Historic Hood River
“Cooper”
5-23-2022
Notes
Here’s a small mystery courtesy of Alva Day. On May 11, 1939 he visited a place he called “Cooper” and took five photographs. One has Mt. Hood in the background, so I believe this was in the Hood River valley, but I can’t figure out what sort of animals were raised in this structure. Guesses?
Rawhyde
It appears to have a hay loft. Add that information to the apparent low fence pieces, and I’d have to guess sheep or goats?
Will
I would guess mixed stock/chickens and perhaps the lower section allows access to eggs. My father in law has a similar two story stock/chicken coop structure of brick (minus the lower sections.
L.E.
What is in the wheelbarrow?
ArthurB
It looks like there is a tarp or some other cloth on the front of the wheelbarrow. Nothing to solve the mystery.
lee
It may be Dave Coopers turkey farm it was located across from the Mt Hood town hall and to the north a short distance.
Rawhyde
Many large round boulders in the foreground. Missoula Flood remnants I suppose that may help locate this?
Peter
Is it possible this is a building for a cooper, i.e., a person who makes barrels?
ArthurB
I like the turkey theory. We have a series of photos from 1941 on a turkey farm. I can’t find any definitive evidence this is the same spot, but it’s a possibility.
L.E.
It is a beautiful building.
Because of the low fence panels, I think turkeys is a good guess. I did some searching for Hood River Turkey farms, but information is limited. I did come across a 1930’s news clip in an Illinois newspaper that Hood River had formed a Turkey Growers Association.
I am going to make a guess that the floor waste was pushed over to the bump outs on the side of the building, where it slid down to fall into carts under the building. They could then be pulled out to disperse of the waste.
I have seen something like that for sliding hay down to feed dairy cows.
Chase DeBoard
It’s the Big White (faded white) Barn on Mason road, but this is an early version of barn.
In the old photo.
Barn sits right on a dry creek bed at low ground level compared to modern day.
And railroad goes past the rear of building just outta view at this point.
I’m sure it’s the same barn, you can “see” the lines of the old building version outline on the north side , keep in mind that barn has changed shape about 6 six and had the ground raised up around it to follow as the roads and railroads get risen up, adjust, and usually not at the same time.
And this building was right in the middle of Mason Drive & Railroad crossings that had like 3-4 different version as the railroad, road, and industries sorta followed the other around and then the adoption of grid street.
Long story short, year to year the roads, creeks, and railroads were in flux between progress & being washed out.
I dunno when things settled road wise, but maps from like 1911,1920,1924,1933 show a very quick evolution of the roads & creeks.
Makes finding reference points difficult.
Anyhow You can see evidence of track heading that way at the modern crossing
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7SUqQ5FEqMcFu5rw5?g_st=ic
Arthur Babitz
Thanks Chase. There is another picture in the same area coming up, and your comments about the roads changing helps solve that mystery. You’ll see it later this week!
Chase DeBoard
You’re welcome, and I’m glad to hear that!
Looking forward to the next pic.
Eventually I will consolidate on a larger map and sorta average out the approximate road line lines in my many little snippets of google earth screenshots on my iPhone of where I trace out the (mostly railroad) roads more & more, bit by bit as I learn more.
I made a crude drawing showing where the Van Horn Depot & Grange sat in relation to that White House on the corner.
What got me started on finding out the streets moved in Pine Grove was I saw this picture. And read in the comments.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/pine-grove-detail/
Somehow between 1911 and 2025, the little White House on the corner of Mason & Van-Horn’s front lawn got longer towards Mason in modern day.
While the side lawn got shorter in the modern day.
Made me say “wait what”?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/g2ywL1647suF9UPn7?g_st=ic