Historic Hood River
Jessie Davidson Ranch
10-5-2015
Notes
This postcard view is identified as the “Jessie Davidson ranch near Parkdale.” I’m a bit confused about the location as I don’t know any hills like that at Parkdale. I also don’t know anything about Jessie Davidson.
Note the chaps on the rider and the dog at the fence trying to get in the picture.
Charlott
Jessie Davidson lived in the Baldwin area of Parkdale on what was called the old stage road. He came to this area from Ohio with his wife Elizabeth. What I find so interesting is that carriage in the lean to attached to the barn.
I am thinking the older man standing there is Jessie himself.
Kenn
Always thankful for Arthur and the posts, definitely the highlight of each day for me. Then comes the "frosting on the cake", Charlott’s knowledge,
research and sharing of family history..
L.E.
There are all kinds of interesting items in this photo. One of them being a gutter and downspout.
The little roof in the field might be a spring house or a root cellar? In the corral is a sled or stoneboat.
What has me puzzled is the pole in the field with a cross arm and a rope running down to the fence???
Arthur
There’s an interesting arrangement to bring water to this corral. To the right of the white horse you can see a small aqueduct which enters on the right edge of the photo, passes through the fence and spills over the stump into a pool.
Arthur
About the pole with the cross arm and rope: I think it has a block on the end for hoisting material up into the attic of the building. The line running down to the fence seems to be a stay to stabilize what is basically a crane.
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., May 6, 1909, page 1
ALONG THE STAGE ROAD TO MT. HOOD COUNTRY
Jesse Davidson, a native of Ohio, came to Hood River in 1903 and homesteaded 160 acres. Has 10 acres cleared; 600 trees, 150 just coming into bearing. Has good a variety of all kinds of fruits for home use besides his 600 trees. Has 6 inches of free water. Good house, barn and other improvement. Mr. Davidson is "batching" along with his two sons, J.C. and W. B. He has a wide reputation as an excellent cook and housekeeper and will challenge all bachelors in Hood River valley to compete with him in bread making at the next Hood River fair. He has filed on a good spring on land adjoining that is now the government reserve.
The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., November 2, 1905, page 1
FINE LAND IN UPPER VALLEY
Jesse Davidson, on the main road south of Gribble’s store, is well hidden from view from the road, but a visit to his place at the foot of Bald Butte, is well worth the walk through the heavy timber. He is clearing several acres this winter, and has a fine young orchard started. Although his land is above the Bone ditch, he has some free water on his place, and the fertile soil is producing great results. A new barn was added late last fall, and the place is showing the results of thorough work everywhere. He intends setting out a pear and peach orchard as soon as the land is ready for it, and has an ideal place. Mr. Davidson is a first-class carpenter and has just completed a barn for T.H. Larwood that is a model of its kind. There is not a piece of large square timber in its structure. The supporting timbers are of sawed plank bolted together, thereby increasing the strength of the whole structure, and making a better appearance also. In the large hay loft the arrangement of supports is such as to leave an unobstructed room for storing away at the hay, while an extension from the roof shelters the hay fork from the elements. The body is 22×44 feet, with 20-foot posts, and will accommodate six horses and eight cattle, with a driveway sixteen feet in the center. The loft will hold thirty tons of hay.
Longshot
There is a spring off of South Hess Rd on the east side of the ditch. This would meet the requirement of being south of the (present Mt Hood) store and at the foot of Bald Butte.
Charlott
His son’s name was Walter.
L.E.
This is one of the things I love about this site. We went from Arthur not knowing anything about the subject, to learning all kinds of information.
Your next project Arthur, is to get a today’s photo of this same spot.
Thanks to Charlott, Jeffrey and Longshot for narrowing down the possible location.
Charlott
Son Walter was Walter Orlando B. Davidson. He was born in Ohio in 1887. He served in WWI and apparently later in life moved to Arizona as he is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
At one time he worked for the Middle Fork Irrigation District.
b Copper
Some additional information on the Davidson family – Jesse Davidson was the younger brother of Charles (Deacon) Davidson and the uncle of Horatio F Davidson. Jesse was born in May 1846, the son of William C. and Louisa Davidson. As indicated above Jesse and his youngest son Walter O. B. Davidson arrived in the Hood River area in 1903. A year later, Jesse’s other son James C. Davidson joined his father and brother in Hood River. [The Hood River Glacier Mar 13, 1903, Mar 24, 1904] Jesse died in Hood River in Feb 1936.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any family photos of Jesse nor his sons to help with the identification in this picture.
A follow up note on Walter "“
The Hood River Glacier Jun 6, 1918
Because of his experience on trails of the Cascades, Walter Davidson, son of Jesse Davidson, pioneer of the Mt. Hood district, is now a member of a pack train in training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Mr. Davidson, called in a recent draft, was first sent to Fort MacDowell, Calif.