Historic Hood River
Cecil Holman, Bear Hunter
Notes
This W.D. Rogers cabinet card of Cecil Holman has quite a story to tell. Apparently Mr. Holman had quite a reputation as a bear hunter. This story from the Oregonian tells of a bear hunt in Hood River in 1906. There’s also this story he told in 1915 edition of The Oregon Sportsman. It includes many points of historical interest, including a trip by train to Viento, crossing the Columbia on the Oregon Lumber Company’s tug Pearl, and meeting a man named Willard, at what we now call Willard.
I wonder if there is a little bit of a “tall tale” being told here. Shooting a bear by torchlight in a cave? Hard to imagine he would have any hearing after three rifle shots in an enclosed space. But it is an interesting story.
Cecil Holman was also an accomplished fisherman, as well as a chef at a local restaurant. His father, J.T. Holman, owned the J.T. Holman Store in the Height.
Charlott
You can still see remnants of the fish ladder at Punch Bowl.
Kenn
This is a LOT of material, much time consumed especially by a half fast reader like me ~
nels
Great find….long but a window to good hearted hunters, stocking fish and releasing young birds. And a 395 pound bear!?!