Willamette Falls Dam, Oregon City (#1500)

Discovered just while on an effort to avoid traveling the I-5; a key location in the industrial development of the greater Portland area – Williamette Falls. The Falls have been home to paper mills since 1866 but were a hindrance to river traffic on the Williamette until the first locks were built in 1873, and have been a source of hydroelectric power since 1888. This photo is taken from a viewing area on 99-E in Oregon City. There is an excellent sign at the pull off that gives a short history of the area and describes all of the buildings/structures that can be seen.

In this picture, the horseshoe shaped dam around the falls is Williamette Falls Dam, the third dam built around the falls; this one built in 1943 and owned by PGE. Above the dam, in just about the center of the picture, is a steel structure that removed limbs and bark from log floating down the stream, passing them to a building that appears to be in the center of the river and is where the logs were converted into pulp for paper.

There’s a wonderful aerial view here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Falls#/media/File:USACE_Willamette_Falls_Oregon.jpg

Sources: sign at the viewpoint and Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Falls