Warrendale, Oregon facts for kids
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Warrendale is a small, unincorporated community in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. It is located in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, a short distance east of Dodson and west of Bonneville. You can find it right along Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. Across the Columbia River from Warrendale, you can see Beacon Rock. This community was once an important place for processing salmon in the 1870s.
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History of Warrendale
Warrendale was named after Frank M. Warren Sr., a well-known person from Portland. He was a pioneer in the business of canning salmon in Oregon. Sadly, Frank Warren died when the famous ship Titanic sank in April 1912.
Early Services and Industries
Warrendale had its own post office from 1894 until 1942. Today, people living there use the ZIP code for Cascade Locks. A train station for the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company (now owned by Union Pacific) was set up in Warrendale in 1916.
In 1915, Warrendale was a busy place. It had two salmon canneries (factories that put fish in cans) and a large pulp and paper mill. There was also a public school. By 1990, none of these businesses or the school were still operating. Students from Warrendale later went to Bonneville Grade School in Dodson, which closed in 1996.
Salmon Canning and Fish Wheels
One of the most important salmon canneries in the middle Columbia River area was started here in 1870. Frank Warren's cannery used a special tool called a fish wheel to catch salmon. This fish wheel was located upstream at Hamilton Island on the Washington side of the river.
The salmon were then moved down the island using a tramway, which was like a small railway. You can still see parts of this old tramway at Fort Cascades Historic Site. After that, the fish were brought across the river to Warrendale to be processed and canned. The tramway was used until 1930, and fish wheels were made illegal in Washington in 1934. Frank Warren also owned another cannery in Cathlamet, Washington.
Later Developments and Challenges
In the 1930s, people thought about building the Bonneville Dam at Warrendale. However, the dam was eventually built a few miles upstream at Bonneville.
In February 1996, Warrendale experienced severe weather. This caused huge debris flows (like mudslides) between Dodson and Warrendale. These mudslides destroyed homes and blocked the railroad and Interstate 84 for several days. This weather also caused major flooding in the Willamette Valley.
Notable People from Warrendale
Warrendale was once home to Frederick H. Kiser, an early photographer in Oregon. In 1903, he and his brother Oscar H. Kiser started the Kiser Scenic Photo Studio there. The company moved to Portland in 1905. Frederick Kiser was the official photographer for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. He was well-known for his pictures of Crater Lake and for promoting the Great Northern Railway. Their parents owned the Columbia Beach Hotel and Nursery in Warrendale.
