The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-04-09
HOOD RIVER so YEARS AGO
lContinued from 4th page.l


addition to our little neighborhood.
]. M. Benson had taken up farm on
Indian creek, so called from the Indian
village of some ten or twelve houses
built of split cedar boards and used du-
ring the winters.
January %, 1859, from our record !
read: "KilIed two hogs; weight 280
pounds; sold at IA cents, or $500 "
There was money in raising hogs then.
"February l4-Sold one yoke oxen to
John Day; price $l60.n This was the
man from whom the John Day river
was named.
Our record does not tell Of the first
post office and postmaster, but 1t must
have been opened in 1859, with Mrs.
Martha Benson p. NJ, and was kept at
the N. S. Benson place, just east of the
Lost Lake Lumber company's mill.
This was great convenience, as be-
fore that time the mail came through
the pursers of the boats, aud was fire.
quently delayed and lost.
Tuesday, February % = Steamer
Mary sunk Mt Horns landing; ran on
submerged stump" This landing Is
on the Edgar Locke farm. Broke ther-
mometer again, and it could not be re-
placed until June l.
In March, Mr.. and Mrs Butler and
Mr.. and Mrs. Whiting came. Mr.
Butler took up the place afterwards
known as the Odell ranch, and Whit
ing took place adjoining on the west.
monday, June 6. 1S59-Commeneed
papering the rooms; won't they look
nice with such pretty paper?" This Is
in mothers handwriting.
Tuesday, June Walker and Max.
well, road makers, came to supper.
This was the party that opened what
was known as the Walker trail to the
Willamette valley via the west fork of
Hood river and Chitwood lake.
monday, June 27-ElectiOn returns,
precinct of Hood River: Congressman,
d. Logan, rep, s; Lansing Stout, dem.,
Az
Some time in the spring Of this year
a man named Stadden took up the
place now known as the Turner farm
and built a log cabin on 1t. This cabin
was used by Butler and Whiting as a
store room while they were building
their houses; Stadden assisting them.
On returning to the Stadden house, one
evening, they were surprised to find
that some person or persons had broken
into the cabin and stolen the bulk of
their provisions. Inquiry at the cabin
Of the Gordon boys ELECTED the fact
that band Of Indians had passed up
the valley that day by way of Stad-
den's. OF course it was the Indians
that were guilty, and on the return oi
the band they were accused of the
theft This they Indignantly denied
and opened their packs for inspection.
They then demanded that the cabin oi
the GordOns be searched, and declared
they would do so If the whites did not.
So the only thing to be done was to &c
and prove that a white man was inca
capable of violating one Of the Ten
Commandments. The GOrdons de
clared they would not have the cabin
searched. but seeing It was useless to
resist, they stood by and witnessed the
indignant searchers haul out the miss.
ing provisions from under the fool
and out of the hunks. The two young
men could well have thanked their
lucky stars that they did not grace the
limb Of an adjoining tree; but more
moderate counsel prevailed. They were
shown the trail aud advised to chit it
without undue loss of time. And,
needless to say, they took the gentle
hint without unnecessary delay and
made themselves scarce.
An incident OF two that occurred