1916 — 100 years ago
What is now one of Hood River’s most modern and attractive business places was thrown open to the public Saturday when D.G. Cruikshank held the former opening of the Five, Ten & Fifteen Cents Store, now located in the Bartmess Building on Oak Street. Some attractive specialties were advertised for the day and the large sales room was thronged with buyers.
1926 — 90 years ago
The summer vacation is rapidly drawing to a close and the school bell will ring again on Sept. 7. All school buildings have been repaired during the summer and a number of replacements and improvements have been made. The teaching staff for all schools have been completed. Mrs. Allen, who married during the summer, will not return to the high school office, but her place has been taken by Verretta M. Perry, of Forest Grove.
1936 — 80 years ago
“When our party had about decided that the lake we sought would have to remain lost, I chanced to look down a canyon, and through the dense smoke of a forest fire, thought I saw water. Dropping on down the hill side, sure enough it was water, and as I walked out on a rocky point, the lake gradually opened up,” says J.H. (Judd) Ferguson, of this city, a member of the first party of white Americans to reach Lost Lake, one of the outstanding gems of the Cascade Range. That was 1880, just 56 years ago this summer. Last Sunday, at the same rocky point, a group of happy vacationists and residents of Hood River, under the auspices of the Progressive Club and its president, A.L. Anderson, assembled to witness the dedication of a handsome memorial, prepared by the Forest Service, reading “Ferguson Point — Lost Lake first viewed here by J.H. Ferguson and party, August 1880.”
Battery Of Tractors Clear Large Site Plans for an athletic field at Parkdale were put into action last week when some 50 Upper Valley residents contributed their time and efforts in clearing a 300 x 400 foot field north of the school gymnasium.
Preliminary land-clearing was carried out early last week and a number of dozers, caterpillars and other tractors made a nine-foot cut on the school property and moved 11,000 yards of earth to provide a level field.
Sponsored by the Upper Valley Booster Club, the field will be seeded this year and the ample grounds will accommodate regulation fields for all sports.
Softball enthusiasts hope to have two teams playing under lights on the new field next year. Tentative plans call for the sale of bonds to finance the lights.
A D-7 and a D-3, land-clearing Cats, were donated for the earth moving job by Alan Sackett and the R. & R. construction company. Chuck Bronson donated the use of his D-7, and the following donated use of their farm tractors: Wally Hutson, Jack Sigler, Dave Cooper, Ray Sato, Earl Peugh, George Akiyama, Bill Hazeltime, Maurice Walton, Joe Smullin, Art Andrews, Web Holliday and Harry Routson.
— Hood River News, August 23, 1946
1946 — 70 years ago
Fire, of undetermined origin, on Monday night of this week caused loss in excess of $10,000, when the large apple house, on what is known as Webster No. 1 (the former Guttery ranch), on the East Side, was completely destroyed, including more than 8,000 made-up apple boxes, a quantity of shook, supplies of gasoline and oil and other materials. A nearby tenant house and a woodshed, filled with fuel, were also lost in the blaze. In addition, a large number of pear trees were either destroyed by flames and heat, or were badly damaged, together with the fruit they carried.
1956 — 60 years ago
Someone stole a bridge, according to a report to local law enforcement officers from Sheriff Ez Kaiser of Klickitat County Wednesday. Kaiser estimates the bridge was stolen sometime last month. It was a 63.7-foot long by 24-foot wide steel structure spanning Rock Creek on the old SE Highway about 23 miles east of The Dalles and 23 miles east of Goldendale. Sheriff Rupert Gillmouthe reports that local residents should keep a close watch on scrap iron and steel and should report any unusual activity of junk collectors.
1966 — 50 years ago
Moving ahead rapidly with its Locks park improvement, the Port of Cascade Locks reported this week that a new boat basin east of the old boat locks is about 60 percent complete. When it’s finished there will be mooring facilities for some 40 boats in a basin protected by breakwater. The project also includes boat launching ramp improvements. Work at the basin is part of a long-range program to improve the Columbia River Park at the east end of town.
1976 — 40 years ago
Rutty, rocky Seventh Street will undergo a face change soon, adding another good access route from downtown to the Heights area. The problem of getting the two-block, steeply inclined project approved was almost as rutty as the street, but the council voted Monday to go ahead with the work. Babler Bros. was the low bidder on the project. Estimates are the project will cost $16,321.80, or about $24.50 a front foot. One of the reasons of the high cost lies in the steep grade of the street, which escalates costs of getting materials in place.
1986 — 30 years ago
Wells Island. Its future is tied up in the courts and, if a national scenic bill is passed as written, in federal legislation as well. As the controversy continues, the Port of Hood River’s plans for developing the island — conference center, nature walks, Gorge interpretive center — have been put on hold. As time passes, both the character of the island and the needs of the area are changing. On the island, grazed pastures have been invaded by brush. An active beaver colony is felling large trees. Some heron nesting trees have fallen victim to the ravages of time and weather. Erosion continues to eat away at the island. Resident geese don’t seem to care, however. A brood count this spring, conducted by the Corps of Engineers, shows a total of 42 goose nests on the three islands known collectively as Wells Island.
1996 — 20 years ago
Although 9-1-1 emergency communication is important to the lives of Hood River County residents, the board of commissioners doesn’t expect to proceed at an emergency pace to get a new system implemented. Proceeding with caution and strong planning will help make the service more successful in the long run, said Commission Chair Bev Rowland. The board heard a presentation on the emergency services program at its commission meeting last Monday. Voters approved a ballot measure in May that created a new 9-1-1 emergency communications service district, which will be funded by its own tax base. This district will allow the 9-1-1 service to be relocated to a central site with all dispatch and emergency communications being handled from one location. The current service is located at the Hood River County Jail with calls being answered at two different sites.
2006 — 10 years ago
Work by firefighters to hold a containment line along the southern edge of the Mount Hood fire held during Thursday. Officials said the fire is contained at 50 percent at a total of 1,859 acres. The team managing the incident has estimated the fire will be fully contained by Sept. 4. Crews that were on the mountain began coming off yesterday as they began pulling out the smaller “spike” camps located away from the incident command at Mt. Hood Meadows. Highway 35 remains open with restrictions of pilot cars from White River Sno-Park to Cooper Spur Road. Campground and trail closures remain in effect.
— Compiled by Trisha Walker, news staff writer
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