Historic Hood River
East Side Detail #2
2-16-2017
Notes
Here’s another detail from the same image that gave us yesterday’s view
of the bridge over the Hood River. This one shows a farmer with a wagon full of produce on his way down to town. I suspect it took a reasonable amount of skill to control a wagon on a descent like that. The road doesn’t have nearly as many curves today.
The sacks are full of a spheroid crop of some sort. Would apples be treated like that? Perhaps they are onions or potatoes.
Buzz
Could that have been a "one-lane" road with turnouts?
Charlott
My guess would be onions or potatoes. Remember there were a number of Germans living in the Pine Grove area and they would have grown both potatoes and onions. You wouldn’t put fruit in sacks due to bruising.
I will confess…I wouldn’t even want to walk down that road, much less ride on a wagon load of fruit. I can’t see much of a possibility of passing another wagon coming up the hill, unless there are turnouts that are not visible.
This road is one of many things I wished I had of talked to my grandpa about, as he hauled much fruit down it over the years…..
Jerry Larsen
Interesting detail on the telephone poles, crossarms and wires. There are 10 pair of wires – each pair probably constitutes a "farmer line" which could run up to 10 or so subscribers, with distinctive rings, e.g., 2-long and 1-short. There often was a nosy person who would pick up after it was answered, and listen in. One hoped that there were not too many nor any nosy types, because the more pick-ups there were, it would drag the volume down. After WWII these became less prevalent, along with the conversion from manual (crank) to dial service, and no need to go through "central" to connect the call. But I’ll bet there are still some multi-party farmer lines in the most rural parts of our country, where there’s no cell phone service.
L.E.
I am making a guess that the load is marketable apples in the boxes and bags of cull apples headed to the cider or vinegar place.
I agree Charlott. Lots of questions I wish I had asked grandmas and grandpas. I do remember little bits of conversation from parents and grandparents, so I think even though we think kids aren’t interested or aren’t listening, it doesn’t hurt to toss out short stories about our memories of past events.
As a kid in the back country of Canada I have ridden wagons down steep hills and been told to get off when logs had to be thrown under the wheels as a brake. A good team of horses becomes a part of the family.
You can see The Eyrie on the White Salmon Bluff which was featured in HHR photo #375.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=375
L.E.
I think there is a duplicate of images showing up in this photo. That shed at the bottom of the hill, should be up above the wagon on the Button Farm.
Arthur
L.E., this is the section of road above the Button home on the way to Pine Grove.
Kenn
I assume this grade is part of the 1850’s military road from Fort Vancouver to Fort The Dalles, I know of no other possible route.
Jill Stanford
Good horses in proper harness,britches and a brake will hold the wagon down a grade. These look fine. I agree though – a fairly arduous trip.
L.E.
Ooops. I thought the photo was a snip from yesterday’s photo which showed the two wagons.
L.E.
Kenn, in the 1860’s, Joel Palmer had a cattle trail along the south bank of the river, from The Dalles to Willamette Valley, with a ferry across Hood River. Do you know if he followed the military road?
Longshot
Wooden brake shoes against steel tires that might be coated with varying degrees of mud and water as a wagon moved down a steep grade along a narrow road. I suspect it took a pretty experience wagoner to safely bring a wagon down such a grade in anything less than perfect weather.
charlott
With the farmers being well versed on that road, if the weather was to ghastly I doubt if they would even start out.
Kenn
LE ~ Palmer took the cattle over Lolo Pass from Hood River to join the Barlow Road and on to the settlements in the Willamette Valley. His route from The Dalles to Hood River I know not but I see no other logical route than the military route to avoid cliffs, canyons and flood plains.
The remaining portions of the military road west of Hood River all stay on the high ground to avoid the flood plains. The even grades are obviously laid out with instruments in contrast to civilian wagon roads that resemble wet noodles draped over the landscape.