The
original Wasco County Courthouse, built in 1859, located behind the Chamber
of Commerce Visitor's Center on West 2nd Street, features displays, slide shows and tapes.
This courthouse was once the the seat of government for the one of the largest counties ever
formed in the United States. In 1854, Wasco County covered 130,000 square miles
from the Cascades to the Rockies, encompassing an area that now includes the
states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
The courthouse has been moved several times until coming to rest at its present location, on the street directly behind The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce building.
The building has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
There
is a plaque
posted on the building which reads: Original Wasco County Courthouse - Completed
in 1859 in response to a citizen petition, this courthouse is one of only two
still standing which date back to Oregon Territorial days. The building, which
cost $2,500, provided the first county-owned jail and office space. The sheriff
had his office on the first floor near three jail cells; the courtroom and clerk's
office were upstairs, entered only by an outside staircase. This courthouse,
seat of government in a county that once was 130,000 square miles, served until
the county built a larger one in 1882. The old, much-remodeled building was
moved to this site in 1975 and has since undergone extensive restoration.
The
old west was a wild place, and the Wasco County Courthouse was the site of legal
justice and punishment for transgressors. The jail was, however, escapable and
the need for better security was one of the reasons that the county sheriffs
promoted the construction of a new jail facility. You can see some of the devices
used to constrain prisoners inside the courthouse. We often hear about leg shackles
and the ball and chain, but getting a close-up view of these old devices makes
a chill run down your spine.
Chataqua Lecture Series
February
is the month where the Original Courthouse presents the Chataqua Lecture Series.
These Saturday lectures cover a variety of local historical topics and are always
interesting. People gather for coffee and to listen to the lectures in the old
courtroom upstairs. The building reflects the construction that was typical
in its day, and as a result it is not handicapped accessible.
Location: 410 West Second Place (behind the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center)
The Dalles, OR 97058
Phone: (541) 296-4798
http://www.wascochs.org/wcch.htm
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