Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society: July 2026

This month is a milestone for history preservation, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Museum and the William G. Dick Library uploaded two very special databases that is in the interest of both historical and genealogical research. Long time coming, with a grant from the City of The Dalles, the photo archive and the Oregon - California Trail Inscription Database is now online and is available for the public.

Over 30,000 photos from the Wasco County Pioneer Association and thousands of donated photos from area residents and journalists and the Jim Henderson Oregon - California Trail Emigrant Inscription Collection with over 5,000 trail inscriptions from Missouri to Oregon. We hope everyone will enjoy and utilize these in their family research.

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/photo-archives

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/oregon-trail-collection

Pioneers of The West

Header Photo: Helen Lundeberg created this painting while employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program that employed artists during the Great Depression. Like other WPA artists, Lundeberg depicted a hopeful view of the United States during a time of turmoil and uncertainty by showing a dreamlike image of western expansion. The group of pioneers, with their backs to the viewer, follows an ox-drawn wagon into a valley. The monumental figures appear strong and assured in their forward progress. Rising mountains melt into the sun. Lundeberg's style of mixing fantastic images with reality is evident in the background: The pink, rolling mountains blend into the orange, pink, and bluish haze of the sky; it is difficult to determine where the mountains end and the sky begins. The careful use of space and dreamlike elements in Pioneers of the West is representative of Lundeberg's postsurrealist style. This movement, derived from surrealism, purposely combined fantasy with reality and was predominantly found on the West Coast. (Helen Lundeberg, Pioneers of the West, 1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1985.8.27) GSA: Information and images created or owned by the GSA unless otherwise indicated, are considered in the public domain. They may be distributed or copied as permitted by applicable law.

Historic preservation - Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Museum and William G. Dick Library - Historic Photos collection and Oregon Trail Inscription Database