Heading: (Photographs)
Author: Watkins, Carleton E.
Title: Cascades Canal, Cascades
Place Published: San Francisco
Publisher:
Date Published: c.1882
Description:

Albumen photograph. 21x30.8 cm (8¼x12"), on original mount 32.1x45.4 cm (12½x18"), printed caption and imprint on mount beneath image.

Marvelous photograph capturing the construction of the Cascades Canal, from Watkins New Series Columbia River Scenery, Oregon, with Watkins' address given as 427 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. Congress authorized the project to build a canal and locks at the Cascade Rapids in 1876. The charge was to support "open-river" navigation on the Columbia between Portland and the agricultural lands of eastern Oregon and Washington. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on the project in 1878; but difficult working conditions, changing engineering plans, and erratic congressional appropriations delayed opening the canal and locks until November 1896.

Small corner chips to the mount; two small spots to upper image; very good or better.