The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-05-06
J. N MOSIER RECALLS
DAYS OF PIONEERS
iFrom the Mosier BulIetinl


Fifty-four years of age. born in a log
house, built by his father beside a
bubbling spring near the site Of his
present eommodious residence that
overlooks the village bearing the fami-
ly name, j. N. Mosier has grown up
with the community now famed in the
four corners of the country for the ex-
cellency of its fruit. Mr.. MOsier's
father, j. II. MOsier, settled on the
banks of the Columbia near the cascad-
ing creek, which also bears the family
name, in 1852. lie began the opera
tion of a sawmill.
"The country at that time was very
sparsely settled, says j. N. Mosier.
Except for squaw men, there were no
other white families in that part" Of
the country when my father settled.
These white men, with Indian wives
and half breed families, were EN-
ployed as operatives of the mill.
1.-The days were filled with hardships
the modern generation can scarcely
comprehend. We secured our supplies
from The Dalles. The steamboats, had
not yet come to the Columbia, and food
stuffs and the mail were packed in by a
tortuous trail over the hills to The
Dalles, which was then one of the
most flouirshing towns in all the north
western country. In early days The
Dalles and Oregon City were more
metropolitan than even was Portland.
THE hills we're filled with game,
and the flesh of deer was eaten both
fresh and cured. We caught sturgeon
in the Columbia, and traded with the
Indians for the fine salmon they caught
at Cello. We were never able to catch
the latter fish at Mosier. MOsier creek
was filled with brook trout, and we
could easily catch them"
One of the Oldest apple trees in the
Cascade region thrives today just west
the DR.. David Robinson home, which
was erected by Mr.. Mosier's father.
1t was planted soon after the arrival
of the family at their new home. The
apple tree is of the Red Cheek variety.
1t continues to bear prolifically. The
elder Mosier planted all kinds of fruits,
plums, peaches pears, as we'll as ap-
pies. An old Winter Nellis pear tree,
standing just back of Mr.. Mosier's
present home, bears fine crops of fruit
today.
my father had never seen finer
fruit than his orchards produced, says
Mr.. Mosier, 'and it pointed cOnclus-
lively that the region would be better
for fruit raising than anything else. In
the early days the MOsier country was
devoted almost altogether to stock
raising.
"Ihe first white family to follow my
fathers was the Mcclure family.
William and T. J. Mcclure and Mrs.
A. A. Marsh, children of the pioneer,
are still residents of the district.
1.-The first commercial orchard in the
Mosier district was planted by Amos
Root, who has retired from the ranch
and now lives in town. The tract was
planted chiefly to peaches, purnes and
peach plums. The product was taken
to market by boat.
Geo Sellinger and members of the
Carroll family soon planted tracts to
apples. and from this beginning the
Moser fruit industry has grown to its
present day proportions. The orchard
planted by the former is today owned
by Mark A. Mayer"
Mr.. Mosier was married in 1888 tC
Miss Mary A. Sivener, of st. Louis,
Mo. He and Mrs. Mosier have one
child, a daughter, Miss Alice Mosier
Mr.. Mosier, who owns much rich bot
tom land along the Columbia water
front at Mosier, has one of the bes
improved homes in the town. He may
be found most any spring day working
in his rose or dahlia gardens.
MIR. Mosier is prominent in civic anC
business life in Mosier. He is presi
dent of the Mosier Valley bank, estab
lished five years ago, and is owner Of
the Mosier waterworks.
Members of the State Railway Com
mission who have visited the plant o
the waterworks, declare that it is on'
of the most sanitary and best arranged
systems in the state. The source o
supply comes from big spring rislnt
out of the hill just back of the Mosie
home. The daily capacity is 1900
gallons. The reservoir is divided int
two compartments, in order that on'
may furnish the city with water, whil'
! the other is being cleaned out.