Historic Hood River
Hans Lage Ranch, 1892
6-4-2013
Notes
Here’s the Hans Lage ranch in 1892. Henry and Meta Lage are on horseback. Standing are Edd, Ben, Charles, Mother and Father Lage. Frank Stanton and John A. Mohr are at the corner of the barn with a load of wood. The distant building just to the right of the barn is an early Pine Grove school. The Butte Cemetery grounds are by the grove of pine trees to the right.
The barn, with its distinctive crest proclaiming its construction on July 4th, 1890, still stands. Here’s a recent view.
charlott
That original school was a "board and battan" building. Instead of the boards running horizonally, they ran vertical. The school is basically in the location of the present school. When the newer school was built it was moved to the east, across the road just at the start of Wells Drive. Good shot of the pines behind the school, for which it was named. You can also see their young orchard just above the buggy.]
The house where Kent Lambert resides is the one built on the same location as this original Lage house.
They had a good water source in this location as there was a natural spring, I think located just to the right of the right of the furthest little shed building on the right.
Hans’ wife’s name was Lena.
Meta married Scobee, Ed married Mabel Riddell, Ben married Mara Smith. Charles died as a young man.
The John A. Mohr would have been the Mohr I think that was married to Susie and lived on Fir Mountain Road close to where it take off of present Hwy 35.
db
What a tidy, prosperous-looking farm. Meta looks quite the horsewoman, with a good seat on a sidesaddle.
Jay
In the 1960s, I believe, the Lage family donated to the Crag Rats what is now the Crag Hut Hut, and the hill upon which it sits – which would be just south of this barn and east of the school building. Ed Lage and Kent Lambert are current Crag Rats and come from Crag Rat families.
Lesa
The Lage family was one of the founding pioneers of Hood River valley, coming here in 1875, from Iowa. First landing at Bingen, and moving over to the Oregon side to settle. Hans was born in Germany and was twice married, having a very large family from his first wife, something like ten or eleven kids. His second wife had already been married twice before, and brought more children to the family. They must have been quite the clan in Pine Grove at one time. They were very hard workers, frugal, and prosperous, as was somewhat typical of German immigrants of that period.
Daughter Meta Amanda Lage was married twice, first to Charles G. Byrkett who died soon after they were married. Second she married William Posey Scobee in 1897 in The Dalles.
l.e.
Thanks for the recent view of this farm, Arthur.
I wonder if there was already a bit of a natural meadow here. You can tell there has been a lot of work clearing land.
Here is a 1905 HR Glacier article about Hans Lage’s arrival at Bingen, his winter trek into the Gilmer area north of White Salmon.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~westklic/colony.html
charlott
Lage’s were not Crag Rat families, to the best of my knowledge. I never knew of any who were, prior to the two you mentioned and I believe they were made honorary due to their donating the land. Yes, the two are in the Crag Rat organization.
Larry
My great grandfather John B Johnson lived on the Lage’s property with his family and helped clear the land blowing the stumps with dynamite and in 1906 he and one of the Lage’s had set the dynamite and went up to eat, when the dynamite did not blow my great grandfather went down to see why and must have dropped a tool that triggered the dynamite to explode and was killed in the blast, I have the newspaper article from the glacier and was also driven to the location where they lived by Ed Lage about 10 years ago when I discovered this story. I will say the thing that always stuck in my mind on this was that my grandpa was born 8 months after his father’s death, that was close. Thank you Ed for your extended courtesy and rest in peace. Larry
b
Kent Lambert and Eddie Lage were both active crag rats. Kent was on the search for the school kids and fell into a crevasse with others. Luckly they were found I believe it was the early 80s
Ray Casiano
Henry is my wifes (Carol Lage) Grandfather. Henry and Voilet had a child by the name of Paul Lage who’s my father in-law. Paul had two children – Carol and Kenneth.
L.E.
From the June 22, 1889 HR Glacier page 1
"Joe Wilson was up at Lages yesterday laying off a cemetery. It is on the Virgil Winchel’s place near Pine Grove school house."
L.E.
From The Mt Adams Sun February 10, 1955 pg. 4
"Mrs. Laura Henderson and life-long friends spent a happy weekend recalling their childhood in the Hood River wilderness 75 years ago.
In honor of Mother Henderson’s 78th birthday, Monday, Feb. 7, her daughter, Mrs. Ruth Henderson Dickey of Bingen, entertained on Sunday. Dinner guests were Dr. J. W. and Mrs. Irene Henderson of Hood River, Mother Henderson and Heinie Freudenthal.
Afternoon callers were Mrs. Henderson’s brother, Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Lage of H.R.; her sisters, Mrs. M.A. Scobee and Mrs. E.W. Koberg; and a very dear friend, Mrs. Luella J. Turner Rand of Salem, Oregon.
Mrs. Henderson, her sisters and Mrs. Rand attended a little log school house near the Lage home 70 years ago. The little school house was built in 1879 on land donated by Mrs. Henderson’ father. After Hood River Valley was surveyed, it was found that Mr.Lage had given land which belonged to a neighbor.
Clearing the land was back-breaking work. By brute strength and hand tools, Mr. Lage managed to clear five acres each winter.
To get to school, that children and had to walk a fallen log across a dangerous creek.
On Monday night, Feb. 7, the Pine Grove church and sunday school held a potluck supper to celebrate their founding 75 years ago in the Lage home.
Three families (Mrs. D.A. Turner, the Jackson’s and Hans Lage) had thirteen children old enough to attend Sunday school. For years the little log school house served as a church. Over 100 persons paid honor to this simple beginning, 75 years ago. Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Dickey both attended."