Historic Hood River
Last Indian Summer Camp
3-17-2014
Notes
It’s not easy to tell what’s going on in this image, but fortunately the album page contains a notation of its significance. That’s probably Arline Moore’s handwriting. As she maintained close ties with the local Native American population throughout her life, her comments were likely based on firsthand knowledge.
Based on her comments and the visible terrain, this may be the present location of the Senior Center/ Brookside Manor/ Sports Club complex on Brookside Drive. The shadows suggest we’re looking west.
l.e.
Well Arlen, this might be an answer to your question in a previous photo of not seeing Indians in HR during your growing up years.
1908 was a while before your growing up years.
That looks like a strawberry field on the left. I have read historical comments about the Indians being some of the main pickers. Maybe when strawberry fields turned to orchards, they no longer came to the area.
Maybe another culture took over the labor force. Or maybe, they simply lost all of their camping spots to change.
Buzz
Not an expert on indians from this era, but "older" indians I knew from my youth didn’t concern themselves with watches and calendars. Being productive five days a week so they could rest for two days wasn’t part of their agenda. So what may be going on in this image is nothing–just enjoying their families and being alive. They lived by the seasons and could be very productive and hard working when working on subsistence issues, but chasing payday dollars not a big item on their agenda.
Arlen Sheldrake
You’re probably right i.e. One camping spot I think was where my Mother (Lois Sheirbon( grew up in Odell, the Weatherby (may not be spelling it right) ranch. There was a small lake and Mom talked about finding arrow heads when she was young. The ranch sign finally ended up with this museum.
Arlen Sheldrake
previous post: Weatherby s/b Netherby, same spelling guess.
Jill
Was the wind blowing when this picture was taken? Or, are those trees leaning from being buffeted byHood Rivers now-famous wind?
nels
Is it possible that we are looking north considering the way the tree trunks are leaning and the wind is blowing?
charlott
I think the Indians camped all up and down the rivers in the valley. I would venture a guess that they were sometimes down on the Hood River, below where the "animal" trail to the river goes across Hwy 35, which is still used by deer early morning and late in the evening……..
l.e.
Does anyone know why Indian Creek is so named?
Page 84 and 85 in Linda Tamura’s book, "The Hood River Issei", talks about the Indians picking strawberries and putting up their canvas tents.
http://books.google.com/books?id=BLH51A1p7qAC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=indians+pick+strawberries+in+hood+river&source=bl&ots=AgM6N8RSLO&sig=NlKF44ik3w5l92hQNrgwvJXZqAk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u1YnU_GnLcuDogT1qoGIBA&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=indians%20pick%20strawberries%20in%20hood%20river&f=false
Arthur
re: the tilt to the trees… I think the entire frame may be off. There’s no solid clue to horizontal and vertical, but the people also seem to list to the right. The Moore album is filled with images which are slightly off-kilter.
Dayne
It’s easy to compare the lean of the trees and the fence posts….even though it says "Indian summer", this looks like a classic August day looking North or Northwest in the late afternoon. The wind is howling! Makes me think of camping at John Day when the entire weekend becomes a battle against the wind.
Buzz
Believe it says Indian summer camp and is not referring to the late indian summer day.
Longshot
Is that some kind of trough running past the tents and terminating in the fence? For what purpose?
Charlott
Dayne maybe we were on the John Day on the same week end. Blew the pot of boiling corn, coffee, etc. off a three burner Coleman. Flattened the tents with babies trying to sleep. Not a pleasant experience……..
Ranger
According to Lewis A. McArthur in "Oregon Geographic Names", Indian Creek was so named because in pioneer days there was a permanent Indian town or camp in the flat where the main west side road (Tucker Road?) crossed the creek.
l.e.
Thanks Ranger.
I think the Old Cattle Trail to the Willamette Valley followed an original Indian trail through Lolo Pass. Maybe there was a trail through the Heights that followed Indian Creek west.
l.e.
Searching for some information about the Old Indian/Cattle Trail I came across this:
Portland Hikers has a discussion about it:
http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=13693
In that page is a link to a 1946 article written by Will Langille. He talks about the Indian trail through Hood River.
http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/doc/records/state/odot/pdfs/booth_hill_overlook.pdf
Nancy Trotic
Arlen, if your mother was Lois Sheirbon, this must be her house…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nancymasha/8368927573/in/set-72157632494081952
and this one…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nancymasha/8369993500/in/set-72157632494081952
Neighbors of my great-grandparents Ira Ulysses "Lyss" and Ida Mae Lafferty.
The Laffertys’ house in Hood River no longer exists, I don’t think, but I would love to figure out where it was. I know it was on West Sherman Ave.
nancyt_pdx@yahoo.com
Nancy Trotic
Actually, I guess at that time the Laffertys were in Odell, between 1908 and 1914 and again after 1935. I don’t know where in Odell they lived but would love to figure it out.
Charlott
It is my understanding that the Laffertys may have lived part of the time above their store. Not 100% sure though,…..
Nancy Trotic
Oh, that’s right, Charlotte, thank you… very possibly they did at some point later, but apparently not while my grandmother lived at home (before 1919, when she got married). She told my sister in a 1992 interview: "We kids didn’t spend time at the store. We would’ve gotten our heads knocked off for messing around in there. It was heated by a big stove in the back. Guys would go in there to smoke or talk." She also mentions their "house" in Odell. Her memories of her childhood in Mt. Hood, Odell, and Hood River are just great.
Margaret Bendler Jacob
My Mom, Myrtle Jacobson Bendler, remembers when she was young the Indians used to camp just south of the junction of today’s Country Club Road and Barrett Road, I believe it’s called. She recalls that they scared her, as I think she had to walk to Barrett School!