The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-02-24
HOOD RIVER
60 YEARS AGO
N. COE BUILDS FIRST VALLEY HOME
The Name of Hood River Was Given by
Mrs. Mary White COe-Dog
River Early Name

lSUo Dy II. y. Coe)
In the following article on the early
history of Hood River have depended
largely on my memory from our arriv-
al here until 1858, when our family
record begins, to which ! shall refer
freely. Of that little band of pioneers
who came to Hood River IN 1854, James
M. Benson. of The Dalles, and myself
are the only ones living. Mrs. Phila
Burt, nee jenkins, died in Los Angeles
about eight months ago at a ripe old
| age.
William Jenkins, with his son, Wal
ter, was drowned at the mouth of Hood
river in 1864. Nathaniel Coe died at
the homestead in 1868. Mary W. Coe
died at Hood River in 1893. N. S.
Benson died in Auburn, New York, in
1869; Charles c. Coe at Hood River in
1872; Eugene F. Coe in Portland in
1893. and l.. W. Coe in San Francisco
in 1893.
The only landmark left of these
early days is the old Coe homestead on
State street of this city. Of our Indian
friends, nearly all of those who were
old enough to take an active part in
those days have passed over to the
happy hunting grounds. A notable eX-
ception is old John Slibinder. He
must now be close to his centennial
year and is still hale and hearty old
man. After an intimate acquaintance
lasting nearly half a century, can
truthfully say that | never knew a
more honest, truthful or upright man.
black or white, than old Slibinder
never wavering in his friendship to the
whites, ever risking the anger of the
hostiles during the troublous times of
the Indian war of 1856. Charlie Co
pax, another Indian friend, still lives
on his farm in the Yakima Indian res
ervation, and old George Kinney. the
self-infiicted pensioner of our little
city, still lives, moves and has his be-
ing. Pat Williams and Jim Cluhoc
we're mere boys of about 10 or l2
years. All the rest have gone, faded
before breath of the white man. as the
mist before the morning sun. and in
the dreamland of their happy hunting
grounds chase the red deer from his
lair as in days of old.
In the early part of June. 1854. N.
Coe, with his son, E. F. COe, accom-
panied by William jenkins and his
brother-in.law, Nathan S. Benson, ac-
uuaintances of ours from Auburn. New
York, left Portland for Hood River.
Hood River was originally known as
Dog river, and obtained its name in
the following manner. cannot give
the date of the occurrence, though |
conversed with man only few years
ago who was one of the party. A band
of cattle was being brought down the
river at dusk. The cattle we're driven
across the river, while the party
camped on the east side. In the night
heavy rain storm came up. and in
the morning the river was too high to
cross. The rains continued for num-
ber of days, and the party ran out of
food and we're compelled to kill old
Towser, the dog. My mother, Mrs.
Mary W. Coe, objected to the name,
and as the stream had its head in
Mount Hood, she proposed to call it
Hood river. This name was thought
very appropriate and was adopted by
everyone.
| have no written data to set the
exact date of the departure of the
party from Portland, only ! remember
a little circumstance that occurred the
day before they left. when Mr.. Jenkins
brought to our house a little brown
cornucopia containing IL nice ripe
cherries, for which he had just paid rs
cents. So | concluded that it must
have been early in June.
The party was more than pleased
with the country and decided to make
their homes here. They returned to
Portland for an outfit, and MIR. jenkins
sent for bis family and another brother
in-law, James Benson, and then all
hands returned to Hood River to pre-
pare homes for their families. On
what has of late been known as the
Coe homestead they found small log
cabin, erected by Judge Laughlin, 10
1852, and on the land selected by Jen-
kins, a house had been built by DR..
Farnsworth at the same date as the
one built by Judge Laughlin.
| Previously to our selection of Hood
River as our future home, our folks
had decided to start in the mercantile
business at The Dales and had had
bill of lumber sawed at the Cascades
for store building. This lumber was
sent to Hood River, the old homestead
WAS VI anu SCptCbbCI
mother and came up from Portland.
We we're all domiciled in the old
Laughlin house. as the new house was
not complete, but was finished so that
we moved in before the rainy season
set in. The house was no palace,
though much better than out of doors.
There was no ceiling nor cloth or pa
per; no partitions: only one large room
20x40. The winter, however, proved to
be a remarkably mild one, so we man.
aged to live very comfortably.
In November Mrs. Jenkins and her
brother. James M. Benson, arrived
srom New York, making a very &C.
ceptable addition to our little colony.
We rad brought With US sufficient
supply Of -four. pork and beans, but
vegetables we're scarce and high, we
having to depend upon our kind neigh
bors across the Columbia for them.
These we had to bring from the land
ing on horseback, as we had no team.
Our supply of candles gave out early,
ss we had been able to obtain but a
few. We then resorted to tallow dips,
but this supply also gave out, and our
last resort was pitch pine torches. This
soon became an unbearable nuisance,
as it covered everything with SCOT.
which got into our food and bed
clothes in fact, we could have success
fully posed as a band of Kentucky ne
gro mipstrels. So we gave up the idea
Of light and sat out the long winter
evenings in the dark.
In the latter part of November few
inches of snow fell and slight scum
of ice covered the river. but this soon
passed away and our winter was done.
New Years day we accepted an invita-
tion to eat chicken at Mr.. Joslyn's.
Such glorious day and such glorious
dinner The mountains were covered