Black and white image of four men, one of whom is shoveling smelt from the bottom of a boat into wooden boxes. The boxes have the words "From the Columbia River Smelt Co. Kelso, Wash." stamped on them. The man doing the shoveling is an older man with his back to the camera. He is wearing a hat with a brim, a long-sleeved shirt, a vest with a large hole in the back, workpants and shoes. To his left, a younger man kneels, holding on to one of th boxes with his right hand. He is wearing a brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and pants. In another boat facing the camera is an elderly man dressed in a suit, with jacket, white shirt and bowtie, and a brimmed hat. Next to him in the boat is a younger man, without a hat, wearing work pants, and a long-sleeved shirt with the collar pulled up around his neck. Behind them is the river and the opposite shore can be seen in the distance.
A black and white view of the toll bridge built across the Columbia River to link Hood River, Oregon, with the vicinity of Bingen, Washington. Built in the 1920s. This view is looking south towards Hood River and shows Mt. Hood, Hood River, and the Hood River Valley in the distance. Deciduous trees line both shores, and the hills in the background are fairly well forested, with conifers primarily in evidence. Buildings are visible in the middle ground on the low hills, especially to the right. A slight haze hangs over the valley in the distance but in the foreground the shadows of a sunny day are strong.
A black and white image identified as a view of Maryhill, Washington, from Samuel Hill's property, showing two steamboats moored at the town. In the foreground are rock outcrops; the hill down which we gaze is covered with grasses and other plants. The meadow extends down the hill; on the flatter areas of the riverbank near the town is cropland to the right and an area forested with conifers to the left. A road winds its way through the picture, and some town buildings are visible. Beyond flows the Columbia River, and behind it the bluffs that rise up to the Columbia Plateau on the Oregon side of the river.
Black and white image of cascades of the Columbia River. A man is standing on one of two large rocks in the foreground on the right hand side. Trees and mountains are visible in the background. A large rock in the middle of the river is prominent in the forground of the image.
A black and white image of a view from above the Columbia River. There is a paved road with a fence along it in the foreground. A sign beyond the fence warns that "no parking on pavement is allowed". The road appears to be running along a cliff in this area. Below are conifers and deciduous trees. Along the shores of the river buildings are visible among the trees and meadows. In the background a steep, intermittently-wooded bluff rises. In the middle of the photograph is a low-lying area of land that may be an island. In the top right of the photograph the river changes course with a bend to the left.
A black and white image of Castle Rock on the Columbia River. Fir trees line the riverbank and the shoreline in the immediate foreground is covered with stones and pebbles. Five rowboats or sailboats surround a small steamboat. An American flag is visible on one end of the steamboat. One person is in each of four of the smaller boats; the fifth boat is empty and is close to shore.
Black and white image of men in a boat taking fish from a fish trap on the Columbia River. The trap is constructed of tall wooden poles with nets strung in between them. There are four men in the boat, all wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and hats. A fish can be seen on the far right as it is being pulled into the boat. In the background can be seen other fish traps and the opposite bank of the river. Trees line the riverbank. Written on the bottom left of the image are the words "278 J.F.Ford."
A dramatic black and white view of a stern wheeler identified as the "Hassalo" being taken over the Cascade Rapids by Captain J. W. Troup. The boat steams through whitecaps, plumes of smoke trailing from its smokestacks. In the foreground, a crowd is gathered among large boulders along the river. Most of the men wear dark lounge suits and boater hats; the women mostly wear light dresses, and the ties of their hats hang down their backs. Some of the men are waving hats or handkerchiefs to cheer the paddlewheeler on. It appears that there is also a large crowd on the opposite shore. The Hassalo was built at The Dalles in 1880 for the Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. She worked the river til 1888, advertised as the fastest river boat in the world. Captain Troup took her over the Cascades Rapids on May 26, 1888, after which she was sent to Puget Sound. When she returned in 1892 she was converted to a towboat.
A black and white image looking north across the Columbia River to the town of Vancouver, Washington. The river is in the foreground. At the far left a tall smokestack is seen behind some buildings. In the middle of the photo is a building with the large letters OWL (possibly standing for the Union Pacific Railroad's Oregon-Washington Limited) near the top. Various other buildings, some wooden, line the riverbank. Tall log pilings are driven in several places along the shore. Near the shore in the middle of the photo is a barge. Towards the left on the bank is a large flat piece of material tilted into the water, perhaps something to do with the building of a bridge across the Columbia. In the background to the right of the photo are trees and low hills.
Black and white image of a sightseeing group standing on the railroad tracks running along the Columbia River. The group consists of men and women dressed in clothing from the 1920s. The women wear broad-brimmed hats, long-sleeved coats or javkets that come down to knee level, and long skirts that reach almost to the ground. The men wear a variety of hats, suit jackets, white shirts, and ties. Behind them the railroad tracks enter a tunnel. The tracks are at the base of a cliff on which brush and pine trees grow. On the left hand side of the image the river flows by. Cape Horn is visible in the distance.