Historic Hood River
Oregon Lumber Company, 1932
8-20-2018
Notes
The panoramas don’t play so well on this site so I’ve included a detail. This is an Ed Wonsyld image of the staff of the Oregon Lumber Company mill at Dee taken in July, 1932.
The History Museum of Hood River County
Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life
Charlott
We need to keep in mind that those were hard times and these guys probably felt very lucky that they had jobs. I am certain they worked very hard every day. I think even with jobs it was a struggle to maintain a family.
I think the guy in the jodhoppers might be the higher up……then there is the guy at the extreme left who also looks a little better "heeled."
L.E.
Charlott is right about these men being lucky to have a job.
Some good reading here about the timber industry and the depression.
https://oregonhistoryproject.org/narratives/the-oregon-coastforists-and-green-verdent-launs/unions-and-hard-times/the-great-depression-2/#.W3rQji3MxaQ
People who had farms in this area were able to feed themselves, but many lost their farms because they couldn’t pay the taxes.
It would be interesting to know how the Oregon Lumber Company survived during the depression.
lee
This picture was taken on lolo pass road which was called "Upper Camp" close to Ladd Creek. Many years ago we dug for bottles and I did find a soup bowl that was all there. There is another pic taken at the Mill site in Dee itself which has my dad in it plus a lot of other people from the area.
Arlen Sheldrake
yes, hard times….including the closure of the John H Sheldrake store in Parkdale
. Jodhoppers?
Buzz
I don’t understand the notes and the picture and lee’s comment. This looks like a sawmill crew as the notes imply, but it looks like the picture is taken and lee’s comment implies that it is away from the mill and at "Upper Camp" where the logging was taking place. Was there also a mill at the "Upper Camp"? Or am I just missing something?
lee
Buzz The top pic Mt Hood is in the gap behind the 5th and 6th men on the left side of pic. They logged all that area and used the railroad to move the logs to Dee, also they had scooters to run the men and women to Dee and back I rescued some wheels and axels while hunting mushroons . My dad would go to camp and work the summers while going to college if you remember the tressel on the hillside coming down from Lost Lake that was part of the railroad grade, it was only 7 or 8 miles from Dee
Arthur
Good point Buzz– I probably should not have included the word "mill" in the notes. These folks worked for the Oregon Lumber Company but not necessarily at the Dee Mill. We have another panorama with many more folks in it taken at the mill two days earlier. I’ll confess I was looking at one photo while I posted the other. Thanks to Lee for adding all the great detail.
If Arlen looks carefully behind the cook he’ll see a railcar on the tracks.
Greg Oates
My grandfather and other family members worked for the Oregon Lumber Company during the thirties. These hard working men look pretty lean to me, which reminded me of something my granddad said. He overheard one of the upper management men say one fall, "the men look fat enough I guess they will survive if we close the mill for the winter". Life was difficult for a lot of families during the depression.
L.E.
Does the gap have a name? Is that Lolo Pass?
Arthur, I think we should get the rest of the crew in a detail.
nels
Just traveled Lolo Pass yesterday, taking a person to ZigZag. Where would that ‘upper mill’ have been located? Large trees up there but saw flags along the road as if to cut. Looked up Devil’s Walking Stick as I saw some up there and it is listed as a rain forest plant. Long trip across and when we finally hit pavement it was quite broken up and sinking in some areas, plus a 5 mile detour. Plan to go back after it rains.