Historic Hood River
Headed For Market
4-11-2016
Notes
Don Mowers is driving this load of apples to market. With those solid rubber tires and minimalist tie downs I wonder how many of those boxes made it to town?
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Kenn
Quite a load with brakes on rear wheels only, but at least no flat tire concern.
Charlott
Never seen a load of fruit boxes tied in this matter. My family had two boards that were attached together with leather spaced at intervals to hold them together. Can’t remember what they were called. One board went across the load on the top of the back stack, the other was in a down position. Think there was the same on the top front. Then the ropes came down across them, so they could be cinched down tight. Then the ropes were tied to the tie down hooks on the bed of the truck. Sort of hard to explain.
I would think it would depend greatly on the conditions of the road and how far he had to travel with his load. Uphill might cause problems the way it is tied. Also you can see that the first three tiers are solid and then stair stepped up from that. Might have helped.
Buzz
Stagged off Levi’s indicate Mr. Mowers was probably a logger in his younger years. So he was probably smart enough to get a few boxes of apples to market. And if he lost the whole load, what the hell, he could always go back to being a brush ape. Attitude is everything.
L.E.
I used to watch my dad tie down a load of hay with ropes in a description similar to Charlott’s. But bales of hay, you can stack so they are tied into each other. You wouldn’t be able to do that with fruit boxes.
Must not be a hot day since he is wearing a wool coat.
stever
Perhaps the boxes are empty- as it seems like a big load.
Also- in an odd way ….
I keep waiting for " Vanna White " to walk by and turn some letters….
It would make a nice postcard- or promo item- with a little photo shop work..
" HistoricHoodRiver.com " or ?
Jerry Larsen
I wish I had an idea of how many tens of thousands of boxes like that my Great-grandfather Frank Davenport produced in his box factory at his Ruthton location. I think there was a box factory in the Belmont area also. The wood/logs were flumed down to Greenpoint (Kingsley), then on to Belmont, and finally to Ruthton planing mill and on over to the box factory. They also produced many thousands of railroad ties.
L.E.
Jerry….a few days ago Arthur gave us a photo of Greenpoint. #1339. The question was asked about a pond for the mill at Belmont.
I too am curious about that. If there was a flume from Greenpoint to Belmont, there would have to be a place for the water from the flume.
Is there still evidence of a pond at the west end of Belmont?
Jerry Larsen
L.E., I have a great map (very large) that I got from the County Surveyor a few months ago, dated 1911. That was several years after Frank Davenport sold out his holdings to the Stanley Smith Company. It show "log flumes" from the three small lakes just west of Greenpoint, and from Greenpoint the === is labeled "lumber flume" all the way down past Phelps Creek to the Belmont District, labeled "Stanley Smith Planer Mill." Then the flume extends on down to Ruthton. I don’t know if there’s any evidence left of a holding pond or the mill itself. If you would like me to email the photos I’ve made of this map, just let me know at larsen@jerryjan.com and I’ll send them along.
Kenn
I agree with Steve R, boxes loaded that high are probably empty and coming in from the box factory.