Historic Hood River
“A Cedar Stump Used For a Barn”
6-25-2018
Notes
I’ve seen this photo many times but never looked into the details. I’m not sure where this was first published, but this scan is from a period postcard which seems to be from am older source. Notes on the reverse indicate, “Mrs. Routsen says it could be the Hess boys of Mt. Hood. Sam on left and Floyd on right.” Perhaps we can dig up some more detail?
Charlott
I am quite comfortable with Mrs. Routsen’s notation. She was very knowledgeable about the Mt. Hood-Parkdale area of that time. Another indication is it is apparent that Sam is older looking than Floyd. There was a 20 year difference in their age. Sam was born on the Barlow Road as his parents came to Oregon. Thus his name Samuel Barlow Hess. Floyd was born in Oregon City. His mother eventually died and his father ended up in Hood River Floyd married Lillie Hanel, so some of that family might be able to verifty.
As to the stump making a barn, keep in mind the size of that one tree up there off the Cloud Cap Road, just above the turn off into Parkdale. Pretty huge virgin timber back in those days up in that area.
Buzz
Interesting. I always enjoy seeing the ingenuity of oldtimers. And have logged timber bigger than that in my youth so the size of the stump doesn’t surprise me. But I am a little surprised there was timber that big in that area. Takes a lot of rain to grow timber that big. And that stump looks more like Douglas fir than cedar to me. But my eyes have gone bad. Noticed the notches in the stump that were used for springboards while falling the tree. Thanks for picture.
Judy
Always be sure that Alyuna Routson’s info would be correct.
L.E.
I have seen photos of similar structures on the west side of the mountains. The Edgecomb house up north of Seattle is perhaps the best known.
http://www.historylink.org/File/9658
Like Buzz, I think the bark looks more like a Doug Fir, but also like Buzz, my eyes are not what they used to be.
Using Charlott’s information I looked up some Hess family history. Typical early pioneer lives. Lots of death, hard work, hard travel, lots of children, unknown gravesites…..
Sam and Floyd’s father William was born in 1818, married in 1842 and had at least two children. In 1863 he married Sam and Floyd’s mother Priscilla. She is almost 25 years younger than he. She starts having babies, one of which, as Charlott says, was born on the Barlow Road. Not the most comfortable place to have a baby. They settle in the Canby area. She and William have ten children. One daughter dies when she is 5. Lloyd is a twin. His brother dies at age one. Priscilla dies a year later at age 46. So Lloyd is only 2 years old when he loses his mother.
From what I could find, she is buried with several children in the Old Canby Cemetery, but the grave site is unknown.
William comes to Hood River and dies in 1897. He is buried in the "Fredenburg" Cemetery at Mt Hood.
It appears that the Hess family is intertwined with other early pioneer families.
L.E.
Doesn’t matter how much I proofread I still get things wrong. Floyd, who lived in the Mt Hood/Parkdale area was a twin. His brother Lloyd died at age 1 year.
L.E.
There is a HHR Routsen photo.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=1353
Rose Wishart Spring
Stan Hess is my third cousin, we both live in Bremerton Washington. They are a very nice hard working family. Our son Mike puts flowers on our common grandfathers grave in Parkdale (David Wishart)