Troutdale

As a link on the Wire Trail, which was a Native American route between Celilo and Willamette Falls, Troutdale was first a site for Chinook Indian encampments. Its locale was connected to westward expansion as a landing place for Lewis and Clark and as one of the initial stops for immigrants fresh off the Oregon Trail. Troutdale s pioneers wrestled with its thick forests, rocky basalt cliffs, and the fierce east wind that funneled down from the Columbia River Gorge. Despite these obstacles, they created a community with a colorful and serendipitous history that included record-setting smelt runs, paralyzing ice storms, and being named as the celery capital of the world. Troutdale transformed as its main street evolved from a dirt road into the first paved highway in the Pacific Northwest. This, coupled with the arrival of the railroad, has made it a gateway for tourists, day-trippers, and exuberant photographers seeking jaw-dropping vistas of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area."