Historic Hood River
Who’s Who, 1890’s Edition
Notes
This image shows a group of young men with very familiar names. I’m not sure what event gathered this grouping. They seem too old to be a school class.
I date this image to the 1890s based on the content. It is a W.E. Neff image, as are many of our earlier images. The opening of the Neff Bros. studio in Hood River was announced in the April 29, 1893 issue of The Hood River Glacier.
Back row:Â Frank Watson, Dell Rand, George Stranahan, Hod Currin (?), Bill Isenberg, Gene Bush, John Buck.
Second row:Â Charles Backus, Dug Langell (Langille), Will Hayner, Howard Isenberg, Marv Rand
Third row:Â Clarence English, Bill Graham, Wid Stranahan, Bert Stranahan, Dorence Smith
To narrow down the date of this image:
Bert Stranahan was born in 1871 according to this biography.
Clarence English was born in 1869.
Doug Langille was born in 1874.
William Isenberg was born in 1872, Howard in 1874 according to this post.
We see at least three of these men working at Cloud Cap Inn in 1888/1889, per this earlier post.
We know from this issue of The Hood River Glacier W. E. Neff lived in Hood River from 1887- 1907. According to this issue in 1889 he was doing horseshoeing (at least two days a week!), though this issue says in 1892 he moved to Forest Grove to open a photo studio. Perhaps he left for a year before returning to open his Hood River studio in 1893.
L.E.
Any idea who Wid Stranahan is?
Arthur Babitz
I don’t know who Wid was, but nicknames were big in the family. Bert was Albert, his uncle Charles Horace was “Hod”. I think George and Wid were among the many Stranahan cousins in Hood River, with Bert’s father Oscar having at least two brothers in Hood River.