Boudoir card of upper Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. There is snow on the ground and behind the falls. A person is standing on the bridge at the base of the falls.

Album of photographs from the Watkins new Series depicting the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. Plates are arranged numerically by Watkins number. This album was originally owned in 1886 by Charles H. Prescott (b. 1839), manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. from 1881-1887, and is inscribed with his signature and the date. Eight of the photographic plates have been removed from this album and matted; these loose plates are stored apart from the album in Box 7.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Cape Horn across the river on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, taken from Bridal Veil, Oregon during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Bridal Veil Bluff covered in snow during the winter storm of 188401885. There is an unidentified many standing in front of a cabin in the foreground and a train in the background on the right half of the image. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of a train engine emerging from between a rock formation known as the Needles. Three unidentified men stand to the side of the tracks. There is heavy snowfall on the ground from the winter storm of 1884-1885.

Ice covers a rock in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

Bridal Veil bluffs on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Lower Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

Ice covers a rock in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Lower Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Upper Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

A railroad track crosses the creek at Oneonta in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Oneonta Falls in the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

Winter view of the Columbia River and the Cascade Mountains of the Columbia River Gorge, taken from Bridal Veil, Oregon. Snow on the ground and railroad tracks in the foreground. There is a wooden structure in the trees near the tracks.

Winter view of Cape Horn on the Columbia River, taken from Bridal Veil on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. Patches of snow and some small waterfalls on the cliffs of Cape Horn.

Winter view of railroad tracks passing through a rock formation known as The Needles in the Columbia River Gorge. Snow on the ground.

Photograph showing the camp at the River Mill Dam site, taken from the top of the railroad bridge. Snow blankets the ground throughout the image, and numerous wooden buildings an be seen. Written on the negative is “82M.”

Photograph showing the camp at the River Mill Dam site, taken from the top of the railroad bridge. Snow blankets the ground throughout the image, and numerous wooden buildings an be seen. Written on the negative is “82M.”

Photograph showing snow and ice on several damaged utility poles and electric lines, with a wooden building visible in the background. Tangled electric lines can be seen trailing towards the ground on the right side of the image.

Photograph showing a Grand Avenue with a layer of snow and ice. Damaged utility poles and electric lines can be seen on the ground near the center of the frame. A truck and a group of people are gathered around the damaged pole, with other people visible further down the street. Above, numerous overlapping electric lines can be seen.

Photograph taken from ground level showing damaged utility poles with snow and ice. Several buildings with snow and icicles can be seen in the background, with a person walking through the snow on a road.

Photograph taken from ground level showing damaged utility poles with snow and ice. On the left side is a brick building (part of the PGE Tabor substation), and a house with icicles hanging from its roof. Trees and houses can be seen in the distance on the right side of the image.