Historic Hood River
Columbus Day 1892
10-14-2013
Notes
There’s no doubt when this image was taken. The decoration leaves nothing to the imagination. Perhaps a little excessive, but this was the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ first voyage. I don’t recall much excitement around the 500th in 1992. Do you remember any special recognition of the 500th anniversary?
I believe the location was the old school above State Street, where the county courthouse is now. You can read more about the building here. It looks like quite a few adults joined the kids for this occasion, and we’re lucky to have many of their names. I hope some of you find your great or great great grandparents in this crowd. I’ve left the spellings as provided, though I can’t vouch for accuracy:
- 1) Flossy Wells
- 2) ? Held
- 3) Myron Champlin
- 4) Will Ellison
- 5) Hester Howe
- 6) Earl Evans
- 7) Chester Shutes
- 8) Florence Champlin
- 9) Clara Champlin
- 10) Will Foss
- 11) Gean Sagers
- 12) Herb Loy
- 13) Jim Ellison
- 14) A. Todd
- 15) George Ellick
- 16) Alfred Hunt
- 17) Rudy Cradelbough
- 18) Elsworth Hanna
- 19) Walter Isenberg
- 20) Elmer Isenberg
- 21) Bert Rand
- 22) Meigs B. Bartmess
- 23) Earl Bartmess
- 24) Del Rand
- 25) Delia Watson
- 26) T.C. Dallas
- 27) Winnie Champlin
- 28) Frank Watson
- 29) Clara Blythe
- 30) Agnes Dukes
- 31) Ida Nichelsen Frohn
- 32) Maude Gilbert
- 33) Thressa Morse Castney
- 34) Cora Copple
- 35) Mattie Oiler
- 36) Will Isenberg
- 37) Howard Isenberg
- 38) Mrs. Purser
- 39) Grace Ellison
- 40) Emlie Palmer
- 41) Ida Sagers
- 42) ? Markley
- 43) Ida Foss
- 44) Mattie Foley
- 45) ? Copple
- 46) Alice Cleaver
- 47) Charley Wallace
- 48) ? Markley
- 49) Abe Foley
- 50) Jim Ellison
- 51) M. Willis
- 52) Will Graham
- 53) Captain Dukes
- 54) Raleigh Phelps
- 55) Gird Palmer
- 56) Frank Nobel
- 57) M.P. Isenberg
- 58) ? Watson
- 59) Maulty Dukes
- 60) “Shoe-maker” Wells
- 61) George Slocumb
- 62) L. Henry
- 63) Roy Slocumb
- 64) Gean Bush
- 65) C.L. Gilbert
- 66) Lige Udell
- 67) Mrs. Palmer Noble
- 68) Geo. T. Prather
Charlott
What a patriotic period. Took a lot of work to get all the decorations up for this occasion. That is President Benjamin Harrison in the photo between the two front windows.
I do notice the names, related with the actual town of Hood River, so this is definitely the school in town. Notice again the drums, as in many schools everyone marched into school with the beat of the drums.
George Ellick #15, think the name was actually Allick, was an Indian boy. He might possibly have been either the first or among the first Indian children to actually go to school.
I can’t help but notice the little unnamed child in the very front row (sitting down) with the hat almost as big as the little one.
charlott
Figured George Ellick out. It was spelled Alick. He died very young at the age of 28. His parents were Joe and Martha Alick.
l.e.
A photo of President Benjamin Harrison on the wall. A month later, previous president Grover Cleveland would run against Harrison and win.
I remember Columbus Day was a big celebration at school when I was young. I think by 1992, there was more recognition that the day was maybe not a cause for celebration for the Indian.
Also, maybe more recognition that Europeans had arrived here before Columbus.
Plus, we just don’t seem to celebrate national observances with the exuberance of the earlier generations.
Beautiful building with a lot of split shakes for the roof.
l.e.
It appears that even in 1892, Columbus Day was acknowledged as October 12. I wonder why the late date of October 21?
longshot
Maybe they were trying to steal the thunder, found this on Wikipedia:
"Columbus", a poem by Florence Earle Coates, was published in Harper’s Weekly on 22 October 1892.
The Wiki article on Columbus Day has interesting info on the celebration of this day and mentions 1892 in particular:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day
nels
Is there another child, unnumbered, to the R of George Allick #15, or do my eyes deceive me? It’s right on the crease in the photo.
Buzz
Enlighten us Mary. What relation are the Bartmess children to you??
leslie
Earl is our grandfather and Meigs is our Great uncle
Judy
They sure do not look like they are having a very good time!
What somber faces on everyone.
charlott
George Alick (that is the correct spelling) had an interesting childhood as a "local little Indian boy." His younger brother and sister drown when their mothers little sail boat was swamped while crossing the Columbia with a load of fish. George could swim and made it to shore. Seems he was in trouble all the time, got kicked out of the strawberry patch where he went with his mother and siblings, some minor issues in school. My personal take is it would have been hard on him, being Indian in school at the time. He married twice and even took someones horse in his twenties, spent a year in jail for that one. After he came back, his parents having high hopes for him. He went down to Astoria at 28 to work in logging only to drown in the Columbia. So his parents lost all three of their children to the mighty Columbia.
PK
I believe that #7, Chester is Chester Shute, not Shutes. No spell-checkers back in the day…..
Arthur
We don’t know when the names were added to the back. It could have been work of the Pioneer Association 10, 20 or even 50 years later. I recently saw a picture of my 3rd grade class, and couldn’t do nearly as well identifying classmates.