Bluff Stairway

In the early 1890's White Salmon transported it's annual berry crops to the ferry landing on the Columbia River by way of an access right of way through Bingen. During his feud with A. H. Jewett of White Salmon, Theodore Suksdorf closed the right of way cutting White Salmon off from the landing. White Salmon responded with a massive volunteer effort and built their own steamboat landing, the Dock Grade in 1892, and the Bluff Stairway in 1897.The stairway ran from the old Ziegler place at the foot of the bluff to a landing at the top of the bluff between the Pollard and Tunis Wyers homes. Accounts differ on the total number of steps ranging from 365 to 652. The steps were used for about 15 years for both business and pleasure as well as for Teresa Ziegler to walk to school.The remaining remnants of the stairway burned up in a bluff fire in the early 1950's. The old Ziegler place burned in 1961.