The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-04-24
MRS. HOWE'S KNOWN
THROUGHOUT STATE

orally known as Mrs. Howe's. 1t IS no
;pfreouent occurrence for stranger IN
tbe city to alight from one OF the u
.W. X. & n. Co. trains and inquire the
way 10 Mrs. Howe's. And one OF
Hood River county's most progressive
citizens is a woman. Mrs. Alma l..
Howe wee bit Of a woman, who.
though the problems Of life she mas
faced have been difficult, has faced
them with a courage that strong men
might envy, and who by her PERSONAL
itv and tenacity Of purpose has bullt
uD a country hotel that is known
throughout the northwest. Especially
IS Mrs. Howes place well known IN
Portland, for every year hundreds OF
tired and in people come from that city
10 spepd a few weeks at the quiet
farm home in the midst Of the splendor
of the apple valley, the towering peak
of Mount Hood looming up on the
south and the snow white cap OF Mount
Adams ever in view across the Coium-
bia on clear days.
The Commercial club has been urg-
ing the building Of tourist hotel here.
The Cottage Farm place may be
pointed out as an example OF the sue
cess an institution of that kind NAV
epioy in this region. However, every
one would not have made the success
that Mrs. Howe has made. She did
not begin her hOstelry on any preten-
tious scale. IL was small in the be-
ginning and has grown into the present
dimensions Mrs. Howe now has ac-
comodatiOns for a half hundred guests.
In addition to her main house she has
a number of cottages grouped around,
and in these smaller places the chill
dren stay when families with children
are guests at the farm.
Mrs. Howe came to Hood River 30
years ago last January. She purchased
40 acres of land, partly timbered, a
mile and a half from the present town.
site, which at that time was not laid
out. The region was sparsely settled
by early pioneers and homesteaders
who eked out bare living; for the
profits from orchards was undreamed
of. A few Indians,had their wigwams
and dugouts along the Columbia and
on the banks of the Hood river. Mrs.
Howe had had a training as a nurse
and she was Little Doctor, when
ever any one of her neighbors was all
ing. Indeed, but few of the pioneer
families have not known the touch of
her sympathetic hand in time of sick
ness and trouble. She and DR.. Bar
rett, for whom large portion of the
West Side community has been named,
attended the sick of the early days.
And Mrs. Howe became a little mother
to the Indians. When they allied she
visited their camps and applied RENE
dies to relieve their pains. For many
years an old Indian woman named Mel
lie was an occupant of her home, until
her death. The red children of the
forests came to her with all of their
little petty ills and troubles, and, hui
manitarian that she is, she listened tc
their confessions and so advised them
that she has won their unending love
and respect.
Mrs. Howe has been i'll in bed for the
past six weeks suffering from a ner'
vous attack. Indeed, throughout hel
| life, because of her hard stasks and {
| delicate and refined nature, she has
been harassed at intervals by attacks
of nerves, as she says. During the re
cent illness old Indian George has bee
daily caller, inquiring after he
health. "ls it a big sick?" he alwayi
asks, and daily he performs some an
cient Indian rite that he may bring he
relief.
Mrs. Howe's first home in the Hoo
River valley was also the first Hoo
River valley school house, a littl
building 17x2l feet. 1t stood on th
Belmont road near the present Ordwa
place, and was moved, when Mrs
Howe purchased it, to the present site
where it now forms part of her cour
try hotel. Ranching was not prohtabl
in the early days; for the irrigatio
bitches had not been built and wlthou
water the crops that were grown wer
often poor. Mrs. j. l.. Henderson, tn
mother of Louis A. Henderson, tn
present city treasurer, was the frs
teacher in the old school house.
Mrs. Howe soon found, however, thu
so Improbable was here ranch in ii
| early days that she removed to Por
| land, where she became actively el
| gagged as a trained nurse. With he
earning she was able to pay for hi
place. Twenty acres of this tract wei
sold later, and in 1895 Mrs. Howe COZ
ceived the idea of establishing a cour
try hotel, not only for the profit st
would derive from it but because 81
| would thus be enabled to relieve II
suffering of people who desired Just
| place Of quiet in the country.
II Since she first entered the ventur
! the place has been added to and in
proved each year, 1t is not a prete
II tious place. but in the quiet shade
II its fruit trees or in the shadow of Il
II giant evergreens that rear themselvu
II in the back yard, one can rest al
II dream, and if ailing, get we'll. Scor
IL of little children are brought from Il
II city each%ummer and spend the heatt
II days there in the cool retreat, playif
II in the sand pits arranged for ther
III Thomas Lawson was a visitor at Mr.
II Howes year before last. He was
HI lighted with the quiet and privacy
II the hostelry. His son in.law and daug
II ter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mccall, we
II there last summer.
Ill The houses are surrounded by tOWe
II ing shrubs that blossom from the fir
U spring days until late autumn. Nh
Howe has protected the birds and tn
= have come to make their homes in h
grounds. Numerous little gaudy hun
ming birds dart among the flowers al
! fight battles with the humble bees tn
come to steal the honey from the flo,
ers of which they think themelves t
sole owners.
Mrs. Howe has become prominent
local civic matters. She has alwa
been known for her charity and
needy family ever goes in want duril
the winter months if she finds out the
condition. She is a member of t
city school board, which during her i
ness has met at her home.
| Mrs. Howe declares that much of h
success has been due to the aid of h
daughter, who now for the most pa
has active charge Of the Cottage Farl
Miss Hester Howe is a graduate of t
local high school and spent two yea
at the State Normal College.
4