The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-05-18
BIG DEVELOPMENT
IN UPPER VALLEY
ORCHARDISTS CLEAR LARGE TRACTS
Long Keeping GravenSteinS Raised Bet
ter Transportation Facilities Adds
Increased Stimulus to Progress.


Some of the most extensive develop
ment work in Hood River county this
year is being done in the Upper
Valley. Two Of the largest orchard
companies operating in the county have
been busily engaged since the opening
of Spring clearing their large tracts
of land. North of Parkdale the Bone
boro Orchard Co., under the super
vision of j. w. Mcdonald, one of the
owners of the tract, has cleared and
set to trees about lao acres. South of
the little city the Oregon Apple Co. of
Hood River with large crew of Jap
anese laborers is developing its hold
ings. The work of this company is
managed by F. f. McCrea, Bruce
Schuman and Geo. Baker. Many in
dividuals are clearing private tracts.
The following article, written by
James f. Montgomery and J. d. Thorn
ison, who made special trip in the
Upper Valley to secure the material,
recently appeared in Sunday edition
of the Oregonian:
Nesting between the Booth Hill
ridges, separating it from the Lower
Hood River Valley, and the foothills
surrounding the spire shaped peak of
old Mount Hood, with its fertile soil
watered by many sparkling streams
fed by the glaciers from the mountain,
the Upper Hood River Valley has
woven a charm around the hearts of its
inhabitants and casts spell over every
traveller that enters its portals. A
half century ago the spot was absolute
ly virginia., unmolested by any human
being except when wandering hunt
ing party of Columbia river Indians
came to seek sport chasing the abund-
ant game in the shadowy vistas of the
forests. The Indians never chose to
make permanent villages in this
country; for life was easier in the
lower river valleys where fish were
plentiful and supplied their daily
needs, fresh in summer and dried for
the winters repast,. The bolder
spirits of the tribes found diversion in
occasional visits to the upper region
where battles with grizzlies and
mountain lions tried their courage.
When the pioneer pale face came,
however, searching for new locality,
where he might make his home and
build fortune, the we'll watered and
deep fertile soil atarcted him and many
of the oldest homesteads of the Hood
River district are situated here. Clear.
ings were made and gradually a settle
ment, known as Mt. Hood, 'came into
existance. But in those early days the
fruit industry had not yet even beer
prophesied and the early farmers spent
their time and energy on diversified
farming and stock raising, planting only
enough land in orchard for their home
use. The returns from field and
meadow land were good and the set,
tiers were content and prosperous as is
evident by the number of substantial
country homes in the Mt. Hood com.
munity. A country store was built and
post office was established. The
people partook of the few luxuries anG
enioyed the conVeniences of the
typical rural community. After the
wonderful possibilities Of utilizing the
states soil for fruit production the
quietitude of the region still remained
unbroken. Many miles distant from 6
railroad, and made more remote anC
| inaccessible because of bad roads, the
meadows and grain fields were fol
many years undisturbed. Even in the
past decade the environment has re-
mained much the same. However,
within the past five yers, after the
Lower Hood River Valley had beer
turned into an enormous orchard, itt
fruit winning al national fame, few
far seeing men, attracted by the soil
which has the same characteristics OF
that of the lower region, have cleared
about 1900 acres of the Upper Valley
and set them in commercial orchards.
After being handicapped for many
years by poor transportation facilities
the extensionsof the Mt. Hood Railroad
to the new village of Parkdale and the
opening of the water grade road along
Neal Creek to the Upper country
within the past year, has stimulated
the development which is being pushed
in all parts. In the past it was necess
ary to make the long drag to the sum
NIT OF Booth hill which was nearly
100 feet and then drop down to abou
a 1000 foot elevation, while now it il
possible to 90 in on modern roaC
which scarcely shows a grade to go by
rail to several stations in the heart o
the section.
Since the opening of the rail exten
sion from Dee, where the big electric
ally driven mill of the Oregon Lumbe
Co. is located in the gorge through
which Hood river breaks from tht
Upper to the Lower country, to Park
dale, the latter village at the terminus
of the line has grown in brief yeal
from nothing to hamlet supporting
school, church, hotel, large genera
store, saw mill and warehouses. Tht
local boosters organized as the Uppe
Hood River Valley Progressive Asso
citation hold frequent meetings in tho
ParkdaIe hall which is also socia
center with its good dance floor ant
stage for amateur theatricals.
The enthusiastic officers of the or
ganization seem to have very goot
grounds for their assertions that theil
section in few years will be furnish
ing as many of the apples which havt
made Hood River a name familiar al
over the world as will be grown in th'
area betweensthem and the Columbii
where the great bearing orchards o
Hood River now are. For number o
years orchardists from the remote sec
tion have been coming in every fal
and picking up some of the prizes a
the local apple fair and they are nov
bringing back blue ribbons from thu
state and national exhibits.
The proximity to the glaciers of Mt
Hood with resultant cool nights lendi
longer keeping quality to the frui
which is particularly noticeable in th'
fall varieties which become winte,
apples when grown in the uppeI
country. Gravensteins from thu
London & Powers ranch in this section
won first prize in the Portland SHOW
last fall. This variety is general!
clear of the market and forgotten By
Thanksgiving time, but the Craven
stems Of the Upper Hood River sec
| f;opu tuara hold apG pnarEatad bu Urntu