Historic Hood River
Downtown Detail
10-7-2015
Notes
I zoomed in to the detail on this stereo card so you could get a good view of downtown circa 1900. The rail depot is to the far right, and we have a nice view straight down Oak Street on the left side of the frame.
You can see the Mt. Hood Hotel, the Olinger and Bone livery, and the Rand livery all clustered near the station. I can just make out the Bone and McDonald General Store on Oak Street.
I’m not sure what all those guys are doing on the track. They must be confident there is not a train coming, as there is nowhere for them to jump.
L.E.
You need to put little arrows with labels pointing to each building for me.
I would say those men are workers walking back from a hot summer day working on the railroad bridge.
Steve r
Or taking a lunch break- as the tree shadows seem more mid day-
Do I spy barrels on the side of the track at each support- ? I suspect
Kenn knows more …
Arlen Sheldrake
trestle barrels = water for hot boxes on the rail cars and fire suppression. this was the era of friction bearings way before roller bearings. great picture
Kenn
The fire barrels on the trestle outriggers or "pulpits" are always kept full of water.
This RR bridge is the original wood one. The extra wood pier and wall on the left are to divert debris but more substantial than most such structures. The present steel bridge is just downstream at a different angle that reduced the track curvature west toward the depot. Curvature on a structure subjects it to severe side thrust.
I would not guess the men to be RR workers because of the white shirts, possibly just a shorter route to town than crossing on the wagon bridge upstream.
Judy
Glad someone knew about those barrels. I was curious.
Steve r
Thank you both for the info-
Ample wood it appears stacked near the track- for the train steam engines or sternwheelers or transport ? or D- all of the above. ?
L.E.
You can see the big huge building in the background, that was at one time identified, but I can’t remember what it was.
And maybe this steeple in photo #1044
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=1044
I looked for the house in #239
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=239
but perhaps it was not built yet.
Longshot
This is not the same railroad bridge as shown in
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=975
Nor does it appear that the trestle is the same. The original bridge and trestle must have been replaced by the time today photo was take. My guess is that the extra pier was was left when the original trestle and bridge were replaced to give protection to the new pier.
Yes between hot boxes, glowing cinders, and oil soaked wood, trestle fires were a major concern.
Jeffrey Bryant
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1911-02-16/ed-1/seq-4/
The Hood River Glacier, February 16, 1911
Old Landmark Demolished
When workmen of the O. W. R. & N. Co. demolished the old wooden bridge across Hood River last week the city lost another one of its fast disappearing landmarks. When the old passenger station is torn down in order that construction may be begun on the handsome new structure all evidences of the early railway operations will be gone. The wooden span just razed was built in 1896 and was known as a Howe Truss bridge. It became useless in 1908 when modern powerful locomotives were put in operation on the division. The timbers of the old landmark are being cut into wood for local consumption while the ironwork will go to the railway’s scrap heap.