Historic Hood River
Wells Island
1-17-2019
Notes
This view of the Columbia River west of Hood River is from a 1907 Blythe family album/ scrapbook. I’m pretty sure that’s Wells Island, though I am uncertain about the vantage point. Lining up the distant hills and Wells Island in Google Earth seems to place the camera slightly north of the Waterfront Park, a bit higher than water level. Maybe someone else will try and get a more accurate triangulation.
L.E.
Looking forward to hearing ideas of where the photo was taken from. Where could you have been that high above the river?
James
Kinda looks like Ruthton Point(see those tell-tale basalt rocks), but for all the trees in the Columbia. Must be winter high water in the river. Sheldon Struck told me stories of his Grandfather farming grass hay/wheat when the water was low in the summer.
James
Well Island must have connected to Ruthton Point on the river. Vantage point for the camera was the old Meredith Motel site…..thereabouts….!
L.E.
A good comparison.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=393
L.E.
James…high water is in the spring. Generally May and June with hopes that the water goes down by late June so you can start haying in July.
A very seasonal life style. Bad for the farmer if there was a late snow melt in the mountains or a heavy snowmelt with high water extending into the summer.
With a high water steamboats and ferries could get much closer to dropping and loading passengers and supplies at the destination. Eliminated the long walk up the sandy bank.
An everchanging seasonal way of life that we don’t have much connection with anymore.
Arthur
OK, so two wrong IDs for me in a row! I agree this seems to match the earlier view from Ruthton, which would explain the high vantage point. I need to go back to Google Earth to double check.
James
Right L.E., no doubt a June flood from great snow melt, because the trees are leafed out, so late Spring, early summer photo. But photo #393 really confirms this location, looking down from the bluff, into Grampa Struck’s hay fields…., probably a late crop got planted, hopefully…..! But this does confirm that Wells Island was quite a bit larger in the early 19 hundreds…..!
James
In fact Wells Island maybe was a peninsula early on, before it graduated to Island status….., this pic wants to say that in 1907 Wells Island maybe was not an island, yet…..!
nels
Is that Dock Grade on the other side?
nels
Used to give old Dr. Wells a lift after church to his house on the bluff overlooking the Hook. He lived on that island with his wife and there was a road to the mainland. Except in high waters. When he got drafted into the military his wife eventually moved into town at the apartment building just west of Mike’s Ice Cream. He had a tractor and a barn out there. Adopted twins from a patient. One son ran the Christmas Store just west of the the Hood River Hotel. Took him home one Sunday and a sign said "Do not leave Stan here. The house is locked." So I would take him there to check on his tomatoes and berries and then out to the Hawks Ridge. He hated it as all the ladies were always asking for diagnoses. The military extended his duties even after the war was over. He always laughed about "all those wind surfers down there swimming in that sewage." Also mentioned selling that island several times over.
nels
Not sure how the info meshes with TD dam closing in 1937. Just repeating what he told me and what I observed.
nels
Not "HR Hotel" Should be Columbia Gorge Hotel.
Lani
nels – TD dam closing in 1937? Maybe a typo. The coffer dam was closed in 1957.
Charlott
Remember Dr. Wells vividly. Though no relation to my Wells family he always called my Mom "Sis." My cousin’s wife Hazel was his office gal for years and years until she moved away.
He did love football and was generally Wy’east on the side line doctor.
Dwaine (Spike) Goodwin
Dr. Wells was our family Doctor during the 50’s and ’60’s. His office was just east of HRHS on May Street across from the park and baseball field.