Historic Hood River
Skookum Apples
11-9-2021
Notes
I haven’t run across this apple crate label before. These are Spitzenburg apples from the C. A. Macrum orchard in Mosier, shipped under the “Skookum Brand” by the Northwestern Fruit Exchange.
“Skookum” is apparently a Chinook word meaning “strong” or “greatest.”
Category: default
Tags: agriculture, apples, fruit, fruit packing, Mosier, orchard, Skookum, Spitzenburg
Tags: agriculture, apples, fruit, fruit packing, Mosier, orchard, Skookum, Spitzenburg
L.E.
I grew up with people saying, “That’s pretty Skookum!†Meaning something was pretty good.
Along the Klickitat River is an area called Skookum Flats for Indian Skookum Wallihee who lived there.
James
How amazing that word is of Chinook origin. Cool. Well as kids we used that adjective to describe things that were really cool. How skookum….! I thought it was English slang….., but no.
L.E.
Another Skookum I was thinking about is Skookumchuck Narrows on the BC coast. Chuck is water in Chinook. The narrows is where there are strong tidal exchanges.
Steffen
Zooming in. Do I see the Mosier Totem Pole?
Arlen L Sheldrake
for us train nuts Skookum is the name off a Baldwin built 1909 2-4-4-2 steam locomotive that was restored to operation by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad that I rode behind in 2019. the loco is now at Niles Canyon Railway.
I had no idea the history of the name……..daily learning …
ArthurB
Interesting thought, Steffen. We'll have to compare it with the Mosier Totem pole. I haven't heard a history of that sculpture.
Jim Malles
Do you still have this label?