thamerger.html

The Columbian, Vancouver, WA., March 19, 1964, page 33
Includes photograph titled:
Bingen, lying along the Columbia River, includes an industrial area. This view of the community and waterfront was snapped from hospital vicinity on the hill. Hood River, Ore., across the Columbia and slightly downstream from Bingen, does not show in this picture.

TOWNS HEDGE ABOUT MERGER
White Salmon, Bingen Eye Slow Steps Toward 'Unity'
By Ted Van Arsdol

WHITE SALMON - To integrate or not to integrate -- that is the question.
The towns of White Salmon and Bingen on the Columbia River nearly 70 miles above Vancouver have rubbed shoulders for many years, and a possible merger of the two municipalities is a reviving issue, with no immediate solution, however, in sight.
Mayor Al Henry of White Salmon believes the communities are closer than ever to such a joint venture, but said a considerable "educational" effort would be needed before final action. In Bingen, Mayor Marlin Olson also said the build-up would need to be "gradual."
Olson, who has been mayor more than one year, said several merger efforts in the past had proceeded too rapidly and "backfired."

STRAW VOTE TAKEN

In White Salmon, biggest of the two communities with a population of close to 1,600, the weekly Enterprise has been conducting a straw ballot lately to determine residents' opinions on the subject, but no results have been announced.
Mayor Olson, whose town has under 650 population, said possible combining of the cities has been discussed a number of times in the past and that there is less rivalry between the towns now. Cooperation between the communities is good, he said -- "a lot better than in earlier days."
But he said integration plans might be pushed "too fast" for the communities.
The two committees have a number of common interests at present. There is a mutual aid effort by the fire departments, and cooperation between the police departments -- radio is used to call an officer from a neighboring community if needed. White Salmon also sells some surplus water in the bulk to Bingen.
In addition, the towns cooperated on mercury vapor lighting which was installed up and down the main highway between the two towns by the Klickitat County PUD. The towns pay the monthly rental on the lights, which have eliminated "a traffic hazard," Henry said.
Henry said he spearheaded a plan to merge the towns in the early 1950s but a number of residents didn't like the idea. He said that theoretically the communities should be one, and that savings would result in the municipal operation. Number of employees wouldn't be many less but the operation would be more "mobile," the mayor asserted.
The merger plan hasn't reached the point of a vote by the residents -- it has lost out ordinarily in the preliminary skirmishing.
In addition to the problem involving people in the city, there is the issue of the areas outside White Salmon which are being served already with city water, garbage and fire protection. From 300 to 400 persons in these outlying areas are possibilities for inclusion in the city.
Split in the committees has been widely publicized as a result of the signs on the Spokane and, Portland and Seattle railroad station. The station carries the name of White Salmon on one side and Bingen on the other, and it is said to be one of the few stations in the United States with the label of two cities.
At one time no road even ran between the two towns. Travelers followed the Dock Grade to the steamer landing in the vicinity of Underwood at the mouth of the White Salmon River.
Today the city limits of the two communities touch in places, and are only a short distance apart on the highway.
Henry, who has been mayor for 11 years, said his property at one time was in the county and also extended for 21 feet over a cliff into Bingen limits for a short while. The 21 feet, which formed "a kind of point," was eliminated, and Henry's place has been taken inside White Salmon.
The consolidated high school is situated in White Salmon, the hillside town, along with the junior high and grade school, while Bingen has a grade school. Bingen, which is the riverside community, is the home of the big SD and S. Lumber Co.
Henry said the river town was named for Bingen-on-the-Rhine by the pioneering Sucksdorf family.
The bigger town, he said, was named for a run of albino fish which migrated into and out of the White Salmon River in earlier days. Fish runs into the river were eliminated by construction of Northwestern Dam.
However, fishing and hunting still are leading activities in the area, and Bingen bills itself as the gateway to the Mount Adams recreation area.

The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., March 26, 1964, page 1
Includes illustration titled:
AS OTHERS SEE US - Under the above four-decker head-line, last Thursday's Vancouver Columbian bannered prospects for White Salmon and Bingen eventually becoming one town. The article is reprinted in this issue of the Sun with permission from The Columbian.

By Ted Van Arsdol

To integrate or not to integrate -- that is the question.
The towns of White Salmon and Bingen on the Columbia River nearly 70 miles above Vancouver have rubbed shoulders for many years, and a possible merger of the two municipalities is a reviving issue, with no immediate solution, however, in sight.
Mayor Henry of White Salmon believes the communities are closer than ever to such a joint venture, but said a considerable "educational" effort would be needed before final action. In Bingen, Mayor Marlin Olson also said the build-up would need to be "gradual."
Olson, who has been mayor more than one year, said several merger efforts in the past had proceeded too rapidly and "backfired."

STRAW VOTE TAKEN

In White Salmon, biggest of the two communities with a population of close to 1600, the weekly Enterprise has been conducting a straw ballot lately to determine residents' opinions on the subject, but no results have been announced.
Mayor Olson, whose town has under 650 population, said possible combining of the cities has been discussed a number of times in the past and that there is less rivalry between the towns now. Cooperation between the communities is good, he said - "a lot better than in earlier days."
But he said integration plans might be pushed "too fast" for the communities.
The two committees have a number of common interests at present. There is a mutual aid effort by the fire departments, and cooperation between the police departments -- radio is used to call an officer from a neighboring community if needed. White Salmon also sells some surplus water in the bulk to Bingen.
In addition, the towns cooperated on mercury vapor lighting which was installed up and down the main highway between the two towns by the Klickitat County PUD. The towns pay a monthly rental on the lights, which have eliminated "a traffic hazard," Henry said.
Henry said he spearheaded a plan to merge the towns in the early 1950s but a number of residents didn't like the idea. He said that theoretically the communities should be one, and that savings would result in the municipal operation. Number of employees wouldn't be many less but the operation would be more "mobile," the mayor asserted.
The merger plan hasn't reached the point of a vote by the residents -- it has lost out ordinarily in the preliminary skirmishing.
In addition to the problem involving people in the city, there is the issue of the areas outside White Salmon which are being served already with city water, garbage and fire protection. From 300 to 400 persons in these outlying areas are possibilities for inclusion in the city.
Split in the committees has been widely publicized as a result of the signs on the Spokane and, Portland and Seattle railroad station. The station carries the name of White Salmon on one side and Bingen on the other, and it is said to be one of the few stations in the United States with the label of two cities.
At one time no road even ran between the two towns. Travelers followed the Dock Grade to the steamer landing in the vicinity of Underwood at the mouth of the White Salmon River.
Today the city limits of the two communities touch in places, and are only a short distance apart on the highway.
Henry, who has been mayor for 11 years, said his property at one time was in the county and also extended for 21 feet over a cliff into Bingen limits for a short while. The 21 feet, which formed "a kind of point," was eliminated, and Henry's place has been taken inside White Salmon.
The consolidated high school is situated in White Salmon, the hillside town, along with the junior high and grade school, while Bingen has a grade school. Bingen, which is the riverside community, is the home of the big SDS Lumber Co.
Henry said the river town was named for Bingen-on-the-Rhine by the pioneering Suksdorf family.
The bigger town, he said, was named for a run of albino fish which migrated into and out of the White Salmon River in earlier days. Fish runs into the river were eliminated by construction of Northwestern Dam.
However, fishing and hunting still are leading activities in the area, and Bingen bills itself as the gateway to the Mount Adams recreation area.