The history of Joslyn House

Old Roses

FOR CENTURIES, the Native Americans living in the great Northwest knew about the wondrous beauty and grandeur of the mighty Columbia River and the spectacular gorge that carried it through the majestic Cascade mountains. As the first inhabitants, they depended on the abundant natural wealth of the area, and left a legacy that continues today.

1807 brought Lewis and Clark to this land, and the start of the European migration that followed. Early newcomers came to hunt and trap the abundant wildlife, and later to farm the fertile land and establish settlements.

ERATUS AND MARY JOSLYN were among those early pioneers. After their first house was destroyed by members of the Yakama Nation, they built what is now know as the Joslyn House in 1860. During the years they lived in the area, the Joslyns raised fruit and vegetables for the inhabitants of the gold rush boom towns of Oregon and Idaho, including the fledgling town called Portland. Early visitors came up the Columbia river by sternwheeler river boat.

Eratus Joslyn named the White Salmon River, taught the native inhabitants and held Sunday worship services for them. The Joslyns also provided travelers a free room for the night.

The second owners were the Suksdorfs, a prominent local German family. The Suksdorfs named the town of Bingen. They lavishly expanded Joslyn House.

JOSLYN HOUSE has a long reputation for its fine service and hospitality. Just an hour's drive from Portland (and centrally located in one of the most diverse and scenic natural areas in the United States) it offers the visitor a quiet destination for relaxation, or a central location from which to venture forth. With so much to see and do within easy day trip distances, Joslyn House offers a chance to step back in history and imagine how it might have been when the steamboats were plying the waters, and salmon were free as the land.