On December 7, 1958, a family of five—Kenneth, Barbara, and their three daughters, Barbie, Virginia, and Susan Martin—vanished without a trace during a routine trip to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. What began as a seemingly ordinary outing ended in a chilling mystery that has puzzled investigators and haunted the region for more than six decades. Despite exhaustive searches and numerous theories, the whereabouts of the Martin family and the exact circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain unknown to this day.
A Sunday Family Outing Turns Tragic
The Martin family, well-known and well-liked in their Portland, Oregon, neighborhood, decided to take a day trip on that fateful Sunday morning. The plan was simple: Kenneth Martin, the father, along with his wife Barbara and their three daughters—14-year-old Barbie, 13-year-old Virginia, and 11-year-old Susan—were going to collect greenery for Christmas decorations in the scenic Columbia River Gorge area. The family set off in their Ford station wagon, leaving their home in the quiet suburb of Roseway at around 1:00 PM. Their eldest son, 28-year old, Donald was in the United States Navy and stationed in New York at the time
By all accounts, it was supposed to be a brief outing, with the family planning to return home by evening. However, as night fell and the Martins failed to return, worry began to set in among friends and neighbors. By the next morning, the family was reported missing, and an investigation into their sudden disappearance began.
Initial Search Efforts in the Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge, with its dense forests and winding roads, became the focal point of a massive search operation. Local authorities, state police, and volunteers from surrounding communities combed the area in hopes of finding any sign of the Martin family. The rough terrain and vast wilderness of the gorge made the search extremely difficult, but no immediate clues were discovered.
One of the earliest leads came from a gas station attendant in Cascade Locks, a town along the Columbia River Gorge. The attendant recalled seeing a family matching the Martins’ description stopping for gas on the day of their disappearance. However, this lead did little to narrow down the search area, as there were hundreds of miles of rural roads and waterways to explore.
As the search intensified, helicopters, boats, and ground teams scoured the Columbia River and the surrounding landscape. Divers were deployed to search the icy waters of the river, which had treacherous currents and could easily conceal wreckage. Despite these efforts, no trace of the family or their car was found in the initial days after their disappearance.
Cryptic Clues Emerge
Several cryptic clues began to surface as the investigation progressed, though none offered a definitive answer. On December 28, 1958, more than three weeks after the Martins went missing, searchers discovered a tire track leading off the road near the Dalles, along the Columbia River. This discovery raised the unsettling possibility that the family’s car had plunged into the river, perhaps following a tragic accident…