Historic Hood River
Strawberry Forest
3-27-2024
Notes
Those are some impressive looking strawberry plants. According to the notes om this Hood River News photograph Bill Volmer is the picker. You can see by the stains on his right hand that he is actually picking, not just posing for the photographer. I can’t figure out where this farm is located. The date is “circa 1957” since all the photos in this box with dates are from 1957.
Kalley
I’m not sure, but it looks like the very northern tip of the Lava Beds in Parkdale. When my Great Uncle Lew Merz came to Parkdale in the late 30’s and then his brothers Ken and John ( my Grandpa) came to Parkdale in the 50’s, I know that they all had planted strawberries. My Grandparent’s orchard was up Clear Creek. I remember walking out to the Lava Beds many many times.
BethH
I agree with Kalley, end of Lava Bed Rd where Mertens live. Bill Volmer was my mom’s first cousins’ second husband. (Sylvia Stuart Walton Volmer – first husband was Morrey Walton)I remember Bill – and they lived in Parkdale on McIsaacs St ( growing up none of the streets in Parkdale proper had names!- I remember when all of a sudden they put up signs-and I wondered who picked them-…but they were all names from Parkdale founders) they had the Janna Castnares house.
nails
Wnted to go check out the lava beds where the astronauts did some training. Was told the people who live in front of them does not like people coming into that area. True?
L. E.
I was going to say it looks like Mertens.
I was impressed the first time I went there to pick berries, with hills of lava rock at the edge of the field.
BethH
Nails- that is true. It’s hard to access because of private property now. But there are a few areas – if you know your way around…..