Historic Hood River
PP&L Linesmen
2-17-2021
Notes
Here’s Alva Day’s PP&L line crew planting electric power poles in a rural part of the county. The number plate is dated 1922. With some knowledge of automotive technology of this era, I cringe at the thought of trusting the brakes on a hill like this. The Model T owners’ manual warns you should always be prepared to pull the emergency brake lever if the brake mechanism fails, which can happen in several ways. Hilly country like Hood River tested these vehicles. I’m not sure what model automobile this is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Alva Day had them equipped with after-market auxiliary brakes.
L.E.
Is the guy on the pole lacking pants and shoes?
Seems like it would be tough to get that long pole around corners on the narrow road.
Look like a huge chain saw blade in the window.
Tom Kloster
Are my eyes playing tricks on me or does the man straddling the log have bare legs and no shoes?
Tom Kloster
Whoops, doubled up there, L.E…!
Gladys
I think you call that a cross cut saw in the window or something like that.
L.E.
At least we confirm each others eyes Tom K.
Typical Alva Day photo. The more you look, the more detail you find. I suspect the man on the pole is turning the back wheels. I also suspect they are backing up? There are tire tracks in front of the truck.
Perhaps they had just crossed a creek?
Kyle
Looks to me like the fellow riding the pole is wearing those pants / botts that get really tight just below the knee.
ArthurB
Checking another view of this scene, he’s wearing boots with gators.
nels
Note to hrw, I can’t get into HR weather. Can you please erase this and then check?
Dale Nicol
The truck in the photo is a Dodge Brothers screen side pick up. They came out with this truck in 1918 and the model year could be 1918 to 1922 as there appears to be no basic change in the truck through the 1924 model year.
A hitch was added to pull the log pole dolly.