Historic Hood River
Dr. Scobee on Parade
12-4-2015
Notes
Here’s a fine picture of Dr. E.L. Scobee on parade with his family in their Oakland Automobile, circa 1915. It has the look of a July 4th parade. I don’t recognize the house in the background, but I’m guessing it is in the Heights. The Scobee family lived at 4th and Montello.
Charlott
Ernest Linwood Scobee was a dentist having his practice in the Brosius Bldg. in Hood River. He was a brother to William Posey Scobee who was married to Meta Lage. His wife’s name was Iva and parents were Samuel and Martha Scobee.
I don’t think these children are all his, as he only had one daughter and she died in 1903. Naturally these could be family members, friends or neighbors.
Jeffrey Bryant
Dr. E. L. Scobee also had an adopted daughter, Mildred, born in 1908. Perhaps these are her friends.
Kenn
The running board appears to also be a storage box about six inches deep with catches on it, I had not seen an item like this before.
L.E.
Looks like it is a really hot day.
mary bartmess kramer
In the 60s and 70s we lived at 306 Montello. The man across the street name was Herb Scobee and he said the house at 4th and Montello was part of his family’s at one time. I thought he had lived there. He would be 90 or 100 if he were alive today.
L.E.
Possibly the 1912 Fourth of July.
1912
This HR Glacier issue was on July 4
Celebration in town. Businesses closed. Oak St. will light up at night with the red, white and blue globes placed there by HR Gas and Electric Co.
There is an automobile parade, "an event in which the children will be the chief participants. Have the kiddies at the meeting place of the autos at the appointed hour of 9:30 in order that they may be arranged and distributed to the cars."
After the parade, everyone goes to the Library Park. Lunch. At one o’clock the athletic events begin on Oak St. At 3:00 fans march up the hill singing, "Oh, I want to go to the ball game." The Heights team and the Lower City team will cross bats. Or, there will be a band concert downtown.
Daylight hours close with aquatic sports. In the evening, as soon as the fireworks have been fired from a barge on the water, a powerful searchlight in the tower of the Mt Hood Hotel will be turned on a large American flag and the crowd will join in the Star Spangled Banner.
The July 11th follow up issue:
There was a big celebration at the Little Boy Ranch at the home of the C.W. Parkers at Mitchell. In the evening a gorgeous display of fireworks.
In town"¦.Never has such a mass of people been seen on Hood River’s streets as last Thursday to celebrate the fourth. People motored from The Dalles.
Shortly after 10:00 the auto parade began. Dr. E.L. Scobee is mentioned along with many other participants. Decorating the autos was a big deal.
There was a hose race between The Dalles and HR. and athletic events.
L.E.
It is really interesting reading through the years of July Fourth in HR. The names of so many participants are familiar because of HHR photos.
1910 and 1911 were quiet in the town of HR as people took the train to the upper valley, or the steamboat to The Dalles. Many went on their own picnics and fishing.
1912 was a community celebration and it became bigger every year.
In 1914 the Japanese community was largely involved. The Mikkado was performed.
1915 was a special July. The Fourth started with R.M. Hunt firing the old canon at sunrise on the courthouse lawn, doll parade, followed by regular parade, lunch on the courthouse lawn, races and athletic events. Then everyone went up the hill to the baseball game between HR and White Salmon. 1,110 tickets were sold for the game.
On July 6th the opening of the Columbia River Highway was celebrated and actually got page one coverage. The fourth was on page two.
There was usually a fireworks display after every fourth.
Charlott
Herb Scobee was Herbert Leland Scobee and he was the son of E. L. Scobee, He died in 1988 here in Hood River.
Judy
I remember that Herb Scobee, at one time, was the jailor for the HR Jail at the Courthouse.
Varun Coutinho
1912 Overland (Model 61) Touring