Historic Hood River
July 4, 1916
Notes
Hood River’s July 4th parade has changed routes a few times since 1916, but it always delivers good entertainment value. Here we see the fire department entry, complete with a brass band. The parade is passing the “Hartley House” on Oak between 4th and 5th streets, according to Arline Moore. Can anyone fill in a little history about our Independence Day parades?
Tomorrow’s parade promises to be one of the best ever, with two military bands and a flyover adding to the hometown flavor. The parade route will take it down 12th Street in the Heights, ending at Jackson Park with the traditional picnics and barbeque. The evening will of course be capped off by the Lion’s fireworks display. Parade starts at 10AM, fireworks at sundown. Don’t plan on driving anyplace in Hood River tomorrow if you’re in a rush.
Have a great 4th! There will be a special bonus July 4th post tomorrow, but while you wait for it feel free to re-enjoy all these 4th of July posts.
nels
Is that possibly a lemonade stand or ??? on the corner?
And how many firemen today play a musical instrument? So much more common in those times. Before TV and ….
Arthur
Good catch nels. No sign of lemonade, but definitely some parade related activity on that corner. When I looked at that building in the hi-res scan, I was also able to read the blurred sign "Furnished Rooms" above the ground floor door of the Hartley House.
Someone’s kicking up quite a bit of dust or smoke a few floats back in front of the Paris Fair.
Rawhyde
Someone cleaned the street of horse paddies…
nels
Is the street possibly dampened in the foreground to deal with the obvious dust? And the usual HR wind with the curtains hanging out the window.
Jeffrey Bryant
Is it assumed that this is the fire department entry, or is it known? I have a family picture taken in Falls City, Oregon where the men were dressed in similar looking band uniforms but were not associated with the fire department as far as I know.
Arthur
Arline Moore identified this as the fire department float when she prepared her album some years later. I don’t think that necessarily means that the band members are firefighters.
Esther Smith
Something we can’t get from B/W photographs, from the July 10, 1912, Hood River News: In addition to the effective decorating done by the business men for the Fourth, one of the most attractive features was the illumination of the principal streets with red, white and blue lights, which were festooned along and across the streets. This was done through the courtesy of the Hood River Gas & Electric Company, which furnished the juice and strung the wires and the Electric Wiring & Supply Company, which furnished the material.
Arthur
What a wonderful description, Esther. I would not have guessed the term "juice" was being used to describe electricity back in 1912!