Historic Hood River
Columbia Gorge Motor Coach
3-2-2015
Notes
When I first saw which image of a Columbia Gorge Motor Coach bus and driver I thought it was taken down by our train depot, but I’m no longer comfortable with that location ID. Where do you think this is?
L.E.
Portland West Hills?
L.E.
Or maybe Astoria.
spinsur
Board over windshield says "Portland – The Dalles", I’m going with west hills, doesn’t look like TD! Notice the stack of cordwood in background? That’d have to be a healthy boiler to eat those!
L.E.
There is a 1930 Columbia Gorge System Motor Coach Service pamphlet viewable online. The coach on the front looks just like this one. It advertises service between Portland and Spokane. In 1929 they ran a bus service to Salt Lake City and purchased 15 new motor stages. W. T. Crawford was the president. The company merged with Pickwick-Greyhound and by 1932 the Columbia Gorge name ceased to exist.
The bus line was used as an advertisement for Goodyear tires.
I looked at some pictures of Pierce Arrow motor coaches. I don’t know if that is what this is??
Charlott
Quite the impressive uniform the driver has. Jodhopers (not certain that is the correct spelling.) They were very popular pants during that time frame. Would be interesting to know what color the jacket was.
I suppose that "boot" in the rear is for luggage?
I tend to agree that this just doesn’t look like Hood River.
Jeffrey Bryant
I could not find a picture here of a school bus from around 1925, but this is the closest match that I found. The Hood River Glacier, 1925-09-24, page 9 says that B. J. Parriott and W. L. Upson, of the White Salmon Machine Shop, recently completed a fine new auto bus for use of pupils in Hood River; capacity 60 persons.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1925-09-24/ed-1/seq-9/