What is the Goldendale area like?

[crayonofpink]

My grandmother was born in Goldendale, mom was born in Goldendale too but they lived in Klickitat so she was born at her aunt's house because she was the midwife. Grandma lived in Goldendale and Klickitat from 1907 to 1946 then moved back from 1965 to 2006 she was in High Prairie in assisted living when she died. Grandma and grandpa raised cattle on 17 acres without irrigation but could only raise 5 because grass was sparse. After they moved downtown my aunt and uncle got the farm and raised mules. They are retired now but have been in Goldendale since they were married in 1946 and most of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents families lived there and many still do. I lived there for a while in the 70s working in the hospital. My great grandmother died in the nursing home there in 1968. It is sad now that the nursing home and saw mill are gone. My ex worked at the aluminum plant and it is gone too. Most of the stores are gone because there is no sales tax in the Dalles. It is very cold and icy in the winter and too hot for me in the summer. I don't care for the look of pine trees and prefer fir trees. My great uncle's family owned the saw mill. I had 12 great aunts and great uncles there when I was young but most have passed on now.
The town has always been tightly family and the gossip is rampant. When you meet someone they want to know who you are related to and why you are there. I only got the hospital job because the women in the unemployment office was best friends with my third cousin in high school. It would be hard to land any work there now if you aren't related to someone.
One big employer besides the county is the landfill. They have a golf course with a creek and deer and a landing strip. Pretty much poverty and drugs now.

[j_k_k]

Goldendale probably isn't the worst place in Klickitat County, but that's because there are some pretty woebegone places beside it. I don't know if there are scorpions in Goldendale, but there sure are in the county; I stepped on one once in our basement, caught another in the kitchen. Rattlers aplenty as well.

Klickitat County is a good place to visit for hunting and fishing, or to view the scenery, or visit Maryhill, or drive the north side of the Columbia. I wouldn't live there again if you paid me. I know the sorts of people who become sheriff's deputies there, far too well, and when I drive through I am pretty careful to stay below the speed limit simply because I don't trust the local concept of justice.

Was surprised to see a poster actually raised in Bickleton. Don't know much about it except its remoteness and the bluebirds, it's just remarkable because there are very, very few people raised in Bickleton--it's so small. There just aren't that many living people who can say they grew up there.

There used to be a lot of haying up on the prairies near Goldendale, around where people turn north to go to Glenwood. Not sure if it's profitable now.

[ktbaker]

Thank you so much for the insight. I am considering a move to Goldendale as I passed through on my way to Roseburg last week. Oregon has become like Calif was years ago and it is much too busy for me now. I am looking for an RV park in Goldendale, I have seen Far View ( not for an extended stay) have called Sunset and gotten no reply and Cottonwood which I am told has no wifi. Does anyone have any more information about these locations to share. I grew up in a small town in Calif and now live in Ephrata, not really jazzed with the snake and illegal populations here. I am retired and want a place to meld into and become part of. Kathy

[onetougholdbird]

We bought a place in town 3 years ago and are on the west side of town. No critters of the crawly type,only skunks, deer, 'possums and raccoons. It's quiet, leave your windows open and sleep with no worries. As to R.V. parks it might work but the city counsel is hard to get anything passed. They like keeping the money in town but the out-of-towners are buying the cheap places and just having them as rentals, and if they would require a city business license on each house that is a rental, the city may get some money to help with improvements. But then you have people on the counsel that own rentals and won't pass it. The mayor sounds like she wants to do things but the counsel stops her in her tracks. What do you think of a theme for Goldendale? I think it should be Craftman style as there are a lot of cottages in town that could be done in that style, mayor thought it should be western, I think of lawlessness and no morales when I think of western. What do you think?