Historic Hood River
The Blizzard of ’07
Notes
This image gives us a chance to clear up a few questions about the various Barrett Schools, as well as Professor B. L. Murphy, and also reminds us it does sometimes snow here.
The Museum has had a collection of photographs from B. L. Murphy for many generations, and during that time it got divided into at least three different collections. Last week I was able to reconnect several images with the rest of the B. L. Murphy collection for a more complete story. The “new” images include a picture of a much younger B. L. Murphy with his class of 1884 at the Monmouth Normal School, a better copy of this “snow ball fight” image which includes all the student names and the date February 5, 1907, as well as this picture captioned “West Barrett School” in the same handwriting that added all the names to the other picture.
We have images with the names “East Barrett School”, “Barrett School”, and now “West Barrett School.” I believe before 1910 there were two wooden schoolhouses in the Barrett District: this one on Barrett Road, and this one on Orchard Road. I believe Professor Murphy captioned this one “West Barrett School” to clearly distinguish it from East Barrett School. In 1910 this new school was built at the site of the old “West Barrett School”. Shortly thereafter the East Barrett School was closed, so the new school was called “The Barrett School”. We still have that great “19 Barrett School 10” sign in the History Museum (look up as you enter the courtyard).
If you compare this image with the “snow ball fight” image you’ll see the kids are wearing the same clothes, so it was almost certainly taken on February 7 1907. This picture includes a group of younger kids who apparently weren’t allowed to participate in the snowball fight. I’ll share the names of the kids when I repost the snowball fight image.
The February 7 issue of The Hood River Glacier gives details about this storm, calling it the worst storm since 1888. Apparently is snowed from February 2 to February 5, depositing two feet at city level and six feet up at Green Point mill, with avalanches in the Gorge covering train tracks with 15 to 30 feet of snow. I wonder if these avalanches were the ones we saw in this image?
L. E.
The photo is so clear!
That is a large number of students for a small area of Hood River.
School probably would have been closed if this was 2026.
Arthur Babitz
I suspect there wasn’t much formal instruction happening that day. I think Professor Murphy was wise to organize a snowball fight and some group photos. Maybe cocoa by the wood stove?
L. E.
B. L. Murphy’s grandson Tom, lived in my community. He was killed in a logging accident.