Historic Hood River
Fun at Koberg
8-16-2013
Notes
One of the interesting discussions in Lot 1/ Nichols Basin planning is “What should the beach look like.” Beaches serve so many different tasks. They can be aesthetic elements, water access points, playgrounds or habitat. This hot summer day, Koberg beach was the place to cool off. Note the swim race in progress.
charlott
Though it was gone in my years going to Koberg’s I notice that hook sandy place. I wonder if that was built there by Koberg’s. Look at all those wonderful "toys." Wouldn’t you guess those would be considered dangerous in this day and age. Didn’t ever hear of them loosing kids on those. They were tougher stock, I think….
It no doubt dropped off quite rapidly from the beach for it to be deep enough to swim in.
Ralph
looks like the staircase structure is facing backwards to the water. Or maybe it’s a giant slide of sorts. Have any of you that comment regularly been to Koberg in your youth?
Buzz
During high school years, and when not working in the summer, would go home from Kobergs when I got hungry, needed sleep, or had a date to go to the drive-in.
charlott
Used to go there all the time, but none of this was there in the 50’s. It was just the barren beach. Just a place to hang out I guess. You figure most of this area was all gone due to Bonneville Dam. Now there isn’t much beach between what trees are left and the water. No wading out, just drops right off….
Arlen Sheldrake
What an amazing hub of community activity this represents…..hopefully the current community and leaders can develop something similar for current and future folk. This certainly represents one of the many losses that Bonneville and later dams brought to our region. (yes, and also many benefits…..)
Arthur
Checked the hi-res on the "backwards staircase." The center was for walking up, and there are two slides on the sides to get you back down.
I noticed yesterday there were quite a few people sunning on the sands at Koberg, and several jumping off the cliff. Still a little life left in the old beach.
Rawhyde
I assume they had to continually move those slides and diving platforms up and down the beach with the changing water levels?
Steve
Appears to be just as much of a gathering and socialing location – as the fully clothed beach goers out number the swimmers for certain-
Perhaps many did not know how to swim- but enjoyed the cooler air and sand near the river ….
Great perspective- …. Was this picture taken from atop the rocks to the E – ?
Craig Kessler
John Koberg was my great grandfather and according to my mom, Donna Koberg Kessler, all of this was built by the Kobergs. She has similar pictures in our family collection and grew up here in the 30s. She spent lots of time here and remembers the Dance Hall and Beer Pavilion as well as the Bath House. She still has a 6′ steering wheel off of a steamboat that part of the bandstand in the Dance Pavilion.
Love the pictures!
.
Arthur
Good to hear from you Craig. Check out https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=143 and I think you’ll see the steering wheel your Mom has.