Historic Hood River
Meet Joe Young
Notes
This morning we meet a new photographer and a new collection at HHR. The volunteers at the Hood River Fire Department alerted me to a cache of a few hundred 4×5″ negatives which seem to date from the 40’s and 50’s. Most are in envelopes from the photo processor bearing the name “Joe Young” so for now I am calling this the “Joe Young collection.” We don’t know for sure that Mr. Young was the photographer, but whoever he was, he left us a real treasure. The negatives are mostly sharp and well composed. A 4×5 negative has 15 times the emulsion area of a 35mm negative, so if it’s in focus you can read the label on a stick of gum (apparently Beemans and Wrigleys were very popular in this era).
This image shows fire personnel in front of the old station on Second Street (now the Police Station) with what appear to be a new ambulance and fire boat. The boat bears the American Legion emblem and the man in the middle wears a Legion cap, so I’m guessing the Legion had just donated the boat.
Can anyone identify any of these firefighters, and can someone fill in a little biographic information on Joe Young? The year may be 1949.
Tags: 1940s, 2nd Street, automobile, boat, fire, Joe Young, Mystery Monday
Charlott
I can’t tell you exactly which Young Joe might have been. There was a Young’s bakery next to what used to be J.C. Penney’s. I do recall a Joe Young and I can’t put it together what he did.
I think the man on the left might very well be Webb Hill.
The "Legion" man looks familiar. Surely someone in the American Legion could find exactly who he was.
Dan K
Was talking with my mother and she says that a Joe Young had a realestate business that was located at 12th and May Street. That was the building that was hit by a pickup back in 1969 or 70.
Charlott
You are right. Joe Young was in real estate.
Bill Seaton
Since you brought it up Arthur, Wriglelys and Beemans were not equal chewing gums in those days. Wrigleys was the king and Beemans was more of a novelty of varying flavors. The big question was ‘Which Wrigleys did you choose?’–Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, or Spearmint? As I recall, one fellow who often comments on these pictures was a Doublemint guy.
judy
Larry Young (CB Young) had the real estate office on May Street. I think that at one time Joe Young had an explosive business and he lived down on Cascade Ave. His wife was Dorothea.
spinsur
I’m w/ Judy on this one, Joe Young had a number of properties down on Wasco, and I believe his son still has the explosives business.
Arlen Sheldrake
Remember well my Dad’s same shirt. No help with the names although a couple of vaguely familiar faces. Look forward to more from this collection Arthur….., the doublemint guy.
Norma
Lee isn’t sure that is Web Hill. He says that the second man is Ray Meyer, (Maybe Meyer’s cleaners) third man is Judge Ned Johnson, George Johnson’s Dad. Dale Young lives at the end of May Street and may still have the explosives.
Jim Gray
The second man is Jim Meyer, the long time chief, also of Meyer’s Cleaners
Arthur
I’ll be posting the photo that brought up the discussion of Beemans vs. Wrigleys at a later date. You’ll also get to see the popular cigarettes from the era. I went through a brief period of Beemans Black Jack and Beemans Clove gums– both are still around. Seeing the logo instantly reminded me of Chuck Yaeger and "The Right Stuff."
PK
What? Nobody remembers Joe "Oil Heat" Young?? I believe he had the Texaco distributorship in the late 40s- early 50s. He used a 4×5 camera. I have a photo that Joe took of my dad up on the Cooper Spur Ski run. I think he lived on 8th, 9th, or 10th St, just off the north side of Oak st. I could be wrong about that.
Jeffrey Bryant
A mid-1950’s booklet on Hood River shows Joe B. Young was the Texaco Distributor. The 1973 phone book shows Joe "Oil Heat" Young’s business at 13th and Wasco, with residence at 1002 Oak. He also had an explosives distributorship using his home address.
Joseph Bayard Young, b. 12 Jan 1915 in Idaho, d. 7 Dec 1989 in Hood River. His widow died in 2009.
Charlott
I stand corrected, thank you. Too many Young’s. Yes that is Ned Johnson, knew I knew who it was, but couldn’t find the name.
l.e.
I am in Chicago right now, and just walked by the Wrigley Building yesterday. Started out making soaps but the chewing gum was a bigger hit.
Looks like a nice new motor on the boat. Mercury?
Bonnie Crown
I have this picture and yes, the new amubulance and rescue boat were the reason for the picture. I do know that the Legion donated the boat. Pictured from left to right: Web Hill, Jim Meyers, Ned Johnson, Scott Parker ( my Dad) and Bob Samuels. My kids spend many happy hours at the Fire Station "visiting" Grandpa Scott, sitting in the old fire truck and sliding down the pole.
Arthur
Thanks for the IDs Bonnie. Make sure you check out the July 13th photo, I think your Dad is in that one too.
Jo Ann Edstrom Ahmed
I think the man on the left is Johnny Murray
Nancy Trotic
Yes, the info Jeffrey gave is correct re Joseph Bayard Young. He is listed in the 1940 census as having a service station (age 25). He’s my first cousin twice removed. I talked with his son Dale last spring, and yes, I think he did mention explosives. I have pictures of Joe & Dorothea from my great-grandmother’s album. I had no idea he took all these great photos!
Arthur
Nancy, we can’t be 100% sure Joe Young took these photos, but his name keeps appearing in the documentation. If someone from the family can verify he had the photographic skills it would be another piece of circumstantial evidence. The images are mostly on 4×5 sheet negatives, which suggests access to professional equipment, perhaps owned by the HRFD.
Nancy Trotic
Arthur, I just e-mailed Joe Young’s son and gave him the link to this discussion. Hopefully he can confirm whether his father was indeed the photographer!
Dave
I grew up exactly one block north of Joe "Oil Heat" Young’s residence in the 60’s – 1002 Cascade – and my parents bought heating oil from Joe every year.
Lesa
Second man is James "Jim" Meyer of Meyer’s Cleaners. They had no "s" on the end of their name. Joseph C. Meyer, Sr was his father, and was at one time a Mayor of Hood River. His brother, Lt. Joseph "Joe" C. Meyer, Jr was moms fiance, during WWII. He was a flying ace, and flew p-47’s from a secret airbase in England. His plane crashed while returning from a bombing raid over Germany. He is buried in the American Cemetery in France. Jim was also a flyer, he flew the planes that towed the gliders, if I remember what Mom told me correctly.
brian murray
the man farthest left is my uncle – john murray. he died in 2000.
Tom Hackett
Joe Young did have an oil distributorship, mainly heating oil. He was an avid photographer and had a darkroom in his residence. He later went into the explosives business. He and his wife Dorothea had three children. His oldest son ( my age, b 1947, died in a mountaineering accident on Mt. Hood in 1981, I believe. His youngest son lives in Hood River.
Jeanie Senior
Tom Hackett, Larry Young, Jim Meyer’s daughter Merlee were members of the class of 1965 at Hood River High school. Larry and his wife were members of a group of climbers who died on Mount Hood.