The Dalles IS NOT a miserable place. Let's just call it an un-gentrified, yet-to-be-ruined-by-yuppies gem of a town.
The origin of its name is well documented. Prior to inundation by the backwaters of The Dalles Dam in 1957, the Columbia River flowed through a narrow, tortuous, rocky course just upstream of the present location of City of The Dalles. French-Canadian fur traders named this feature "Les Grandes Dalles de la Columbie," which translates to "The Great Flagstone [-lined Gutter] of the Columbia" in English. Over time, the name evolved to "Les Grandes Dalles," "Les Dalles," and finally "The Dalles." The official name of the city had been "Dalles City" but was changed to "City of The Dalles" in 1967. The USPS has always used the unofficial name "The Dalles" to refer to this town. CASE CLOSED!
The origin of its name is well documented. Prior to inundation by the backwaters of The Dalles Dam in 1957, the Columbia River flowed through a narrow, tortuous, rocky course just upstream of the present location of City of The Dalles. French-Canadian fur traders named this feature "Les Grandes Dalles de la Columbie," which translates to "The Great Flagstone [-lined Gutter] of the Columbia" in English. Over time, the name evolved to "Les Grandes Dalles," "Les Dalles," and finally "The Dalles." The official name of the city had been "Dalles City" but was changed to "City of The Dalles" in 1967. The USPS has always used the unofficial name "The Dalles" to refer to this town. CASE CLOSED!