Historic Hood River
Meet The Buskirks
4-12-2011
Notes
Here’s the Buskirk family in front of their cabin. They are identified as (l-r): Lewis Stephan Lee Buskirk (b. 1880), Stella Mae Buskirk (b. 1892), John Pryor Buskirk (b. 1843), and Anna Vertrees. No ID is provided for the kittens. Based on the ages of the children, this photo probably dates circa 1900.
Dan
Wonder what’s going on with the roof. It looks like the metal roofing is pried up with a small chunk of wood. Ventilation maybe?
l.e.
I question the dates. Looking through some genealogy: John Pryor and Anna were married 1875.
One site gives
Lewis Stephen Buskirk, b. 1876
Stella Mae Buskirk, b 1878
No further information given but the age difference looks greater than two years between the two children. If the picture dates around 1900 the daughter would have to be around 22 years of age.
l.e.
I did read that John Pryor, his wife Anna, father and mother and a sister are all buried in Hood River so maybe information of the children would not be hard to find.
I would like to know how the lady in the picture looks so well kept.
I bet the east wind blew through the cracks in that house.
Arthur
The 1900 census has a Stella M. Buskirk, aged 7, living in the county, which matches the data on the back of the photo. Here’s the full data we have: "l-r: Lewis Stephan Lee Buskirk (b. 12-3-1880 d. 6-7-1959), Stella Mae Buskirk ( b. 11-22-1892 d. 9-11-1967), John Pryor Buskirk ( b. 2-9-1843 d. 12-23-1922), Anna Vertrees"
Jay
Do we know where the cabin was, generally or specifically?
Arthur
Some more info, from the letter which accompanied the photo donation in 1996: The original print was dated 1901. John Buskirk and family are described in the book, "Hood River…As I Have Known It" as the first homesteaders on the West Fork. "…there is other evidence which suggests the family spent the summer of 1901 at the homestead. The site location was not too far above the Punchbowl, perhaps at or near a place called ‘Sandy Flat’, and the house was on the west side of the river." It also adds that John Buskirk was a Civil War veteran, fighting with Union forces of the 2nd Missouri Militia Cavalry.
Dan
I know of an old homestead site in that same location, I’ll bet it was theirs.
l.e.
John Pryor’s sister, Martha Ann Buskirk, married Audubon Winans.
In Mrs. D.M. Coon’s "History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River,.." under Edgar Winans and Family 1887 there is mention of the Winans and Buskirk families.
In the e-book "Oregon, end of the trail", pg 298 it says that on the way to Dee there is an area called Winans after Ross Winans who was I think a brother-in-law to Martha Ann Buskirk.
Could the cabin have been in that area?
In the 1910 census, the Buskirks, John P. Anna, and Stella age 17 have moved to Cowlitz, WA.
Charlott
I think all this is probably quite right. Punch Bowl area isn’t that far from where the Winans family homesteaded, still some live there and have/had their mill.
Not intending at all to compare a cabin with a chicken house, but that off set top was done intentionally. I would venture a guess that in this case it was windowed to let light into the interior. I have, as a child seen chicken houses built in this manner. Screen was on the inside with windows, that could be popped out in spring/summer/fall for ventilation.
If this is in the location thought to be in, tucked in the trees on the Wst Fork east wind wouldn’t have been too much of a factor. Snow would have been more of an issue I would suspect.
I found it interesting that the logs/wood are "board and batten" style instead of the usual horizonal construction.
L.E.
The December 12, 1890 HR Glacier: page 3
Mr. Buskirk has had the posts hauled onto his lots in Waucoma, he intends fencing them in the near future.