Historic Hood River
“Mayor Goes a Sparking”
6-11-2024
Notes
When Herman Kresse was elected mayor of Hood River in the 1930s, newspaperman Joe D. Thomison borrowed this image from the Hood River Pioneer Association and added the caption,
Nov. 13. The Mayor goes a sparking. Herman O. Kresse, now the city’s chief executive, en route in 1910 to his fiance for a spin.
His notes indicate the image was to be returned to the Pioneer Association by May 8. Mr. Thomison must have been a man of his word, because this image is in the museum’s collection along with many other images originally collected by the Pioneer Association.
The context gives a pretty good idea what “sparking” might mean. I was able to verify it referred to “playing the suitor” using “Green’s Dictionary of Slang“.
L. E.
Beautiful horse!
Seeing the woven wire fencing, had me googling when it was invented. 1883.
L. E.
Good timing on the date Arthur.
In the June 12, 1913 Hood River Glacier, Herman married Leah Brawn, at the home of her parents in Yoncalla, Oregon. According to the article, she had been in HR the last four years and was a graduate of the Cottage Hospital.