Cal Crook became a local legend in the Columbia Gorge where he retired on five acres of land above White Salmon near BZ Corner, realizing his dreams as a photographer.  Most knew him for his rare images of Celilo Falls (circa 1948) and the surrounding Columbia Gorge countryside, but few knew he had also captured stunning photographic images from around the world, including the Navajo in Monument Valley. 

Featured in Arizona Highways Magazine (January 2010), Cal’s daughter chronicles her father’s hardscrabble journey out of poverty with a broom, a mop, and a dream, finally obtaining his Master’s Degree in Education and a career as a science teacher and elementary school principal.  But photography was his first love.  After retirement, he spent his remaining 45 years in the Mount Adams countryside, realizing his dreams as a photographer.   In the year 2000 at the age of 96, Cal Crook laid down his tripod forever.  But he is not gone.  His rich photographic legacy remains in the Columbia River Gorge and throughout the world.