Historic Hood River
Wasco, Oregon
4-30-2019
Notes
Here’s a nice view of the town of Wasco, Oregon. More modern views show there are a lot more trees now!
Wasco was incorporated in 1898, and again in 1905 when they discovered it hadn’t been done quite right. I’d place this photo as circa 1900. It has the name of Lucius Clark on the reverse. The Clark’s relocated from Wasco to Hood River in 1904. Wasco had a major fire in 1903, so someone should be able to figure out if this image is before or after the fire.
Charlott
This photo shows what is now main street (Clark Street) in Wasco. Main street runs up through there where you see that false front building. If you go up that street about another block or so that is where my Great grandfather Lucius Clark had his home.
The grayish building on the far right border of photo would be Wilson Barnett’s warehouse and Grandpa Clark’s Union Lumber Co. would be just out of the
photo to that on the right.
As to whether this is before or after the fire, my instinct tells me this is very early on, as it isn’t that large.
I am not quite certain, probably have it somewhere in my records as to when the Clark’s actually moved up to Wasco from Biggs. I know there was a period of time he ran both the ferry and business at Biggs and the lumber company. Then he sold the ferry and holdings at Bigg, having just the lumber company and working in the foreclosing department of Barnett’s bank.
That is the original school and it was later replaced with the one that is there now, though no longer used as a school….
He purchased the land in Pine Grove in 1902 and the family came down to take up residency in their new big house in 1904.
Arlen L Sheldrake
some fond memories of visiting the Royce relatives in the 1950s where they had a wheat ranch just south of Wasco. on my bucket list to visit their museum in a former depot…..
Kenn
The depot of the Columbia Southern RR, later Union Pacific, is in center of photo and is now a museum. The RR was never rebuilt down to Biggs after the 1948 flood ~
L.E.
I grew up on the west side of the Cascades where homesteaders were required to clear a certain amount of ground.
One of the regular posters here at HHR made the comment one time that on the east side of the Cascades, homesteaders were required to plant trees.
Looking at this photo, I can see why.
Does anyone know if there was a good spring here as a water source? Just wondering why this spot was picked for a settlement.
Charlott
I do not think that the depot museum is open.
Arlen L Sheldrake
Charlott"¦..Wasco Depot History Center web site says Memorial Day to October 1, Friday & Saturday 1 to 4……will be a road trip…lunch at Baldwin Saloon..then Wasco.
Charlott
Glad it is open again, as it wasn’t for a long time.
Kenn
Nine miles down Spanish Hollow to the river, seems a good place for shipping from the wheat country even before the RR came through on the way to Shaniko. Wasco is at the top of the creek the RR followed.
Charlott
That is why my great-grandfather established his warehouses and receivership for the grain in Sherman County that had to come down through Spanish Hollow. It would be stored there until there was enough for some box cars of it to be shipped to Portland.
It was then some years later decided that it would be nice to be able to mill that wheat and other grains out up in Wasco and he went into business with Wilson Barnett and two other men to build and operate Wasco Milling…………..problem there was they no sooner got up and running than they punched the railroad through to Shaniko and the wheat and other grains just passed them by enroute to Portland. Part of the reason was probably, why off load grain in Wasco, mill it, then reload and go to Portland. Sadly, the mill was soon a thing of the past. Just hope they were able to get back their initial investments. There was also the loss of the milled wheat headed for China on the barge down near Cascade Locks.
Kenn
The nine miles of RR from Biggs to Wasco in Spanish Hollow was the steepest anywhere on the UP system.