1953 Map of The Dalles

About this map

Mt Hood dominates the western horizon of this mid-century survey, a period when the engineering of the Columbia River was fundamentally reshaping the regional economy and landscape. The map captures a critical transition as major hydroelectric projects like The Dalles Dam and Bonneville Dam appear alongside the rising John Day Dam, signaling the shift toward the modern power and navigation systems that define the Pacific Northwest today. On the river banks, the infrastructure of the Union Pacific and Spokane Portland and Seattle railroads run parallel to the Columbia River Highway, tracing the historical transit corridor through the gorge.