Historic Hood River
Hood River Depot
8-6-2025
Notes
This is the original Hood River Depot on the OR&N Co. mainline, circa 1908. We know it was leaky and drafty, leading to this replacement in 1911. You can see the old Hotel Waucoma sticking up behind the depot. This was before it was expanded southward and upward, and renamed Hotel Oregon.
Pat A
Love this era of Architecture, reminds me of a fancy old farmhouse. Cold and drafty!
I see a postmark? A postcard?
L. E.
I agree with Pat A. An era of beautiful architecture but miserably cold in the winter. I grew up in a somewhat attractive farmhouse built during this era. In the winter, when the cold east wind blew, fine flakes of snow would pile up on my bed.
With that roofline, I am sure they were always patching leaks.
Any idea what the pole on top of the roof was for?
Arthur Babitz
I suspect the pole was a radio antenna for communications.
kmb
I was thinking the pole might be a lightning rod. Circa 1908 seems a little early for radio communications on the railroads, but I could be wrong.
Pat A
Probably a lightning rod. Railroad radio communications were not in use until after WWll.