Discover the rich history of Latourell, Oregon, a former timber town now known for Latourell Falls. Explore Latourell, Oregon's scenic beauty today!

At its height, Latourell, Oregon was a working timber town and had five saloons and a well-known brass band. Large-scale commercial logging did not arrive until the 1880s. Before that, many Columbia River Gorge residents cut and delivered cordwood to Columbia River steamships. Today, the former vibrant community of Latourell is quiet; there are no business establishments, and there are fewer than fifty residents compared to its earlier years.

The first post office in the area was called Roster Rock after the nearby rock formation. It was established in May 1876. Joseph Latourell became postmaster in August 1876, and the name of the post office was changed to Latourell Falls a year later. The office closed in 1964. The name of the local railroad station was "Latourell". Today, the post office is located in Roster Rock State Park.

Before the OR & N (railroad) line came, Latourell would meet river boats at Rooster Rock to pick up the mail. When the postal service established a post office at Latourell, Joseph Latourell served as its first postmaster. He established the first mercantile store in Latourell. The younger Latourell children attended Mountain Grade School, which was reached via the old Latourell Road up a steep climb to the ridge above Crown Point. The Latourells led the effort to construct a school at Latourell, a large two-room schoolhouse with a second story used for a dance hall. Later generations used the upstairs hall for roller skating, basketball games, and meetings.

This is a picture of the schoolhouse today, and someone has bought it and is currently renovating it into a home.

In its early days, Latourell grew to be a thriving little town with a sizable population. There were several business establishments, including a creamery and cheese factory, a dozen or more two-story buildings, and many houses on both sides of Falls Creek. The town had its own brass band for many years. Latourell was also a working timber town and had five saloons, but large-scale commercial logging did not arrive until the 1880s.

This is the Carriage House.

Various spellings of Latourell Creek have existed over the years, including "Latourelle Creek", "Latourelle Falls Creek", and "Laxourell Creek". The official listing is "Latourell Creek".

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Latourell Falls" the official spelling in 1915. Another spelling in use was "Latourelle Falls".

The major thing that people come here to see is Latourell Falls. The Falls is a tall single-plunge waterfall of 224 feet. There is a loop trail here, and it is about two and a half miles. It is an easy hike and very family-friendly. During the summer months, it is incredibly crowded here, so if you come on the weekends, get here early.

The trail is closed at this time because of maintenance, but you can still see the waterfall from Route 30.

Guy W. Talbot State Park is a state park near Latourell Falls. Although the main feature of the park is Latourell Falls, the parkland stretches west to the Crown Point State Scenic Corridor.

This park area, with its dwellings, outbuildings, and water system, was a gift to the State of Oregon by Guy W. Talbot and Geraldine W. Talbot, his wife, by deed dated March 9, 1929.

Around the year 1900, the Latourells moved from the ranch they owned to a big townhouse in Latourell, where they lived out their lives. The house has seen better days and is currently abandoned.

On the old Military Road heading down into Latourell on the right-hand side of the road, you will see the old cistern.

Many people who come to Latourell Falls are also doing the Historic Route 30 waterfall trail. I will talk more in-depth about this drive in another post. This is a list of the five waterfalls that can be seen on this scenic drive starting at (1) Latourell Falls, (2) Bridal Veil Falls, (3) Wahkeena Falls, (4) Multnomah Falls, and (5) Horsetail Falls. All of these hikes are very family-friendly, and the trails are paved or in excellent condition. NOTE: Multnomah Falls can be dangerous, so please be careful while hiking here. During the summer, there is an ambulance at the entrance to the falls because visitors often fail to plan.

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