Historic Hood River
Davidson Fruit
Notes
This is a particularly early view of the Davidson Fruit Company, prior to the construction of any of the brick parts of the Union Building. We can identify most of the buildings using the 1902 Sanborn map. On the north side of the tracks is a freight depot. On the south side, in the foreground is a Davidson Fruit Company building with basket making on the first floor, and storage on the second floor. To the west along the tracks is the Bone and Evans fruit warehouse, followed by the Fruit Grower’s Union shipping warehouse. The largest building in the foreground is the Davidson Fruit Company cannery with their offices in the smaller attached building to the west.
This Davidson cannery was protected by a “small hose on roof” and a 1 1/2″ hydrant with 100 feet of hose, according to the Sanborn map. I believe this was the cannery which burnt to the ground in 1904, leading Horatio Davidson to demand the city form a fire brigade. You can read that story here. All of these Davidson buildings are absent from the 1905 Sanborn map.
l.e.
The railroad came to HR in 1881? And if we figure this photo to be 1901?
That is a lot of building that took place in 20 years.
A lot of changes for a hillside of rocks and oak trees.
I spy a team and wagon and man pushing or pulling a dolly of fruit boxes. Just think what they could have done with a forklift.
Arlen Sheldrake
Nice shot. Appears the photographer is standing on top of a box car. Also appears to be a person on the end of the car to the left next to the building.
nels
"Basket making " in Hood River? That’s a new one. Anymore information on that?
Buzz
Fruit baskets??
l.e.
I assumed it meant bushel baskets, but, what were strawberries picked into in the early 1900’s?
We are used to the paper mache baskets now, but were the earlier ones made from wood?
Jill
I sort of remember a flimsy balsa wood arraignment for strawberries – that was a while ago but they were wood.
Charlott
I also remember the little wooden hallecks. They were made of something like balsa wood. I don’t know that apples were ever picked in baskets in Hood River. Maybe so, but would have been way back when. The Indians made beautiful baskets in this area.
Shows how many trees were north of the track in those early years.
taylor
it is a cool pic.