Historic Hood River
Strawberries Ready For Market
6-9-2011
Notes
These strawberries were packed by the Davidson Fruit Company for shipment by rail across the country. Strawberries were one of Hood River’s early agricultural exports, though by the time this picture was taken circa 1910 apples were also a major Hood River export, and pears were being introduced.
Cold weather this spring has delayed the harvest at the few remaining strawberry patches in the valley, but perhaps this photo will provide them a little encouragement. Yesterday I saw the first hints of red in my garden, so real summer weather can’t be too far away.
NancyR
I have 3 reddish strawberries in my patch. This is a great picture, and gives me hope that summer may actually come!
l.e.
My strawberries are still blossoms.
Just the other day I was reading a biography of Horatio Foster Davidson, who did so much for H. River’s fruit industry.
Connie
Look how the berries are packed in neat little rows! it you have a bio of Horatio Davidson – would you be willing to share a copy for the museum? It is needed for the biography files. Thx.
Charlott
Just do a search for Horatio Davidson and you will find an excellent biography.
Charlott
For a good bio, get on Findagrave, as he is buried in Idlewilde
Nancy Trotic
I have a picture of my great-aunt and three other women packing strawberries into containers like that at a farm her parents rented, I think in Mt. Hood. My grandmother remembers doing that–and she hated it. "Us kids had to work like the dickens!" she said.
Lori K. Gibson
Horatio Davidson was my husband’s Great-Grand Father. I’d love to find more pictures!!
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, January 27, 1910, page 1 has an article about stockholders of the Hood River Fruit Growers Union, representing the strawberry growers, voting to dissolve the berry growers union. They sold their warehouse and equipment to the Apple Growers Union.
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1910-01-27/ed-1/seq-1/
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, 1925-05-28, page 6 gives a good summary of the strawberry growing industry in Hood River.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1925-05-28/ed-1/seq-6/