Historic Hood River

Notes

I suspect Ward Cornell’s interest in the Dee Mill was because of his friend and partner Gifford Uptegrove’s experience in the lumber business.  Uptegrove’s brother managed the family business, a large operation centered in Johnson City Tennessee which harvested poplar trees to make cigar boxes.  This extensive research covers the history of the family’s mills up to Gifford Uptegrove closing it down to retire in 1956.  You can read here how they purchase an extensive tract of virgin timber up to 18′ circumference to turn into cigar boxes.  Apparently they used a new veneering machine which allowed them to cut cedar to less that 1/100th inch to veneer the poplar boards they would sell to cigar box manufacturers.

The Dee Mill was processing fir and other local species for construction purposes. This view captures the organized chaos that is a lumber mill.  You can see the mill pond to the left, with the conveyor belt lifting wood up to the mill building, where it would be transformed onto lumber which dumped out to the rail siding on the other side.

This is also a fine view of the Dee Hotel.  My guess is you weren’t sleeping much past dawn if you were staying at this hotel.

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