Historic Hood River
17 Men at the Mill
Notes
We have lots of posed shots of groups of workers, but something in this one caught my eye.
We know several of the men. Will Crapper is the rightmost. Jack (J.E.) Binns is seventh from the right, holding a wrench and hammer. Ninth from the right (back row) is Bruce Lindsay. C.P. Knapp is the leftmost seated man. The two leftmost men are brothers, possibly Routsen.
Mr. Binns had a knack for getting himself into photographs. We’ve seen him twice before, once in an early image of Cascade Locks and again at the Parkertown Mill.
[ed. note: based on another image in our collection I have changed the spelling if “Lindsey” to “Lindsay”. Robert Bruce Lindsay appears in this image, but he is eight from the right in the back row, not ninth. Also, based on Mr. Lindsay’s biography I think it likely this image is of Parker’s Mill.]
l.e.
Are they laying a railroad track?
My dad had a big pipe wrench like that. I wonder what Mr. Binns is using it for?
dsc
The large wrench is called a "monkey wrench".
Buzz
My guess: Mr. Binns is a millwright and carrying a hammer and pipe wrench. Lot of pipes in a steam powered mill. Mr. Crapper probably a owner or supervisor. Decrepit looking shed-maybe for storing lumber until it is moved on. Arthur, what caught your eye in this photo.?
l.e.
I bet they are building a deck with a saw right behind them and the railroad ties are probably for building the deck to hold the logs.
That is my guess for the day.
The second man from the right looks like Barney Cooper. Tom Kloster did an article about him.
arlen sheldrake
Interesting way they had for holding up the roof thus giving them a clear deck to work with. Most have their shirts buttoned to the top….is this to keep sawdust from getting down their neck, style of the day, or ? In todays world one has to wonder why the top button as very few button to the top……; and wow, where are the smiles…..curious minds…..
off to Powell’s to buy one of the new books on building the Columbia River Gorge Highway…..
nels
Jack Binns = Binns Hill Road? All but 3 men seem to be wearing suspenders. They didn’t make belts or is it a comfort thing?
And are the roof shingles painted at the tips with something?
spinsur
Nels, I think that’s the shadow from the roof trussed beam, that holds up the beam that makes the wall under the roof a clear span as Arlen notes above. Pipes, lot’s of pipe smokin’ at the mill!
nels
How one wears one’s hat seems to want to send a message to the viewer.
Kenn
Nels, suspenders or overalls were and are the best for anyone doing a lot of bending, loggers, farmers etc. Belts do a number on the natural curvature of the spine when bending.
Charlott
I had an uncle who always wore bib overalls. Striped for every day and denim for special occasions. In fact my Mom had him buried in his denim ones, as I recall………..
kenn
Most back problems are caused by belts and billfolds in a back pocket