Willamette Falls, circa 1880

At the end of the Oregon Trail, travelers found Willamette Falls, a natural wonder that had also drawn Native Americans who had settled here centuries earlier. For traditional peoples, the falls were an ideal place to harvest salmon, a mainstay of their diet, as well as lamprey eels, and many tribes came here to fish and trade with one another. For new arrivals seeking a fresh start in the Oregon country, the falls offered potential for industry, and because they blocked ship travel, this became the head of navigation, where traders and shop owners located to serve the rest of the Willamette Valley. For both cultures, the falls created a natural trading area.

Oregon City, Oregon · United States