Historic Hood River
Hood River Meat Market
6-13-2013
Notes
We’ve seen another image of this meat market before, so I cropped this one very close so you could see the detail. It looks like the carcasses are hanging with fir boughs. I’m not sure if this was for decoration, smell, or to keep the flies down. Check out those bone saws and cleavers.
The butcher is identified on this print as Henry McGuire, which seems to match the identification from the previous image. I’m pretty sure this was taken on the same day as the previous image, dated to 1898. We have a series of Spanish American War photos which I suspect were also taken this day, for reasons you’ll see as I post them.
charlott
I would think those might be cans of lard sitting on the counter.
I would think this place would be so unsanitary, as yes, flies would be ll over the place. But that was the way it was in those days. Haven’t we come a long way.
Are those chickens or turkeys up there in the boughs?
If you got a fire going in that place with all those fir boughs you would have had the original BBQ.
Rawhyde
Love the chair placed casually next to the carcasses…must be for his mother-in-law.
Wouldn’t that door behind have led to a cold room with blocks of ice?
spinsur
sawdust on the floor! I can make out a four letter word beginning with "LA__" on the cans, so would say yes, cans of lard. I’m thinking those are hams hanging high, above the hog.
Arthur
That’s "Columbia Packing Company Kettle Lard". Spinsur may be right about the hanging hams– they are wrapped in some sort of sack decorated with a shield which has stars and stripes, like the Union Pacific logo. Unfortunately none of the words on the wrapping are in focus.
Jill Stanford
Interesting about the bunting as well….
I still think pie crust made with good lard is the best.
I’ve never heard that fir can keep flies away.
nels
Gives meaning to the phrase "knowing where your food comes from" and "buy local and support your farmer".
I have 20 gal and 30 gal crocks I use for end tables (with walnut tops)but an old farmer said those crocks were used to put the hams into and then pour rendered fat onto for storage. The 2 gal counter top crocks were filled with fried sausage patties and then covered with rendered fat as well. Pull one out with a spatula, melt off the fat and breakfast is ready. Maybe some of you can confirm or counter such information.
Arthur
I think this image was taken the same day as this one:
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=717
of Spanish American War soldiers, which might explain the bunting. There were several parades that day– there is a great one queued up showing a women’s drill team passing the butcher shop, with Mr. McGuire looking on.
l.e.
Interesting photo. Quite the assortment of tools, but the fir boughs are a mystery.
In the previous photo, (with a power pole) outside, the building looks like a quickly thrown together business. But, in this photo, it looks well built. Looks like tongue and groove. I would love to have that counter.
Lesa
I wonder if the fir boughs would help mask the smell?
dana beck
I interviewed a butcher that worked at the ByBee meat store in Sellwood, south of Portland,Oregon. He he told me that they always threw saw dust on the floor to keep from slipping on the blood and debris that was left after cutting up a dead animal on the butcher block.