1916 — 100 years ago
Directors of the Apple Growers Association are this year are giving considerable thought to the proposed packing houses. While they have not yet announced any definite plans, they have sent out the following to members: “Many of our members have expressed a desire for community packing house, the desire being to secure a more uniform grade and pack at less expense in preparing the fruit for market. Any community desiring to secure a community packing house to handle the 1916 crop should apply to the office of the Association immediately, as the only way in which the community packing houses can be secured for handling this season’s crop is by prompt action at this time.”
J.H. Hazlet announces that G.Y. Harry, organizer for the Woodrow Wilson League, will be in Hood River Thursday and a meeting will be held at 8 that evening at the offices of Wilber and Hazlett for the purpose of perfecting a local Wilson organization. All voters who favor Wilson’s reelection, regardless of party affiliations, are invited to be present.
1926 — 90 years ago
Mount Hood was in one of her most appropriate moods on Tuesday evening, when the Guides Ski Club and a number of friends from Hood River and Portland assembled at the Homestead to enjoy a banquet, prepared by Host and Hostess J.O. Hannum. The mountain was entirely clear as the visitors arrived and in the half-light between sunset and dark, stood out against the darkening sky in all her pure but chilly beauty.
Gray squirrels are as scarce as hen’s teeth this spring and if any have survived the disease which ran through the ranks of these animals, they are not showing themselves. The same disease evidently cut deeply into the grey diggers, for few are seen where formerly they were too plentiful for the comfort of ranchers. However, there must have been a special dispensation for moles — and green aphids — for every garden patch in the lower valley is suffering from the activity of these two pests.
1936 — 80 years ago
Two more frame buildings, relics of very early days in Hood River, were tumbling down on Oak Street this week under the wrecking bar. They were the stores occupied for many years by J.C. Johnsen, one of the oldest business firms in this city, and by Elmer Fisher, a more recent arrival. They are the last of the frame-construction store buildings on Oak Street, and they will be replaced in the near future, by two modern structures and will be later occupied by the tenants who vacated the frame buildings.
For the past two years, the Columbia River here has been dropping as a result of the chilly weather, which has slowed up the spring freshet. Three days ago, said Bridge Tender Connaway, the river at the bridge was at 71.9 feet, and the water level north of town was only three inches lower than the expected level, when the dam is completed, of 72 feet. Between April 11 and 22, the river raised 18 feet. Connaway believes the spring freshet is now about over and that further rises will not be seen this year.
1946 — 70 years ago
With the calling of a nationwide rail strike yesterday and a general tie-up of all rail transportation, Postmaster W.B. Small, of Hood River, announced that an embargo on acceptance of all classes of mail, except letters, registered and ordinary, not exceeding one pound in weight, had been ordered by the Postmaster General. All normal mail may be accepted for local delivery and all normal mail may be accepted for movement entirely within an area not affected by rail curtailments, such as star and boat cruises.
With the third and final reading of the ordinance providing a franchise to Allyn Button for the operation of a bus line between downtown Hood River and the Heights section, this new public service in transportation is now in effect. Operation of the bus service began yesterday (Thursday) with Button and Ed Vannet as drivers. For the present the bus is leaving Second Street and Oak for the Heights on the hour every hour, going as far as Belmont Road.
How did the pioneers feel when they crossed the plains?
A group of Westside school kids have a little better idea than they used to.
Under guidance of teachers Tony Vaught and Faye Menefee, a group of first and sixth graders set out on a mini-Oregon trail trek from their school to Frankton school, where they were greeted by students.
“We wanted to stay off roads as much as possible,” said Vaught, who was sort of a wagon master. So they headed north through Dan Hanners’ orchard toward May Street from Belmont. They took a detour on May, then headed north again cross country.
They circled the wagons once for a jerky break, and they repeated the procedure for lunch just before they hit the May Street road. It was there that they were victims of an “Indian attack.” It just happened that the lunch stop was within a stone’s throw of Gloria Price’s kindergarten, so that group donned war paint and bonnets they made and whooped it up around the first grade pioneers. After lunch, the “Indians” all lined up to wave goodbye as the wagons rolled north.
It was really more than a one-day event. Wagons had to be prepared, travois’ constructed, and food and snacks assembled. The jerky break wasn’t the only effort they made to simulate pioneer fare. At lunch, for a touch of realism, they ate leftovers from the Westside kitchen.
The menu was chili, biscuits with cheese and peanut butter, and milk. They had one idea for their wagon train that probably didn’t occur to the pioneers. They tie-dyed the covers for their “prairie schooners,” and some of them dyed shirts to match.
They arrived at Frankton school on schedule, and the pupils there held up their ends of the celebration in good style, and everyone went home feeling a little more knowledgeable in what the pioneers had to put up with. And that went for the teachers, too.
— Hood River News, May 27, 1976
1956 — 60 years ago
Tentative plans to rebuild the Jaymar mill and lumber company planning mill, which was destroyed by fire shortly after 2:45 p.m. Saturday, were announced this week by Jack Mohr, secretary-treasurer of the Oregon Corporation. Loss of the planer shop, mill shop and planning mill was estimated at $46,000 by Mohr. “We’re still in the business because of the excellent work of the fire departments,” Mohr said. He praised the cooperation and work of the mutual aid program and added that “if they had hesitated for a second, the sawmill would have gone up in flames, too.”
Over 75 percent of the registered voters in Hood River County cast ballots in the Friday primary election and the issue of fluoridating the city water was defeated 1,076 to 364 by a heavy turnout of voters in four city precincts.
1966 — 50 years ago
Crazy Days, three of them, return to Hood River next week when the city’s merchants stage their fifth annual merchandising spree. Once a year, local businessmen don their most foolish apparel, put out some sidewalk displays, mark down the price of almost every item in their stores, and invite Mid-Columbia shoppers to come to down to laugh and save. There will also be a parade Saturday morning.
Crystal Springs Water District voters go back to the polls this Friday, this time to vote on a $915,000 revenue bond issue for major improvements in the pipeline system. Improvements planned consist of replacement and enlargement of the major arterial distribution pipelines throughout the service area, and the construction of two additional reservoirs.
1976 — 40 years ago
Girls will wear gold and boys blue caps and gowns when the 200-member Class of 1976 goes through commencement exercises on May 27 in the Hood River Valley High School gymnasium. This year, the class promises an interesting sidelight for parents and friends attending — a slide show before the ceremony which will feature individual pictures of graduating seniors.
Ninety-two Hood River Valley High School students got a direct taste of politics as they became involved in political issues and met three of the 1976 candidates during the Mock Democratic Convention in Portland May 19-21. Seven students were from Cascade Locks. Hood River represented the state of Texas and had one of the largest delegations at the convention, held at the Memorial Coliseum. Texas chairmen were HRVHS seniors John Chin and Susan Niemuth. Chin met and talked with Jimmy Carter, and gave him a Texas hat before the candidate addressed the convention Friday morning.
1986 — 30 years ago
No, said the Civil Control Administration Leader, Michi Yasui could not travel the three blocks on the evening of May 31, 1942, to receive her University of Oregon diploma. Not even in the custody of the dean of women. The Hood River student was of Japanese ancestry, and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a curfew was established for Americans of Japanese ancestry. There would be no exception for Miss Yasui, said the deputy chief, civilian staff, of the Wartime Civil Control Administration. Now, 44 years later, Michi Yasui Ando of Denver will at last receive the degree she earned. Now a first grade teacher, she has agreed to be a guest of honor at the University’s June 15 commencement, where she will at last receive her degree.
The earth is flat. The stock market will never break 1800. The wind always blows in Hood River. Axioms usually die hard, but when they do, they often die with finality and flair. For the many sailboarding enthusiasts who chose to spend their Memorial Day holiday in Hood River, the realization that even the “Sailboarding Capital of the World” has its windless days was akin to the frustration felt by a little kid visiting an amusement park … and discovering the rides silent, the gate padlocked shut.
1996 — 20 years ago
Eight years ago a group of concerned citizens with a common goal of providing quality recreation for the people of the valley came together and convinced voters to form the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District. This past Sunday, founding members gathered to cut the ribbon the first facility since that beginning eight years ago — the grand opening of the renovated Hood River Aquatic Center. The original pool was built in 1947.
Zoe Purnell has a gift for bridging gaps between people of different cultures. She has used that gift for almost 20 years in the Hood River County School District to help Hispanic students and their parents become more involved in the educational process. Purnell’s diligence and success with migrant education at Wy’east Middle School were recognized this week, when she was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Hood River Rotary and Spring United Telephone.
2006 — 10 years ago
Hood River is about to see the unveiling of a new map of the city: A walking map showing the area’s plentiful public art spots. The map will be presented to the community at the June 2 First Friday event. About 35 Hood River Middle School students have been working on the project since November, doing research, identifying public art, developing criteria, photographing, sketching, designing, mapping and producing art maps.
Horizon Christian School is changing the skyscape on the Heights in Hood River. Crew members aboard a high lift installed rafter caps on the west end of the building, at Eighth and Pacific streets. The 30,000-square-foot building is ahead of schedule, said administrator Chris Herring. “We’re working hard to get the new campus open for business in September,” Herring said. Phase one includes classrooms and offices. Phase two will be the gym and cafeteria, and phase three will be athletic fields.
— Compiled by Trisha Walker, news staff writer
Commented