Barlow Road 1845–46
Across the Cascades
Contributed by Steve F. Russell
The Barlow Wagon Road was a great innovation for pioneer travelers to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Prior to 1846, travelers had to descend the Columbia River on dangerous “barges” and through the rapids below Fort Dalles, OR. There were many deaths and loss of cargo with these barge accidents.
Two major attempts to avoid these rapids were the Barlow Road (1846) and the Applegate Road (1846). Applegate chose to follow the California Trail route to north-central Nevada and then go northwest to the southern border of Oregon and on north to the Willamette Valley. Barlow chose to build a toll road around the south side of Mt. Hood, that would allow wagons to pass from Fort Dalles to Oregon City. Between the two approaches, the Barlow Road was much the better choice for a variety of reasons.
Barlow Wagon Road: Oregon Trail 1845–45 Report
