1916 — 100 years ago
A rally will be held Sunday at 11 o’clock at Asbury M.E. Church in the interest of a dry Oregon. All who are interested in good citizenship and moral reform, who do not attend services elsewhere, are cordially invited to this service.
The deer hunting season in Oregon closed at sundown yesterday. In Hood River, very few deer have been shot this year. The very dry season, which has made it difficult to approach the game, is one reason given by hunters, while it has also been found that they are scarcer than usual, probably due to the severe winter last year when many perished.
1926 — 90 years ago
Considerable damage was done to the Loop Highway over a distance of two and one half miles south of the Horsethief Meadows ranger station by the remarkable flood last week, reports the engineer of the bureau of public roads. While a part of the damage was due to creeks overflowing, the great part was the result of a big torrent which swept directly down from the mountain and carried huge quantities of silt onto the highway. The heavy rains raced down the steep highway with silt to a depth from six to 12 inches. Never before has a flood of this kind been recorded on Mount Hood, it is stated.
1936 — 80 years ago
Hood River County has first shot in acquiring the former Butler Bank Building if the people so desire, for the First National Bank this week withdrew its request for an option on the building and now leaves the way clear for its acquirement for a modern, fireproof county courthouse. E.O. Blanchar, president of the bank, yesterday stated that the directors had carefully considered the new situation created and had definitely decided that, if expansion of the bank is necessary, they will absorb as much of their present building as may be necessary. Half of the First National Bank Building is now used as offices and stores. This leaves the county court free to pursue its own plans to acquire the Butler Bank Building in behalf of the people of Hood River County.
No Damage Done, But Picking Is Speeded
Winter staged a surprise appearance in Hood River Valley last weekend and was preceded by several snowstorms, which left from two to six inches on the ground, according to elevation, in the Upper Valley. In the middle and lower valleys, there was no snow, but heavy rainstorms held up all orchard operations for more than one week.
Sunday night, there was a sharp drop in temperature and some upper valley growers report a low of 22 degrees. While there is much fruit still on the trees in the middle and upper valley, the sharp frost apparently did not damage. However, the early advent of cold weather has prompted growers to speed up harvesting in an effort to get fruit off the trees and under cover in case the wind changes and more freezing weather sets in.
Old-timers say that it is many years since snow and freezing weather has come so early in the valley as the last week in October, and some of them recall the heavy snow and freeze of October 1919, when heavy damage was done to the apple crop, both here and in other sections of the Pacific Northwest.
Frost came to the Yakima Valley this year on Oct. 16 and laid down most of the tender garden plants. It was of short duration and no damage was done to fruit on orchard trees. Another cold spell was reported from the Yakima area the past weekend, but because it was of short duration, apples were not damaged.
If the present weather keeps on and picking operations continue at normal speed, it is considered likely that the remainder of the crop can be harvested without loss.
— November 1, 1946
1946 — 70 years ago
An annual party for members of the Hood River Volunteer Fire Department and their wives, dedicated this year to the returned servicemen of the department, was held at the country club last Saturday evening. Nineteen of the 30 members were in the armed services. Of the 19, the following are still on the roster of the fire department: R.B. Perigo, James R. Meyer, Robert R. Samuel, William T Richardson, W.A. Fleek, Malcolm S. Kresse, Clifton D. Glaze, Donald Spergen, H.R. Vaughan, John R. Murray and John C. Wilcox. Mayor Joe Meyer and other city officials paid tribute to the returned servicemen for the services they rendered their country.
1956 — 60 years ago
A style revue was presented by the sewing clubs of the Pine Grove community followed by a report of the agriculture club members in the Pine Grove School at their annual 4-H achievement program Tuesday. Bob Flint of the First National Bank made the presentation of the year pins and certificates to 4-H members for their outstanding work. Miss Beverly Gibbons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Gibbons, received a special achievement award for 10 years of excellent club work. Ed Sohler and Judy Lage received certificates for seven years of club work.
1966 — 50 years ago
Cascade Locks — City councilmen have called a special meeting for Thursday night to lay their findings on a proposed steel mill before the public. Mayor Max Neff said it will be the second of two meetings called on the subject on consecutive nights. Wednesday night they scheduled a meeting to act on a letter to the county commission. “All it says,” Neff reported, “is that we are not for this particular steel mill project. In view of the findings we have checked out at this time, we could not give an affirmative report.” He said the letter is in response to a previous request by the county commission for an option from the City of Cascade Locks, a request made some time ago.
1976 — 40 years ago
Don’t ask Ellen Patton what was going on in American politics when she reached her 21st birthday in 1897, she’d rather talk about the 1976 election. William McKinley was inaugurated in the year the Hood River centenarian reached the age of majority, but it didn’t make much difference to her. She couldn’t vote anyway and she had a lot of other things on her mind. Ellen Patton reached her 100th birthday this summer, and on the afternoon of Nov. 2, 1976, one of her two sons went with her to the polling place at the Assembly of God church and helped her vote. “At the voting ward they told my son he’d have to be my eyes and ears — they said it would be all right. He’d read the names, and the ones I knew, he would find the place, give me the puncher, and I’d punch it out.”
1986 — 30 years ago
The fifth largest number of migrant students in Oregon attend classes in Hood River County, said State Superintendent Verne Duncan in announcing Nov. 3-8 as Migrant Education Week in Oregon. Hood River’s 379 migrant students ranks it ahead of Portland and behind Nyssa in Eastern Oregon. Oregon has about 13,000 migrant students, with the largest single group in Woodburn schools (1,436).
1996 — 20 years ago
Alternatives to clear cutting in the Post Canyon area are being examined by the Hood River County Forestry Department, but no firm decisions have been made yet. That was word from County Forester Ken Galloway last week. Additional review of the timber sale was prompted by the outcry of more than 80 people who spoke out against the planned 20-acre clear cut at a meeting last month. Local and visiting bike and recreation enthusiasts’ asked that the county consider the importance of the bike trails to local residents and look at alternatives to clearcutting the area.
2006 — 10 years ago
Oak Street between Fourth and Fifth streets teemed with activity Wednesday with the filming of a commercial for Secure Horizons Insurance, inside Bette’s place and along the north side of the block, one of several Gorge locations used in the ad. “We had a lot of fun,” said Bette’s owner Gay Jones, who was filmed with her husband, Gary, for one scene with Max Mayberry of Los Angeles, a customer giving a testimonial. The ads are set to run on cable and network TV by late November.
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