Historic Hood River
Not a Bad Place to Work
12-4-2025
Notes
I often struggle to identify where an image was taken, but not this time. I believe Alva Day and crew had a job up Laurance Lake Road south of Parkdale when they stopped to take this classic Hood River Valley vista. Who can resist stopping at this spot to take a quick shot? They have the trusty cross cut saw in the pickup, which I am guessing is a 1920s Chevy? Hopefully Dale can confirm.
It’s nice to see how little has changed in a hundred years. I wonder what Laurance Lake Road was called before they built Laurance Lake?
Dale Nicol
Arthur, It’s possibly a 1 ton Chevy with a custom built cab structure. Hard to tell from this photo.
There was a truck body manufacturing company in Portland…..the name escapes me, but WAAAM has a green color painted, 1925 International truck with a custom body they made for the Stein Bakery that was in Museum 2. The truck has a brass plate indicating the body maker.
Maybe the pick up body was made by the same company for the Pacific Power Co.
Arthur Babitz
Took another look and I can see the “DB” logo on the hubcap for Dodge Brothers. Dale was able to identify this truck in another post with a clearer view: https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/ppl-linesmen/
Dale Nicol
Thanks Arthur!
L. E.
Now days, logging has a bad reputation, but if it hadn’t been for the removal of trees for orchards, farm ground and lumber, we wouldn’t have the views that we have today.
This area looks like it may have been a natural meadow, but I bet big trees were also removed.
I often think of my view of Mt Adams. I don’t think the early pioneers had that view. They just had big trees in the way, that they had to remove so they could farm.
Arthur Babitz
LE, I was discussing this same question with someone yesterday. Given how similar the outline of the meadow is after 100 years, my bet is the soils here don’t support large tree growth very well. I often look at the hillsides in our old images to match the treeless patches– many of them are remarkably stable, while 100 year old clearcuts or burns are invisible.