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Welcome to the Troutdale Historical Society

Taking Care of Old Business First

Mayors Square Mural, located in downtown Troutdale at Mayors Square - muralist Dwayne Harty commissioned by THS and funded through a Community Enhancement Project grant through the City of Troutdale in 2016.

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Temporarily Closed

To keep the public safe and help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Troutdale Historical Society has made the decision to temporarily close the Barn Exhibit Hall and the Harlow House Museum until further notice.

Our Mission

A panoramic view of Troutdale's east end with Troutdale City Hall and Wilson Construction/Larsson Garage on Historic Columbia River Highway. The white two story house uphill on the left above City Hall was the home of Clara Larsson, c1930

Our mission at the Troutdale Historical Society is to gather and preserve material relating to the history of the community of Troutdale, the Sandy River, the Columbia River Gorge, and nearby areas to be available for public viewing. We are committed to stimulating interest in the history and knowledge of our past.

The year 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway. We continue to educate visitors at our King of Roads-Byway of the People exhibit describing the construction, destruction, and rebuilding of the Columbia River Gorge scenic route. Our programs focus on local landmarks, buildings, and sites in our community that tell the story of Troutdale.

Annually, we host a festive Christmas open house in the historic Harlow House, and eleven months of the year, on the last Tuesday of the month we co-host a fascinating history program at McMenamins Edgefield. Keep an eye on our events page for more programs hosted by the Troutdale Historical Society.

Would you like to become a member of the Troutdale Historical Society?
We have two different ways to sign up on our membership page; print out and complete our membership application or select the plan you want. You will receive a quarterly newsletter, updates in upcoming activities, a reduction in membership cost with the Oregon Historical Society, a 10% discount to our Barn Store, and even a part in running our museums. We even have room for volunteers to learn and grow in historical work.

Harlow House Museum, Barn Exhibit Hall

Depot Rail Museum & Caboose

We maintain three museums - Fred E Harlow farmhouse built c1900; Barn Exhibit Hall currently exhibiting King of Roads - Byway of the People; 1907 Depot Rail Museum and 1975 CA-10 Union Pacific Caboose. Our museums educate the immediate community and visitors about the history of Troutdale and surrounding areas with rotating exhibits illustrating our unique and colorful history.