Legendary Namesake

The Cascade Landslide Complex is a series of landslides on the north bank of the Columbia River. In the mid-1400s, the most recent of these landslides covered this part of the river basin. It buried the previous river channel, creating an earthen dam up to 200 feet high. The dam formed a lake of water 150 miles upriver.

Moving diagram of the Bridge of the Gods landslide. A scenic photo of the Columbia River Gorge near the Bonneville Dam, looking upriver. The photo is animated to show the flow of the Bonneville landslide, with labels that appear over features.

The most recent landslide in the Cascade Landslide Complex blocked the entire Columbia River between 1400 and 1500 C.E. Diagram by Dan Coe, Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Black and white family photo of Warcomac and Miller family circa 1898. A group of adults and children of varying ages stand, looking at the camera, posed in traditional regalia.

Oral history collected from the Cascades Watlala community, who lived at the Cascades year-round, said that their “papa’s papa walked across the mountain bridge.” Warcomac and Miller family photo, circa 1898.

This cataclysm had a significant impact on the lives of local Indigenous communities. It became the subject of oral history and storytelling throughout the Northwest. The stories hold memories of the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that caused the landslides and how the earthen dam drowned the forest and blocked salmon from traveling upriver. The stories also tell how the debris washed out and formed a land bridge large enough to canoe beneath. This bridge changed travel and trade. Euro-American settlers translated the name of the land bridge, “Tahmahnaw,” to “Bridge of the Gods” when they transcribed Cascade Watlala oral history in the late 19th century. Despite consistent narratives throughout the region, some debated if there ever was a land bridge over the Columbia River.

The first edition cover of “The Bridge of the Gods: A Romance of Indian Oregon” by Frederic Homer Balch, 1890.

Euro-American authors appropriated and romanticized these Indigenous stories. The most widely-read version was Frederic Homer Balch’s “The Bridge of the Gods: A Romance of Indian Oregon,” published in 1890. Balch did extensive interviews with Klickitat and Cascades elders to create this novel. Balch then took significant liberties developing his narrative, but is known for being the first Euro-American author to feature Indigenous characters in leading roles and for advocating that Indigenous knowledge should be accepted as historic fact. A commercial success, Balch popularized the legend and solidified the moniker “Bridge of the Gods” as a regionally significant and nationally recognizable name. This book was continuously in print for over 100 years, and inspired multiple stage and film adaptations.

The romanticized versions of the Indigenous legends and the spectacular natural beauty of the Cascades captured the imagination of artists. Inspired by what they could see, artists imagined a sweeping stone bridge attached to the cliffs on Table Mountain. This vision was published in numerous popular texts. Art and storytelling were critical to garner public support for building the new Bridge of the Gods.

Driven to the Gorge

The Cascade Locks-Stevenson ferry, operated by Cascade Locks resident Karl Rosenback from 1919-1926. The ferry made an average of 22 trips per day. Photo from the Seattle Star.

The Columbia River Highway was the first scenic highway constructed in the United States. The section stretching from Portland to Hood River was completed in 1916, with the highway reaching Cascade Locks in 1915. The more-rugged North Bank Highway connected Vancouver to White Salmon by 1919. Without the bridge, ferries made loop travel possible between Stevenson and Cascade Locks. As cars became more affordable, the thrill and novelty of driving swept the nation. Traffic along these scenic highways increased and the demand for a bridge followed.

The 100-mile “Century Drive” loop was an automobile tourism experience. Map from the Bridge of the Gods Corporation prospectus.

The Interstate Bridge, 1919

The Interstate Bridge connected Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington in 1917. Seeing the success of that project, Vancouver resident George S. Allen set his sights on Cascade Locks. Allen worked for the Warren Construction Company building the Columbia River Highway. During the course of this work, he identified the narrow section of the Columbia River at the Cascades as an ideal site for a bridge.

The scenic overlook for the Cascade Locks on the North Bank Highway near Stevenson, Washington. The style of pavement used on the North Bank Highway was macadam, where oil or tar is poured over gravel.

Allen brought in initial investors to found the Interstate Construction Corporation. His earliest and most enthusiastic partner was Clark County Judge A.L. Miller. They initiated the paperwork to build the new bridge. Congress approved the filing and the Department of War issued a construction permit to the Interstate Construction Corporation in 1920. Shortly after, the company began doing business under the name “Bridge of the Gods Corporation” to attract additional investors.

Stocks, Spans, and Showmen

The Bridge of the Gods Corporation was approved to sell $300,000 worth of stock in Washington in 1921 and $250,000 of stock in Oregon in 1923. Stock sold for $1 per share. R.R. Clark was hired to design and engineer the bridge. L.A. Thomas served as a consulting architect. They favored a suspension bridge, stating that this design would best sustain strong Gorge winds. The Young McDonald Company built the first pier in April of 1922.

Artistic rendering of the Bridge of the Gods as a suspension bridge with boats on the river and cars on the highway

The architectural rendering of the planned suspension bridge was widely distributed to promote the vision of a bridge, generate excitement, and attract investors. Rendering by Fred Routledge.

With a rendering printed and demonstrated commitment to the project complete, the Bridge of the Gods Corporation printed marketing pamphlets and began an aggressive sales campaign. They engaged the Portland Ad Club to conduct a grandiose dedication ceremony.

On June 16, 1922, 3000 people came to the future site of the Bridge of the Gods. Portland Ad Club president George Rauch welcomed and introduced celebrity speakers throughout the event. George S. Allen, Governor Ben Olcott of Oregon, and Secretary of State J. Grant Hinkle of Washington gave short speeches celebrating the vision. Frederic Homer Balch’s sister, Gertrude Balch Ingalls, brought a bouquet of flowers from the Balch family farm in Hood River. She dedicated the flowers to her brother and to Chief Multnomah, who Balch had immortalized in his novel.

The headline speaker was Wasco-Klickitat elder Martin Spedis. Spedis gave the speech in his language with his son, Dave, as translator. The Spedis men were later joined by their wives, Ellen and Susie, and sister Lucy to perform a ceremony and dance.

Upon noticing him the audience, Rauch asked singer Walter Jenkins to lead some old-time songs. Portland Mayor George Baker closed the speeches.

To complete the dedication, the group gathered at the edge of the land. Dave Spedis shot an arrow from the completed pier across the river to symbolize the reconnection of the two landmasses and designate where the next pier should be built.

The Morning Oregonian ran this photo spread following the dedication ceremony on June 19, 1922. Photos include (1) George S. Allen, the originator of the Bridge of the Gods enterprise. (2) Completed pier on the Oregon shore of the river. (3) Dave Spedis shot the ceremonial arrow to symbolize the rejoining of the two sides of the river. (4) Martin Spedis gave a dedication speech with his son Dave as interpreter. (5) Speakers and presenters from left to right, Susie Silas Spedis, Gertrude Balch Ingalls, Portland Mayor George Baker, Oregon Governor Ben Olcott, Washington Secretary of State J. Grant Hinkle.

Then Things Got "Boring"

Full page newspaper advertisement for investors. Top line reads "Wanted 1000 men to complete the bridge of the gods" with letters of support and news clippings to support return on investment prospects.

Full page advertisement in The Sunday Oregonian for investors in the Bridge of the Gods Corporation.

Despite the excitement generated by the ceremony, investors were slow to buy in. The Bridge of the Gods Corporation continued to advertise stock for sale for one year after the great dedication ceremony, but only sold $47,000 within its sales period. Without funding, they could not complete additional work. The delays caused interest to wane. The single pier sat alone and unfinished.

In June 1924, trustees Allen and Miller traveled to New York and Philadelphia to attempt to secure bonds to complete the project. They announced that a large bonding house in Philadelphia would issue $600,000 pending review from their engineers. They expected the first payment on August 1. Stockholders would retain their shares, and bonds were to be sold at a considerable discount. With this promise in hand, Miller split the cost of boring holes for the first Washington pier with the Skamania County Chamber of Commerce so that work could commence as soon as materials arrived.

Black and white photograph of the upper Cascades rapids from the Oregon side of the river. The original pier for the Bridge of the Gods is in the foreground.

Site of the Bridge of the Gods, taken by O.P. Jenkins from the Washington Geological Survey, 06/21/1923

However, the bond company did not fund the project. Competition then came in the form of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge opening in December 1924. In October 1925, the Wauna Toll Bridge Company quietly purchased the contract to complete the bridge. The parent company of the Wauna Toll Bridge Company had seen excellent financial returns on their investment in the bridge in Pasco, Washington, and mortgaged the Benton-Franklin Intercounty Bridge to purchase most of the available stock.

Constructing the Crossing

Wauna Toll Bridge Company contracted the construction work to Union Bridge Company out of Portland. The company promised to pay the contractor half of all toll receipts between June and September in the year following completion to motivate them to complete the project quickly. They began preparing for work in November 1925 to take advantage of low water and make allowances for poor weather conditions.

Union Bridge Company chief engineer R.M. Murray updated the design to create the steel cantilevered bridge in 1925. Murray also designed the Snake River Bridge and Twin-Falls Jerome Bridge.

Franklin W. Johnson came to Cascade Locks as local engineer for the Oregon side, and Lester S. Tubbs came to Stevenson as the local engineer for the Washington side. Johnson and Tubbs were recent alumni of the Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. They kept in contact with engineering faculty throughout the project and invited engineering students to inspect the bridge.

Union Bridge Company subcontracted with the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company. They brought in 50 men to complete the construction in January 1926. They worked in two crews, one on each side of the river to complete the lowest elevation work at the lowest water levels. A night crew was hired in February 1926 to get as much work done as possible before high water arrived in the spring.

In March 1926, the crew blasted the top 10 feet off of the first concrete pier with dynamite. The pier needed to be made larger to support the new steel cantilever design. The second concrete pier on the Oregon side was completed in April, and three piers on the Washington side soon followed. Stevenson company Hazard & Allen was contracted to complete the gravel and earth work for the Washington approach.

The Union Bridge Company allowed filmmakers to document the process of building the Bridge of the Gods.

Open for Traffic

As the Bridge of the Gods neared completion in the fall, estimates for the opening date depended on favorable weather. An opening ceremony planned Saturday, October 23, 1926 became a celebration of the joining of the spans.

The completed Bridge of the Gods.

Finally, on Tuesday, October 26, 1926, workers and residents gathered for the official opening celebration. As the noon whistle blew, brother and sister Theodore Iman and Flora Iman Foster walked to the center of the bridge and shook hands. The siblings were selected for the ceremonial first meeting because Theodore was born in Cascade Locks and Flora in Stevenson before statehood. Following the handshake, everyone ran to the center line to meet and celebrate the Bridge opening.

The first car held driver Walter Miller; Union Bridge Company superintendent B.A. McClain and secretary Jessie Findlay; chief engineer R.M. Murray and his family, and Oregonian journalist Frank Perkins and his family.

The first car to drive across the bridge was a Chevy sedan. While the steel work was finished, the wooden decking was not. They laid down planks to drive across.

The Bridge of the Gods was originally decked in wood. It had whitewashed wooden guard rails that matched the style of the Columbia River Highway. The toll booth was placed in the middle of the span with turnouts for drivers to enjoy the view. Tolls were set at 50 cents, with a free return trip if drivers came back within three hours.

The Bridge of the Gods was an immediate success as an economic asset. Drivers were excited to experience the scenic loop without transit by ferry. Business went so well that management was able to make double bond payments within 10 years.

Lifting the Legend

When construction began on the Bonneville Dam in 1934, the federal government paid to move most of the infrastructure that would be flooded by the new water level, like the highway and the railroad. However, privately owned bridges were considered waterway obstructions. The $500,000 expense was determined to be the owners’ responsibility.

Excerpt from the 1937 US Army Corps of Engineers illustrated map showing the anticipated shoreline of the new reservoir.

The Wauna Toll Bridge Company recruited the owners of the Hood River bridge to jointly lobby for federal support. Negotiations included federal pressure to remove tolls, threats of punitive finesfor the waterway obstruction, and proposals to construct a toll-free bridge at Bonneville Dam. The federal government ultimately agreed to provide financial relief to the private owners in 1938.

The new reservoir behind Bonneville Dam raised the water level beneath the bridge that same year before any work was accomplished. The new clearance was only 90 feet above the river level.

The Bridge of the Gods closed on March 25, 1940 to complete the 44-foot lift. The Tavares Construction Company from California was awarded the contract for the bridge lift with a bid of $438,000. Engineer Carl Tavares came from Los Angeles to lead the project.

Workers inserted sheets of steel called shims between lifts. This was a failsafe to keep the span from slipping or dropping in case of an accident with the jacks.

Preparation work took place between March and May. The 300-foot center span was disassembled and stacked on near the roadway. The toll booth was relocated to the Oregon shore. Concrete counterweights were added to the spans to prevent tipping. Four 500-ton hydraulic jacks were installed beneath each main span bearing, with two 200-ton jacks placed on the anchor piers.

Finally, the spans were raised in seven-foot increments. The weekly work cycle was to raise one side of the span seven feet on Monday; construct concrete forms on Tuesday; place reinforcing steel on Wednesday; pour fast-hardening concrete on Thursday; then repeat on the opposite side. The Bridge of the Gods reopened on July 17, 1940, now 140 feet above the Columbia River.

Before 1938: A sternwheeler passing under the bridge during low water.

Between 1938-1940: S.S. Charles L. Wheeler Jr. was the first deep sea freighter to pass through the lock at the Bonneville Dam, July 9, 1938. The fore and aft topmasts were removed to allow her to pass under the Bridge of the Gods and Hood River Bridge.