The Dalles, which began to develop along the waterfront.[9] In 1855, at the end of the Cayuse War, the Indians living near The Dalles were forcibly relocated by the U.S. Army to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.[9]

American settlement edit

In the early 1840s American settlers began to arrive in significant numbers, traveling overland via the Oregon Trail. The trail ended at The Dalles. It was not possible to take wagons farther west due to steep cliffs that fell straight into the Columbia River. Until the construction of the Barlow Road in 1846, the only way to reach Fort Vancouver and the Willamette Valley was by rafting down the river from The Dalles.[9]

A post office was established within the boundaries of the current city in 1851, and The Dalles was incorporated as a city in 1857. It has been the major commercial center between Portland and Pendleton since. The city was originally named just "Dalles". In 1853 it was changed to "Wascopum," then, in 1860, to "The Dalles".[4]

In 1864, the U.S. Congress appropriated money to build a U.S. mint in The Dalles that was to use gold from Canyon City for coinage. The supply of gold from Canyon City began to dwindle, however, and other problems, such as cost overruns, workers leaving to work the gold fields, and flooding from the Columbia River, also contributed to the project running two years behind schedule and led eventually to its demise. In 1870, the State of Oregon received the property from the U.S. Government and the building was put to other uses.[10] The mint is now home to Freebridge Brewing.[11][12]

 
The Dalles City Hall

Construction of The Dalles Dam in 1957 submerged the Long Narrows and Celilo Falls.

In 1963, Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was published featuring the narrator, Chief, who is from The Dalles.[13]

In 1970, the Bonneville Power Administration opened the Celilo Converter Station near the northern terminus of the Pacific DC Intertie which sends 3,100 megawatts of electricity to Los Angeles.

In 1982, a curly-coated kitten was born on a farm in The Dalles owned by Linda and Dick Koehl. The Koehls used this kitten and her offspring to develop a new breed of cat called the LaPerm, which went on to become a popular, established, championship pedigree cat breed around the world.[14]

In 1984, The Dalles was the site of the first and single largest bioterrorism attack in United States history.

In 1986, Penalty Phase, a film starring Peter Strauss and Melissa Gilbert, was filmed in and around The Dalles.[15]

In 2018, Terry A. Davis, creator of the TempleOS operating system, walked from Portland, Oregon to The Dalles in three days via the Columbia River Gorge. There, he was struck by a train and died at the age of 48.[16]

Geography edit

 
The Dalles and the Columbia River showing surrounding landscape

Highways I-84, US 30, and US 197 meet in the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.61 square miles (53.38 km2), of which 20.35 square miles (52.71 km2) is land and 0.26 square miles (0.67 km2) is water.[17]

Climate edit

The Dalles is usually classified as a semiarid (Köppen BSk) climate region. However, it has some characteristics of the midlatitude oceanic climate that dominates west of the Cascade Mountains, combined with seasonal precipitation patterns very similar to those found in Mediterranean climates. The city's location in the eastern Columbia Gorge results in the presence of numerous microclimates within a few miles of town. To the immediate west, the winters are significantly wetter, and summers are significantly cooler. In contrast, upland locations to the south are significantly cooler in all seasons. The generally warm and dry summers near town make it the ideal climate for the numerous Bing cherry orchards in the area.

The summer season runs from mid-June through early September and is quite warm by Pacific Northwest standards; however, summer weather often oscillates between intense heat waves and much cooler and windier periods. Except for the occasional sporadic thunderstorm, there is almost no summer rainfall.

From late September through early November, the area experiences an abrupt autumn during which normal temperatures drop very rapidly and cloudy, wet weather quickly picks up. Prior to the sudden onset of the rainy season in mid- to late fall, there are often days with a very wide disparity between daytime and nighttime temperatures, sometimes exceeding 36 °F or 20 °C. There is far less wind in the fall than in spring and early summer, though passing frontal systems can still bring quick bouts of strong wind.

Winter is the wet season in The Dalles. Despite the rain shadow effect created by the Cascades, there is still enough precipitation most years to support relatively high soil moisture levels for most of the winter. This is a very similar pattern to what happens in classic Mediterranean climates – except that the temperatures are significantly colder. The area receives measurable snowfall virtually every year, but the snow totals fluctuate dramatically from one year to the next; some seasons see only one or two brief light snow events while others get major snowstorms and cumulative totals of 20 inches (0.51 m) or more. The most snowfall in a season has been 85.5 inches (2.17 m) between July 1949 and June 1950. Average winter temperatures are only about 3 to 5 °F (1.7 to 2.8 °C) colder than in cities such as Portland and Seattle, and temperatures below 0 °F or −17.8 °C are very rare, but not unheard of – historically occurring on three mornings out of every five winters, but only once since February 1996.

As in the summer, winter temperatures can vary tremendously from one day to the next. During arctic air events the daytime high temperatures will generally be well below 32 °F or 0 °C, while a strong subtropical push can raise temperatures into the 50s and low 60s F, even in January. It is quite common for relatively cold air to become trapped at low elevations due to an inversion above; depending on the temperature of the surface airmass, depth of the inversion layer, and temperatures above the inversion layer, this can result in snow, sleet, freezing rain or a very cold liquid rain.

Springtime conditions generally run from late February through early June, during which time the overall trend gradually becomes warmer and drier and the landscape briefly turns lush and green. This is the windiest season of all, with a powerful west wind on most afternoons. During stormy periods in spring, conditions are usually cloudy and cool, while most sunny and calm days become intensely warm, especially from April onward. Springtime temperatures often vary more from one week to the next than they do from one month to the next.

The growing season is roughly 200 days long in a typical year, generally running from early April through most of October. However, the spring frost dates can range from mid-March to early May, and the fall frost dates can range from late September to mid-November.

A weather station is located at nearby Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, also known as The Dalles Municipal Airport.

Climate data for Columbia Gorge Regional Airport (1981–2010) (extremes 1948–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22)
69
(21)
80
(27)
95
(35)
107
(42)
118
(48)
111
(44)
110
(43)
105
(41)
93
(34)
72
(22)
66
(19)
118
(48)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 42.2
(5.7)
48.0
(8.9)
57.0
(13.9)
64.4
(18.0)
72.9
(22.7)
79.1
(26.2)
87.5
(30.8)
87.3
(30.7)
80.1
(26.7)
65.7
(18.7)
50.0
(10.0)
40.3
(4.6)
64.5
(18.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 31.0
(−0.6)
31.8
(−0.1)
36.6
(2.6)
41.5
(5.3)
48.6
(9.2)
54.8
(12.7)
60.4
(15.8)
59.5
(15.3)
51.6
(10.9)
42.3
(5.7)
35.3
(1.8)
30.2
(−1.0)
43.6
(6.5)
Record low °F (°C) −14
(−26)
−4
(−20)
11
(−12)
23
(−5)
28
(−2)
37
(3)
40
(4)
42
(6)
29
(−2)
15
(−9)
−1
(−18)
−5
(−21)
−14
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.57
(65)
1.6
(41)
1.19
(30)
0.65
(17)
0.58
(15)
0.41
(10)
0.16
(4.1)
0.23
(5.8)
0.47
(12)
0.99
(25)
2.14
(54)
2.73
(69)
13.72
(347.9)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.9
(4.8)
0.8
(2.0)
0.5
(1.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
trace 0.5
(1.3)
1.3
(3.3)
4.8
(12)
Source: NOAA[18]

Economy edit

In 2006, Google began building a major data center, known locally as Project 02, along the Columbia River in The Dalles, using the area's reliable hydroelectric power and the underutilized fiber optic capacity of the area. The new complex includes two buildings, each approximately the size of a football field, and two cooling plants, each four stories high. The project promised hundreds of jobs in the area, mainly in construction, with an additional 200 permanent positions expected later in 2006 although as of 2013 Google employed only 150 combined company employees and contractors in The Dalles.[19][20][21]

Top employers edit

As of 2012, the top 15 employers in The Dalles according to the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District report on "Largest Employers in Wasco County" are:

# Employer # of employees
1 Adventist Health Columbia Gorge 915
2 North Wasco County School District 360
3 Oregon Cherry Growers 275
4 State of Oregon 243
5 Fred Meyer 230
6 Oregon Veteran's Home 208
7 Columbia Gorge Community College 200
8 Wasco County 181
9 Google 150
10 Safeway 142
11 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 125
12 City of The Dalles 100
13 Home Depot 100
14 Cousin's Country Inn 100
15 Orchard View Farms 90

Education edit

The Dalles is home to Oregon School District 21. Originally 2 school districts; District 9 in the Chenoweth area and District 12 which included much of The Dalles.

District 21 includes 3 elementary schools: Colonel Wright Elementary, Chenoweth Elementary and Dry Hollow Elementary. District 21 is also home to Innovations Academy, The Dalles Middle School and The Dalles High School.[22]

St Mary's Academy is a k-8 school affiliated with the Catholic Church in The Dalles.[23]

Columbia Lutheran School is a Christian elementary school of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in The Dalles.[24]

The Dalles is also home to the main campus of Columbia Gorge Community College which began in 1977 as Wasco Area Education Service District. It is a leading institution in renewable energy technology education and training.[25]

Demographics edit

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1860802
187094217.5%
18802,232136.9%
18903,23945.1%
19003,5429.4%
19104,88037.8%
19205,80719.0%
19305,8330.4%
19406,2667.4%
19507,67622.5%
196010,49336.7%
197010,423−0.7%
198010,8203.8%
199011,0602.2%
200012,1569.9%
201013,62012.0%
202016,01017.5%
source:[26]
U.S. Decennial Census[27]
[3]

2010 census edit

As of the census[28] of 2010, there were 13,620 people, 5,472 households, and 3,441 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,144.9 inhabitants per square mile (828.2/km2). There were 5,903 housing units at an average density of 929.6 per square mile (358.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.9% White, 0.5% African American, 1.5% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 5.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 17.0% of the population.

There were 5,472 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 39.7 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census edit

As of the census[29] of 2000, there were 12,156 people, 4,896 households, and 3,226 families residing in the city. The population density was 892.3/km2. There were 5,227 housing units at an average density of 383.7/km2. The racial makeup of the city was 87.8% White, 0.4% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.5% of the population.

There were 4,896 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40, and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,430, and the median income for a family was $43,041. Males had a median income of $36,387 versus $22,583 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,511. About 9.0% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture edit

 
Former Carnegie library, currently The Dalles Art Center

Annual cultural events edit

The Northwest Cherry Festival is held in The Dalles in April.[30]

Museums and other points of interest edit

Media edit

Radio edit

Television edit

Newspaper edit

  • Columbia Gorge News
  • Columbia Community Connection Digital, Bilingual and Local News for the Mid-Columbia Region

Rajneeshee Movement edit

In 1984, The Dalles was the scene of a bioterrorist incident launched by members of the Rajneesh Movement in an attempt to gain control of the local government of Wasco County, which failed on Election Day. Salmonella placed in ten restaurants resulted in 751 cases of Salmonellosis. It was the first known bioterrorism attack of the 20th century in the United States.[34] The circumstances of the attack are documented in an American Medical Association article (JAMA Vol 278, No 5, page 389, 6 Aug 1997).

Notable people edit

Sister cities edit

The Dalles has one sister city:

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: The Dalles, Oregon
  3. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Historic The Dalles". Wasco County Historical Society. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  5. ^ Gibson, James R. (1997). The Lifeline of the Oregon Country: The Fraser-Columbia Brigade System, 1811–47. University of British Columbia (UBC) Press. p. 125. ISBN 0-7748-0643-5.
  6. ^ a b McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (1992) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (6th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 826. ISBN 978-0875952369.
  7. ^ "Fort Astoria, 1813". Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  8. ^ Gibson, James R. (1998). The Lifeline of the Oregon Country: The Fraser-Columbia Brigade System, 1811–47. UBC Press. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7748-0643-5. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d . Fort Dalles Museum and the Anderson Homestead. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  10. ^ Wasco History February 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Wasco-history.r9esd.k12.or.us. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  11. ^ The Dalles U.S. Branch Mint/Erin Glenn Winery (1870)
  12. ^ Mint that Never Was Makes Interesting Tale
  13. ^ One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Summary and Analysis: There's a Monopoly Game. CliffsNotes. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  14. ^ "History of the Breed". The LaPerm Society. Retrieved May 29, 2011. In the midst of these hunting grounds, near The Dalles, Oregon and under the watchful eye of Tsagaglalal, the LaPerm came into existence in the spring of 1982.
  15. ^ Tarlton Law Library – Law in Popular Culture Collection – Law and Lawyers in Popular Culture. Tarlton.law.utexas.edu. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  16. ^ Terry Davis (June 7, 2018), , archived from the original on September 1, 2018, retrieved June 8, 2018
  17. ^ . United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  18. ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Rogoway, Mike. "Google plans much bigger data center if it expands in The Dalles". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  20. ^ Markoff, John; Saul Hansell (June 14, 2006). "Hiding in Plain Sight, Google Seeks More Power". The New York Times.
  21. ^ The Dalles · Google Data Centers. Google.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  22. ^ "North Wasco County School District / District Home Page". Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "ST. MARY'S ACADEMY – The Dalles, Oregon | Established in 1864". Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  24. ^ "About Us". Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  25. ^ "Columbia Gorge Community College Leads Nation in Wind Training". Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  26. ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850–1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 216.
  27. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  28. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  29. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  30. ^ 30th Annual Northwest Cherry Festival January 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Authorized by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act (PL99-663)
  32. ^ Fort Dalles Museum. Historicthedalles.org. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  33. ^ Horner, John B. (1919). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. Portland.: The J.K. Gill Co. pp. 72–73.
  34. ^ . Special Coverage. WBUR.org. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 31, 2001. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  35. ^ Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. Ochcom.org (June 30, 2004). Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  36. ^ "Fagan wins Democratic primary for secretary of state". SFChronicle.com. May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  37. ^ Tukwila Sister City Affiliation. Ci.tukwila.wa.us (November 19, 1979). Retrieved on June 4, 2012.

External links edit

dalles, oregon, this, article, about, city, oregon, nearby, geological, formation, celilo, falls, other, uses, dalles, confused, with, city, dallas, oregon, dalles, formally, city, dalles, also, called, dalles, city, inland, port, largest, city, wasco, county,. This article is about the city in Oregon For the nearby geological formation see Celilo Falls For other uses see Dalles Not to be confused with the city of Dallas Oregon The Dalles ˈ d ae l z formally the City of The Dalles and also called Dalles City is an inland port and the largest city in Wasco County Oregon United States The population was 16 010 at the 2020 census and it is the largest city in Oregon along the Columbia River outside the Portland Metropolitan Area The Dalles is 75 miles 121 km east of Portland within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area The DallesCityCity of the DallesThe Dalles and the Columbia River in November 2008FlagSealMotto s Cognito timor Vincit Latin Knowledge Conquers Fear English Location in OregonCoordinates 45 36 06 N 121 10 30 W 45 60167 N 121 17500 W 45 60167 121 17500CountyWasco CountyIncorporated1857Government MayorRichard Mays citation needed Area 1 City6 94 sq mi 17 98 km2 Land6 66 sq mi 17 25 km2 Water0 28 sq mi 0 72 km2 Elevation 2 243 ft 74 m Population 2020 3 City16 010 Density2 403 54 sq mi 927 99 km2 Metro26 403Time zoneUTC 8 PST Summer DST UTC 7 PDT ZIP code97058Area code s 458 and 541FIPS code41 72950GNIS feature ID2412059 2 WebsiteCity of The Dalles Contents 1 History 1 1 Etymology 1 2 Fur trade 1 3 Wascopam Mission 1 4 American settlement 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 Economy 3 1 Top employers 4 Education 5 Demographics 5 1 2010 census 5 2 2000 census 6 Arts and culture 6 1 Annual cultural events 6 2 Museums and other points of interest 7 Media 7 1 Radio 7 2 Television 7 3 Newspaper 8 Rajneeshee Movement 9 Notable people 10 Sister cities 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksHistory editThe area around The Dalles is known to have been a trading center for Native Americans as long as 10 000 years ago and is thus one of the oldest inhabited places in North America The site of what is now the city of The Dalles was a major Native American trading center The general area is one of the continent s most significant archaeological regions 4 Lewis and Clark camped near Mill Creek on October 25 27 1805 and recorded the Indian name for the creek as Quenett Etymology edit The name of the city comes from the French word dalle meaning either sluice akin to English dale and German T h al valley or flagstone referring to the columnar basalt rocks carved by the river 5 6 in voyageur French used to refer to rapids which was used by the French Canadian employees of the North West Company to refer to the rapids of the Columbia River between the present day city and Celilo Falls Also in the same area was the Petites Dalles or Little Dalles or Short Narrows In French les dalles means the slabs When a river flows over hard flat rocks it becomes shallow and rapids are created Fur trade edit The first use of the name Dalles according to Oregon Geographic Names appears in fur trader Gabriel Franchere s Narrative on April 12 1814 referring to the long series of major rapids in the river 6 Starting in the 1810s Americans and Europeans passed by what became The Dalles active in the North American fur trade as employees of either the American Pacific Fur Company PFC or the Canadian North West Company NWC Men like NWC officer David Thompson voyaged both down and up the Columbia traveling through Celilo Falls The War of 1812 led to the 1813 liquidation of the PFC its properties like Fort Astoria sold to the North West Company 7 nbsp Early illustration of The Dalles attributed to Joseph DraytonIn 1821 the North West Company was absorbed by the giant London based Hudson s Bay Company HBC Fort Vancouver built in 1824 replaced Fort Astoria as the regional fur trade headquarters The HBC s trading network made extensive use of the Columbia River The rapids of the Columbia River at The Dalles was the largest and longest of the four great portages where fur trading boats had to unload and transship their cargoes Sometimes during high water boats traveling downriver would shoot the rapids instead of portaging although the practice was dangerous and many people died as a result over the years 8 The Dalles in the 1880s nbsp Second Street c 1880 nbsp The Umatilla House hotel c 1880 nbsp E B McFarland House c 1881 Wascopam Mission edit Main article Wascopam Mission In 1838 a branch of Jason Lee s Methodist Mission was established at Celilo Falls named the Wascopam Mission after the native Wasco Indians 9 In 1850 the U S Army founded a small post at the site of the old mission being eventually named Fort Dalles Fort Dalles became the nucleus of the town of The Dalles which began to develop along the waterfront 9 In 1855 at the end of the Cayuse War the Indians living near The Dalles were forcibly relocated by the U S Army to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation 9 American settlement edit In the early 1840s American settlers began to arrive in significant numbers traveling overland via the Oregon Trail The trail ended at The Dalles It was not possible to take wagons farther west due to steep cliffs that fell straight into the Columbia River Until the construction of the Barlow Road in 1846 the only way to reach Fort Vancouver and the Willamette Valley was by rafting down the river from The Dalles 9 A post office was established within the boundaries of the current city in 1851 and The Dalles was incorporated as a city in 1857 It has been the major commercial center between Portland and Pendleton since The city was originally named just Dalles In 1853 it was changed to Wascopum then in 1860 to The Dalles 4 In 1864 the U S Congress appropriated money to build a U S mint in The Dalles that was to use gold from Canyon City for coinage The supply of gold from Canyon City began to dwindle however and other problems such as cost overruns workers leaving to work the gold fields and flooding from the Columbia River also contributed to the project running two years behind schedule and led eventually to its demise In 1870 the State of Oregon received the property from the U S Government and the building was put to other uses 10 The mint is now home to Freebridge Brewing 11 12 nbsp The Dalles City HallConstruction of The Dalles Dam in 1957 submerged the Long Narrows and Celilo Falls In 1963 Ken Kesey s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest was published featuring the narrator Chief who is from The Dalles 13 In 1970 the Bonneville Power Administration opened the Celilo Converter Station near the northern terminus of the Pacific DC Intertie which sends 3 100 megawatts of electricity to Los Angeles In 1982 a curly coated kitten was born on a farm in The Dalles owned by Linda and Dick Koehl The Koehls used this kitten and her offspring to develop a new breed of cat called the LaPerm which went on to become a popular established championship pedigree cat breed around the world 14 In 1984 The Dalles was the site of the first and single largest bioterrorism attack in United States history In 1986 Penalty Phase a film starring Peter Strauss and Melissa Gilbert was filmed in and around The Dalles 15 In 2018 Terry A Davis creator of the TempleOS operating system walked from Portland Oregon to The Dalles in three days via the Columbia River Gorge There he was struck by a train and died at the age of 48 16 Geography edit nbsp The Dalles and the Columbia River showing surrounding landscapeHighways I 84 US 30 and US 197 meet in the city According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 20 61 square miles 53 38 km2 of which 20 35 square miles 52 71 km2 is land and 0 26 square miles 0 67 km2 is water 17 Climate edit This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources The Dalles Oregon news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Dalles is usually classified as a semiarid Koppen BSk climate region However it has some characteristics of the midlatitude oceanic climate that dominates west of the Cascade Mountains combined with seasonal precipitation patterns very similar to those found in Mediterranean climates The city s location in the eastern Columbia Gorge results in the presence of numerous microclimates within a few miles of town To the immediate west the winters are significantly wetter and summers are significantly cooler In contrast upland locations to the south are significantly cooler in all seasons The generally warm and dry summers near town make it the ideal climate for the numerous Bing cherry orchards in the area The summer season runs from mid June through early September and is quite warm by Pacific Northwest standards however summer weather often oscillates between intense heat waves and much cooler and windier periods Except for the occasional sporadic thunderstorm there is almost no summer rainfall From late September through early November the area experiences an abrupt autumn during which normal temperatures drop very rapidly and cloudy wet weather quickly picks up Prior to the sudden onset of the rainy season in mid to late fall there are often days with a very wide disparity between daytime and nighttime temperatures sometimes exceeding 36 F or 20 C There is far less wind in the fall than in spring and early summer though passing frontal systems can still bring quick bouts of strong wind Winter is the wet season in The Dalles Despite the rain shadow effect created by the Cascades there is still enough precipitation most years to support relatively high soil moisture levels for most of the winter This is a very similar pattern to what happens in classic Mediterranean climates except that the temperatures are significantly colder The area receives measurable snowfall virtually every year but the snow totals fluctuate dramatically from one year to the next some seasons see only one or two brief light snow events while others get major snowstorms and cumulative totals of 20 inches 0 51 m or more The most snowfall in a season has been 85 5 inches 2 17 m between July 1949 and June 1950 Average winter temperatures are only about 3 to 5 F 1 7 to 2 8 C colder than in cities such as Portland and Seattle and temperatures below 0 F or 17 8 C are very rare but not unheard of historically occurring on three mornings out of every five winters but only once since February 1996 As in the summer winter temperatures can vary tremendously from one day to the next During arctic air events the daytime high temperatures will generally be well below 32 F or 0 C while a strong subtropical push can raise temperatures into the 50s and low 60s F even in January It is quite common for relatively cold air to become trapped at low elevations due to an inversion above depending on the temperature of the surface airmass depth of the inversion layer and temperatures above the inversion layer this can result in snow sleet freezing rain or a very cold liquid rain Springtime conditions generally run from late February through early June during which time the overall trend gradually becomes warmer and drier and the landscape briefly turns lush and green This is the windiest season of all with a powerful west wind on most afternoons During stormy periods in spring conditions are usually cloudy and cool while most sunny and calm days become intensely warm especially from April onward Springtime temperatures often vary more from one week to the next than they do from one month to the next The growing season is roughly 200 days long in a typical year generally running from early April through most of October However the spring frost dates can range from mid March to early May and the fall frost dates can range from late September to mid November A weather station is located at nearby Columbia Gorge Regional Airport also known as The Dalles Municipal Airport Climate data for Columbia Gorge Regional Airport 1981 2010 extremes 1948 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 71 22 69 21 80 27 95 35 107 42 118 48 111 44 110 43 105 41 93 34 72 22 66 19 118 48 Mean daily maximum F C 42 2 5 7 48 0 8 9 57 0 13 9 64 4 18 0 72 9 22 7 79 1 26 2 87 5 30 8 87 3 30 7 80 1 26 7 65 7 18 7 50 0 10 0 40 3 4 6 64 5 18 1 Mean daily minimum F C 31 0 0 6 31 8 0 1 36 6 2 6 41 5 5 3 48 6 9 2 54 8 12 7 60 4 15 8 59 5 15 3 51 6 10 9 42 3 5 7 35 3 1 8 30 2 1 0 43 6 6 5 Record low F C 14 26 4 20 11 12 23 5 28 2 37 3 40 4 42 6 29 2 15 9 1 18 5 21 14 26 Average precipitation inches mm 2 57 65 1 6 41 1 19 30 0 65 17 0 58 15 0 41 10 0 16 4 1 0 23 5 8 0 47 12 0 99 25 2 14 54 2 73 69 13 72 347 9 Average snowfall inches cm 1 9 4 8 0 8 2 0 0 5 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 trace 0 5 1 3 1 3 3 3 4 8 12 Source NOAA 18 Economy editIn 2006 Google began building a major data center known locally as Project 02 along the Columbia River in The Dalles using the area s reliable hydroelectric power and the underutilized fiber optic capacity of the area The new complex includes two buildings each approximately the size of a football field and two cooling plants each four stories high The project promised hundreds of jobs in the area mainly in construction with an additional 200 permanent positions expected later in 2006 although as of 2013 Google employed only 150 combined company employees and contractors in The Dalles 19 20 21 Top employers edit As of 2012 the top 15 employers in The Dalles according to the Mid Columbia Economic Development District report on Largest Employers in Wasco County are Employer of employees1 Adventist Health Columbia Gorge 9152 North Wasco County School District 3603 Oregon Cherry Growers 2754 State of Oregon 2435 Fred Meyer 2306 Oregon Veteran s Home 2087 Columbia Gorge Community College 2008 Wasco County 1819 Google 15010 Safeway 14211 U S Army Corps of Engineers 12512 City of The Dalles 10013 Home Depot 10014 Cousin s Country Inn 10015 Orchard View Farms 90Education editMain article Columbia Gorge Community College The Dalles is home to Oregon School District 21 Originally 2 school districts District 9 in the Chenoweth area and District 12 which included much of The Dalles District 21 includes 3 elementary schools Colonel Wright Elementary Chenoweth Elementary and Dry Hollow Elementary District 21 is also home to Innovations Academy The Dalles Middle School and The Dalles High School 22 St Mary s Academy is a k 8 school affiliated with the Catholic Church in The Dalles 23 Columbia Lutheran School is a Christian elementary school of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in The Dalles 24 The Dalles is also home to the main campus of Columbia Gorge Community College which began in 1977 as Wasco Area Education Service District It is a leading institution in renewable energy technology education and training 25 Demographics editHistorical population CensusPop Note 1860802 187094217 5 18802 232136 9 18903 23945 1 19003 5429 4 19104 88037 8 19205 80719 0 19305 8330 4 19406 2667 4 19507 67622 5 196010 49336 7 197010 423 0 7 198010 8203 8 199011 0602 2 200012 1569 9 201013 62012 0 202016 01017 5 source 26 U S Decennial Census 27 3 2010 census edit As of the census 28 of 2010 there were 13 620 people 5 472 households and 3 441 families residing in the city The population density was 2 144 9 inhabitants per square mile 828 2 km2 There were 5 903 housing units at an average density of 929 6 per square mile 358 9 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 87 9 White 0 5 African American 1 5 Native American 1 0 Asian 0 8 Pacific Islander 5 7 from other races and 2 7 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 17 0 of the population There were 5 472 households of which 30 3 had children under the age of 18 living with them 46 1 were married couples living together 12 4 had a female householder with no husband present 4 4 had a male householder with no wife present and 37 1 were non families 31 0 of all households were made up of individuals and 14 1 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 40 and the average family size was 2 99 The median age in the city was 39 7 years 23 8 of residents were under the age of 18 8 3 were between the ages of 18 and 24 24 1 were from 25 to 44 25 8 were from 45 to 64 and 17 9 were 65 years of age or older The gender makeup of the city was 48 4 male and 51 6 female 2000 census edit As of the census 29 of 2000 there were 12 156 people 4 896 households and 3 226 families residing in the city The population density was 892 3 km2 There were 5 227 housing units at an average density of 383 7 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 87 8 White 0 4 African American 1 2 Native American 1 0 Asian 0 8 Pacific Islander 6 2 from other races and 2 6 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10 5 of the population There were 4 896 households out of which 30 0 had children under the age of 18 living with them 51 1 were married couples living together 10 6 had a female householder with no husband present and 34 1 were non families 29 2 of all households were made up of individuals and 13 5 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 40 and the average family size was 2 94 In the city the population was spread out with 24 8 under the age of 18 7 9 from 18 to 24 25 7 from 25 to 44 23 5 from 45 to 64 and 18 1 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 39 years For every 100 females there were 94 7 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91 5 males The median income for a household in the city was 35 430 and the median income for a family was 43 041 Males had a median income of 36 387 versus 22 583 for females The per capita income for the city was 17 511 About 9 0 of families and 12 4 of the population were below the poverty line including 16 6 of those under age 18 and 8 6 of those age 65 or over Arts and culture edit nbsp Former Carnegie library currently The Dalles Art CenterAnnual cultural events edit The Northwest Cherry Festival is held in The Dalles in April 30 Museums and other points of interest edit Columbia Gorge Discovery Center amp Museum the official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 31 Fort Dalles Museum Oregon s oldest history museum located in the Surgeon s Quarters built in 1856 at Fort Dalles 32 Pulpit Rock used by Methodist missionaries to preach to Native Americans 33 North Wasco County Aquatic Center the most recent in many iterations of the local swimming pool Previously known as the Natatorium Nat or Nat Club The river front trail runs along the Columbia River from the Discovery Center to the local boat marina Media editRadio edit KACI 1300 103 9 FM KODL 1440AM 99 1 FM KMSW 92 7 102 9 FM KACI FM 93 5 FM KCGB FM 105 5 96 9 FM KJYV 101 5 FMTelevision edit K34KE D translator for KGW Portland NBC affiliate K23OV D translator for KOIN Portland CBS affiliateNewspaper edit Columbia Gorge News Columbia Community Connection Digital Bilingual and Local News for the Mid Columbia RegionRajneeshee Movement editMain article 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack In 1984 The Dalles was the scene of a bioterrorist incident launched by members of the Rajneesh Movement in an attempt to gain control of the local government of Wasco County which failed on Election Day Salmonella placed in ten restaurants resulted in 751 cases of Salmonellosis It was the first known bioterrorism attack of the 20th century in the United States 34 The circumstances of the attack are documented in an American Medical Association article JAMA Vol 278 No 5 page 389 6 Aug 1997 Notable people editHomer D Angell Republican U S congressman 1939 1955 Lefty Bertrand Major League Baseball player John Callahan cartoonist grew up in The Dalles H L Davis Oregon s only Pulitzer Prize winner in literature with Honey in the Horn 1936 35 Ken Dayley Major League Baseball player Alan Embree Major League Baseball player Shemia Fagan Democratic State Senator for Portland and Candidate for Oregon Secretary of State 36 Jacob Glanville Ph D computational immunoengineer and businessperson Jennifer Lyon Survivor Palau contestant Todd Nelson retired touring professional tennis player Wilma Roberts local photographer who lived and worked at the Elite Studio later called Mel O s in The Dalles Greg Walden Republican congressman from OR 02 Philip Whalen a poet associated with the Beat Generation grew up in The DallesSister cities editThe Dalles has one sister city nbsp Miyoshi City Japan formerly Ikeda 37 See also edit nbsp Oregon portalList of cities in OregonReferences edit ArcGIS REST Services Directory United States Census Bureau Retrieved October 12 2022 a b U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System The Dalles Oregon a b Census Population API United States Census Bureau Retrieved October 12 2022 a b Historic The Dalles Wasco County Historical Society Retrieved July 23 2019 Gibson James R 1997 The Lifeline of the Oregon Country The Fraser Columbia Brigade System 1811 47 University of British Columbia UBC Press p 125 ISBN 0 7748 0643 5 a b McArthur Lewis A McArthur Lewis L 1992 1928 Oregon Geographic Names 6th ed Portland Oregon Oregon Historical Society Press p 826 ISBN 978 0875952369 Fort Astoria 1813 Oregon Historical Society Retrieved August 28 2011 Gibson James R 1998 The Lifeline of the Oregon Country The Fraser Columbia Brigade System 1811 47 UBC Press p 114 ISBN 978 0 7748 0643 5 Retrieved August 28 2011 a b c d Fort Dalles History Fort Dalles Museum and the Anderson Homestead Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved August 28 2011 Wasco History Archived February 5 2012 at the Wayback Machine Wasco history r9esd k12 or us Retrieved on June 4 2012 The Dalles U S Branch Mint Erin Glenn Winery 1870 Mint that Never Was Makes Interesting Tale One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest Summary and Analysis There s a Monopoly Game CliffsNotes Retrieved on June 4 2012 History of the Breed The LaPerm Society Retrieved May 29 2011 In the midst of these hunting grounds near The Dalles Oregon and under the watchful eye of Tsagaglalal the LaPerm came into existence in the spring of 1982 Tarlton Law Library Law in Popular Culture Collection Law and Lawyers in Popular Culture Tarlton law utexas edu Retrieved on June 4 2012 Terry Davis June 7 2018 Terry Davis Portland Exodus archived from the original on September 1 2018 retrieved June 8 2018 US Gazetteer files 2010 United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on January 12 2012 Retrieved December 21 2012 NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data Retrieved May 2 2016 Rogoway Mike Google plans much bigger data center if it expands in The Dalles The Oregonian Retrieved June 5 2013 Markoff John Saul Hansell June 14 2006 Hiding in Plain Sight Google Seeks More Power The New York Times The Dalles Google Data Centers Google com Retrieved on June 4 2012 North Wasco County School District District Home Page Retrieved November 3 2021 ST MARY S ACADEMY The Dalles Oregon Established in 1864 Retrieved February 3 2022 About Us Retrieved November 3 2021 Columbia Gorge Community College Leads Nation in Wind Training Retrieved April 29 2016 Moffatt Riley Population History of Western U S Cities amp Towns 1850 1990 Lanham Scarecrow 1996 216 United States Census Bureau Census of Population and Housing Retrieved September 26 2014 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved December 21 2012 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 31 2008 30th Annual Northwest Cherry Festival Archived January 9 2010 at the Wayback Machine Authorized by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act PL99 663 Fort Dalles Museum Historicthedalles org Retrieved on June 4 2012 Horner John B 1919 Oregon Her History Her Great Men Her Literature Portland The J K Gill Co pp 72 73 Bioterrorism in History 1984 Rajneesh Cult Attacks Local Salad Bar Special Coverage WBUR org Associated Press Archived from the original on December 31 2001 Retrieved August 21 2011 Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission Ochcom org June 30 2004 Retrieved on June 4 2012 Fagan wins Democratic primary for secretary of state SFChronicle com May 22 2020 Retrieved May 24 2020 Tukwila Sister City Affiliation Ci tukwila wa us November 19 1979 Retrieved on June 4 2012 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Dalles Oregon nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article The Town That Was Poisoned City website Entry for The Dalles from the Oregon Blue Book Dalles The Encyclopedia Americana 1920 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Dalles Oregon amp oldid 1196963430, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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