I sat where the president...also sat

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came through the the Columbia River Gorge in 1937 while following through on his campaign promises about the Bonneville Dam.

After his visit, a Bonneville-area rest stop instituted a register in the restroom for those who sat upon the same porcelain throne as the President. This historic seat was captured in crayon and ink by S.J.(?) Stoddard in 1960.

Off the Rails is the Cascade Locks Historical Museum's blog for the fascinating stories and research side quests that don't always make it onto the exhibit floor. From wayward river travelers to forgotten footnotes of Gorge history, we follow the tracks wherever they lead.

Can you swim to Stevenson? Mildred Hazard did.

I took a break today to research local history anniversaries to plan celebrations for in the next year. When I filtered the Historic Oregon Newspapers database by front page news, I came upon this story in the September 25, 1924 issue of the Turner Tribune:

"Cascade Locks.- Miss Mildred Hazard, 19, of Stevenson, Wash., recently swam the Columbia river just above the rapids near Cascade Locks, where the current is very swift. The river at this time is about one-half mile wide. She started from the Oregon shore. She swam the entire distance in 33 minutes."

I walk by this 1920s women's swimsuit at least 20 times per day. While this is not the exact same swimsuit, having the object nearby when I read the story makes them both more feel more real and more special.

I also love that Ms. Hazard's swim was front page news nearly 100 miles away. Turner, OR is south of Salem. Full edition of the September 25, 1924 Turner Tribune

Off the Rails is the Cascade Locks Historical Museum's blog for the fascinating stories and research side quests that don't always make it onto the exhibit floor. From wayward river travelers to forgotten footnotes of Gorge history, we follow the tracks wherever they lead.