Digital Exhibit – “Riveting History: 100 Years of the Bridge of the Gods”

Riveting History: 100 Years of the Bridge of the Gods celebrates the centennial of the iconic steel cantilever span that has connected Cascade Locks, Oregon and Stevenson, Washington across the Columbia River since October 26, 1926. The exhibit traces the bridge’s origins to the Indigenous legend of “Tahmahnaw,” a natural land bridge formed by the massive Cascade Landslide Complex in the mid-1400s. From there, the exhibit follows the ambitious journey to build the modern span: the rise of automobile tourism along the Columbia River Highway, entrepreneur George S. Allen’s vision for a crossing at the Cascades, the Bridge of the Gods Corporation’s dramatic 1922 dedication ceremony, and years of financial struggles before the Wauna Toll Bridge Company stepped in to rescue the project. This culminated in an opening day celebration on October 26, 1926 to mark the joining of two communities. The exhibit also covers a remarkable engineering feat that came years later: when Bonneville Dam’s new reservoir threatened to swallow the bridge’s clearance, the entire span was raised 44 feet in 1940, lifting it to its current height of 140 feet above the Columbia River. Together, these stories of geology, Indigenous heritage, entrepreneurial ambition, and engineering ingenuity make Riveting History a rich celebration of a bridge that has become one of the Columbia River Gorge’s most beloved landmarks.

You can visit the digital exhibit here: https://oregoncapitol.com/events-and-exhibits-exhibits/

This exhibit was sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and is brought to us by the Cascade Locks Museum.