Photograph of ten railroad officials gathered around a desk during a meeting in Portland on Thursday, May 6, 1920. A cropped version of this photograph was published on the front page of the Oregon Journal city edition on Friday, May 7, 1920, under the headline “Morgan, Harriman, Rockefeller, Chiefs in Notable Conference.” The photograph had the following caption: “Photograph taken Thursday evening of heads of great transcontinental lines at the close of their three-day conference in Portland. These sessions were among the most important held by railroad officials in the West in recent years and brought together the controlling geniuses of the rival Hill and Harriman systems. The meetings were held in the offices of J. P. O’Brien in the Wells Fargo building. Shown in the photograph are: Seated, left to right—J. P. O’Brien, president North Pacific Terminal Company; William Sproule, president Southern Pacific; Carl R. Gray, president Union Pacific system; L. C. Gilman, president S., P & S. [Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway]; Ralph Budd, president Great Northern; George T. Reid, assistant to president Northern Pacific. Standing, left to right—J. H. Dyer, general manager Southern Pacific; A. C. Spencer, general attorney O-W.R. & N. [Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company]; James H. O’Neill, general manager Great Northern; Ben C. Dey, legal counsel Southern Pacific.” The photograph accompanied a story headlined “Rival Roads Seek Closer Working Plan.” Image note: The text “Railroad president [sic] / 1920” is written on the negative sleeve.

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.

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 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 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.

A steam locomotive on the railroad tracks at Bridal Veil 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 the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884 – 1885, from the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company’s tracks on the Oregon side of the river. A group of workers is visible manually clearing snow from the tracks in the distance. 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. The Oneonta Bluffs rise in the background. 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.

Oregon Railway & Navigation Company relief train arriving to free the train trapped on the railroad line along 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 snow and ice along the Columbia River with Castle Rock in the distance during the winter storm of 1884-1885. A train is visible in the lower right corner of the image and several people are working to clear snow from the tracks in the distance. 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Men at work clearing snow from the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s railroad line along 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.

Boudoir card of an Oregon Railway and Navigation Company relief train passing through The Needles rock formation in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side during the winter of 1884-1885. Three men stand beside the train.

Boudoir card of an Oregon Railway and Navigation Company relief train passing through The Needles rock formation in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side during the winter of 1884-1885. Three men stand beside the train.

Boudoir card of the Bridal Veil Bluffs during the winter of 1884-1885. There is a railroad track at the base of the bluffs. The area is covered in snow.

Boudoir card of the Oneonta Bluffs, Columbia River Gorge, during the winter storm of circa 1884-1885. Two men stand on the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's railroad line, after snow removal.

Boudoir card of the Bridal Veil Bluffs during the winter of 1884-1885. There is a railroad track at the base of the bluffs. The area is covered in snow.

Boudoir card of men at work clearing the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's railroad line along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885.

Boudoir card of the Oneonta Bluffs, Columbia River Gorge, during the winter storm of circa 1884-1885. Two men stand on the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's railroad line, after snow removal.

Boudoir card of men at work clearing the track of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's railroad line along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885.