Historic Hood River
Hood River Apple Vinegar Company
5-1-2014
Notes
Here’s the vinegar factory just a few years later. The caption indicates this is the generation (brewing) and shipping operation.
The History Museum of Hood River County
Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life
Charlott
Certainly was an expanded operation from the prior photo. Bet you could smell vinegar for miles…………….and what about the fruit flies….
Buzz
Nels had a good point on last photo site. Any economic development people looking for a project. The wind has been good to the economy of Hood River and it will probably continue, but who knows what could happen to the health of the Columbia with everything that goes on upriver. A little economic diversity!! Or would a vinegar factory not be green enough?
l.e.
Wow!
In the previous photo #855 of the vinegar fire, I think I made the comment about the expansion of the Mt Hood Railroad into the upper valley and orchards. Calkins, owner of the vinegar operation wanted a commitment from apple producers that they would ship their culls to him. With that commitment, he would expand his operation.
I guess he got the commitment and he certainly did expand.
I wonder what that little room on the side of the building was for?
Arlen Sheldrake
Another great photo…..didn’t this plant end up producing vodka? I have "fond" memories of a group of us going up on old highway 30 where they stored their fruit supply and shooting rats…most of us had 22 rifles but Pete Jubitz brought his shotgun….gave us some trys and then blew the you know what out of the fruit and a rat or two. Nice shot of the MHRR and OR&N/UP rail lines…..
ps: the SP&S 700 steam locomotive will be at Portland Union Station for National Train Day May 10……got to live up to my reputation……
spinsur
Interesting that at least the east wall, the double gable wall, is a slat or skip-sheathed wall.
Arthur
I think @nels is onto something. It would be great to see artisanal vinegar production in the HR valley.
It’s a good thing we have cats now since we don’t have bands of boys shooting all the rats.
nels
I have to laugh. we need a "Then and Now"section .Can you imagine what the health dept would say about apples and rats mixing together, then boys walking down the street with a shotgun or any other gun – oh my.
Bill Seaton
Back in those days, we assumed that the alcohol in the vodka would kill the germs from the rats…and we were careful not to shoot each other.
Charlott
This is funny, about shooting rats. There were some boys one night up at the old dump on what we all knew as the loops. Apparently, someone heard these shots and call it in. To the scene appeared a Hood River County deputy to see what was going on. He was told they were just shooting rats. Must have been a quiet nice in the countryside, as he joined in the fun…..County dollars plunked away in shells. No guys, it wasn’t Jones…..
Arlen Sheldrake
Very appropriate HR story Charlott, I often wonder what kind of police record many of us HR kids would have had (including Dick), if we did some of our foolish "pranks" in a big city. And by the way, how these records would have affected the rest of our lives. Growing up in a small community certainly had some advantages that are now recognized.
Buzz
Local police used to escort us home when they caught us out late being less than perfect citizens. Maybe a street dance on the loops after a game. Typical comment–"You damn kids out partying again tonight. Catch you one more time and there will be hell to pay." Then they followed us to our doorstep one more time.
Roger Sheldrake
Must have countless generations of us kids with guns putting protein into the Hood River Liquor production system. I’m very careful what I purchase even today because of those fond memories!
Barbara Parsons
Our neighbor Jake Samuel took me to hunt a different animal at the dump west of the tunnel. I think its real name is marmot, and in HoodnRiver we called them greydiggers. In Utah people call them potguts. I don’t think I ever saw rats there, but on an outing with David Feinauer one day I saw porcupines climbing around on the mountains of apples. David hit one with an apple and it rolled all the way to the bottom of the pile. When it started back up the hill it a lot of apples stuck on its quills. It looked like a Christmas hors d’ouvre tray.