Historic Hood River
Texaco Ahead
11-1-2018
Notes
Here’s another “sign” photo. In this case the roadsign promises a Texaco station in Dee, and sure enough the large building in the background says “Texaco.” There is also a fire burning in the background.
I’m a little turned around here. Which road are we on?
Alva Day took this one on July 5, 1940
Susan Baldwin
Just north of Dittbenner corner, looking southwest?
lee
The road is Dee Highway heading South almost to Dittbener corner where Boyd Picking had his Texaco station and Dittbener had a grocery store In 1960 Boyd let me have a charge account for gas I thought I was big time I was 16 that summer and put 10,000 miles on my car.
RHD
My Grandmother Pearl Severson ran that Texaco that was ahead in Dee Oregon. Her father Olaf Severson owned it.
Arlen Sheldrake
fond memories of the Texaco station in downtown HR east of the hotel, crisp white uniforms, hats, windshield cleaning, oil check, etc….was that also the uniform at the Dee station?
Kenn
The clouds are rolling up like smoke?
L.E.
Arthur said there is a fire burning in the background, and that is probabaly what Alva is taking a photo of, but I cannot find anything about a fire in July of 1940.
L.E.
I found it.
In the Santa Cruz Sentinel Saturday, July 6, 1940
Forest Fires Raging Over Oregon Timber:
Heat and Wind Spur Widespread Blazes:
Mt Hood Region
Hood River, Oregon, July 5
Fires, with wind and heat for allies, broke out anew in Oregon today, sending vacationers scurrying from Mount Hood and destroying two industrial plants at Bend.
Fruit growers at Dee, Oregon, used power sprayers to prevent flaming debris carried by high winds from igniting orchards, barns and homes.
Firefighters said the nearby Mount Hood National forest blaze had been checked over a seven-mile front but the danger of spot fires continued. Some reports said 10,000 acres of valuable timber had been burned along with down logs and logging equipment. More than 700 men patroled the fire which forest service men blamed on careless campers. The fire forced more than 1000 campers in the Mount Hood region to leave……
The Mount Hood fire, starting near the Hood River watershed, was fought by more than 1000 men. It destroyed virtually all equipment of the Neal Creek Lumber company.
The article then goes on to talk about the fire at Bend, one at Astoria and several others.
Mary Cecil
My Dad, Howard Nealeigh, worked for Neal Creak Lumber Co at the time and helped fight the fire. They were laid off for several years while the mill was being rebuilt. He worked at the local fruit packing plant in Hood River until he went back to work at Neal Creek and finally retired from the company in the seventies….
Dwaine (Spike) Goodwin
Arlen Sheldrake: That was Kramer’s Texaco. Jerry Kramer’s dad’s place.