Historic Hood River
Parkertown Mill Circa 1890
7-18-2012
Notes
The arrow points to J.E. Binns, working at a sawmill at Parkertown circa 1890. Parkertown is described as being near Green Point. I understand Green Point is where the Kingsley Reservoir is now located.
Someone has drawn in some detail of the steam driven apparatus in pencil.
Arlen Sheldrake
I wonder how many guys it took feeding slab wood into that boiler to keep her steaming and powering the mill…..great picture of an era where NOTHING was easy. Even with the open roof, I’ll bet that was one hot room.
Connie
A group of hard working men to be sure. Notice the young man standing on the far right. I am always amazed at the multi-generational impact of seeing these early images.
Charlott
Pine Grove Grade School in my time had a slab wood furnace. One year my grandfather did the janitorial work at the school and I was privileged to get to go down in the furnace room with him. I don’t know whether it was one furnace with two doors or two furnaces, but especially when it was winter, snow and dropped temperatures he was always loading up that furnace to keep that big school warm for everyone.
Robert Duddles
I have been to Parkertown several times. It overlooks I-84 just east of Mitchell Point.
Arthur
The 1911 county map identifies Parkertown at the intersection of Riordan Hill Road and Binns Hill Road. This is where the Binns Hill Staging area of the county trail system is located.
L.E.
From the November 26, 1897 HR Glacier pg 2
The Storm at Parker’s Mill
The wind storm last week was severe at Parker’s mills. Big trees were broken off 40 feet from the ground and the tops strewn in all directions. The continued heavy rains had softened the ground, and every strong gust of wind toppled over hundreds of them. About twenty trees fell across the road between Jack Binns’ house and the mill. Fred Bailey was moving to the valley, and just as he had completed loading his family and household goods on the wagon, ready to start down the mountain, Frank Davenport, who had started down, returned and advised Mr. Bailey not to start. He took his advice, an it is well he did, for the way the trees kept falling across the road, he would surely have been hemmed in and himself and family might have been killed by the falling trees. Many sections of the Davenport Co.’s flume were destroyed and the loss to the company is considerable.