Historic Hood River
Mystery Parade
8-5-2026
Notes
The participants in this parade on Oak Street are all wearing collars with symbols from some organization. Does anyone recognize the symbols? A previous archivist has dated this image “circa 1918” which seems plausible given the paved street and the automobile.
Shops visible include Keir Drug Store, Slocum and Canfield Stationers, the Hood Confectionery, Gen Theater, and Hood River Plumbing Company.
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1910s, 2nd Street, Canfield, Gem Theater, Keir Drug Store, Oak Street, Slocum, theater
Tags: 1910s, 2nd Street, Canfield, Gem Theater, Keir Drug Store, Oak Street, Slocum, theater
Dale Nicol
I wonder if the march above was related to the Women’s Suffrage movement around this time period?
Arthur Babitz
That’s been the theory, Dale, but I haven’t seen any evidence to back it up. There are no signs, just the collars, and then there are the two men leading the parade which make me wonder if it’s some non-political organization.
Dale Nicol
Is it possible for Google AI provide help on identifying the sash everyone is wearing around their neck?
Erica R
I couldn’t help myself; here is what Gemini said about the photo:
This photograph depicts a parade of the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) and their female auxiliary, Ladies of the Eagles, marching down Oak Street in downtown Hood River (passing A.S. Keir Drugs and the Brosius Building).
Key Visual Clues:
Sashes and Collars with Stars: The men leading on the right and the women following in matching dark dresses wear official fraternal regalia—specifically ceremonial collars adorned with stars and insignia characteristic of FOE officers and lodge members.
Eagle Emblems & Feathers: Notice the woman marching near the front center wearing a traditional feather headband/regalia, reflecting the eagle motif and early ritual wear used in regional Eagle Lodge parades during the 1910s.
World War I Era Context (c. 1917–1918):
The participants are carrying American flags and service banners.
During World War I, local fraternal orders like the Eagles regularly organized civic parades down Oak Street for patriotic mobilization, liberty bond drives, civic celebrations, or national lodge conventions/anniversaries.
(Historical Note: The building directly behind them is the Brosius Building at Oak and 3rd Street, featuring A.S. Keir’s Drug Store, which was a prominent fixture of downtown Hood River during the late 1910s.)
another Hukari
I wonder if it is either an Oddfellows or Mason’s regalia… both groups were well established in HR at the time.
Arthur Babitz
Erica, thanks for running the query, but I’m skeptical. Gemini is a very confident liar when it comes to history. If you reverse the search and ask it to show the Eagle’s uniforms, they look nothing like this. I cropped the image to a higher resolution view of a couple of the women, and it confidently told me another organization. When I gave it a year and location, I got yet a third group. Neither of these had uniforms which match, either!
However, using another Hukari’s suggestion I found a good match between these image and historic Oddfellows regalia. So for now, “another Hukari 1, Gemini AI 0”!
Dale Nicol
Good sleuthing and history lesson!!
L. E.
Seeing the lady with the feather hat made me wonder about the “Improved Order of Red Men” and their women’s group the Degree of Pocahontas.
Hood River did have the organization, but I couldn’t find anything about the neck banner.
Erica R
All very interesting and a good lesson about AI and history. It’s so easy to just believe what AI says when it sounds plausible. Makes sense that a Hukari would know more about our area than Gemini!
another Hukari
I was not at all sure- but had just wondered about the Masons/ Oddfellows -as some of my moms family had been members. I found some of that kind of regalia when I cleared out the family home years ago. At that time I did some research into the groups, trying to get info on some of the interesting stuff. Lots of symbols and letters/ # used in those lodges.
So really nothing on the Hukari family side that lead me to guess that!