The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-04-20
dee ORCHARD
DISTRICT GROWS
ORE. LUMBER co. HELPS PROGRESS
Fruit Trees and Berries Take Place Of
Monsters Of Virgin Forests
Railway Extends Lakeward

into existence as the terminus of the
Mount Hood Railway Co. and the loca.
ton of the Oregon Lumber Co. Just
north OF the confluence Of the East and
Middle Forks of the Hood river, its
structures reared in level area at the
bottom of the gorge of the combined
streams, Dee has been characterized
since it's birth by the hustle and hustle
of big lumber mill. In the earlier
days the logging camps were within a
short distance of the humming saws.
But each succeeding year the timber
from larger area has been consumed.
The huge frs of the Dee fiat country,
a level plateau of fertile land lying be-
tween the West and Middle Forks of
Hood river and just west Of the town
of Dee, we're manufactured into lum-
ber, and gradually the deep. red shot
soil has been planted with apple and
pear trees, successors to the virgin
giants of the forest, and Strawberries
grow in an ever increasing acreage be-
tween the tree rows. This red shot soil
is peculiarly adapted to all kind of
fruits, and especially do Strawberries
thrive on it. For the past several sea-
sons Dee growers have been marketing
berries in carload lots. In the near fu-
ture the district will probably be the
largest berry producing section of the
Hood River valley, for growers there
have planned to set out this spring
400, 600 new plants, IL, 1000 plants to the
acre.
And so today Dee is not known
merely for it's numbering industry, but
for the surrounding agricultural dis
trict. The development of the Dee fiat
country was fostered by the Oregon
Lumber Co., which in 1908 organized
the Dee Power & Irrigation Co. Two
thousand inches of water in the West
Fork of Hood river, just above the con-
fuence of that stream and the Lake
Branch was fled on and main canal
less than five miles in length was con-
structed. Purchasers of land are
charged $40 per acre for a perpetual
water right. The maintenance of the
ditch is not difficult. and the cost of
upkeep merely nominal. With the ex-
ception of the Mount Hood Water Co.,
which waters stretch of land in the
Upper Valley. the system furnishes the
cheapest irrigation service in the Hood
River valley.
About 20 Of the employees of the lurn-
Der company are owners of orchard
tracts that are being rapidly developed
and brought into bearing in the Dee
fiat section. Investments there, too,
have attracted the general public, and
some of the best cared for and most
productive acres of the Hood River dis
trict may be seen by the numerous
pleasure seekers. fishermen and outing
parties that traverse the community
annually bound for the headwaters of
the Hood river branches and the Lost
Lake country. A pear orchard belong
ing to the estate of the late Cash"
Jones, of Portland, is located here, and
is pointed out as model Hood River
orchard tract.
As in other Hood River districts, the
residents of the Dee fiat are cosmopoli-
tan. j. r. Edgar, a former business
man of Manila. p. l., purchased 10
acre tact there last year. Last week
Mr.. Edgar purchased Is acres of near
by property. c. B. Compton, Manila
newspaper man, owns a place here.
He has retired from bis profession in
the Orient and is due here this week
to become actively engaged as as an
orchardist. A number of japanese own
tracts on the Dee fiat.
A native Filipino boy came here last
summer to make his home with MIR.
Edgar. The winter weather, however.
proved too severe for the lad used to
the tropical Fourth of July weather the
wear round, and after the first few
heavy frosts the brown boy left for
Portland to seek employment indoors
druing the winter months. Mr.. Edgar
will be Joined next spring by his wife
and two little daughters.
Except when weather conditions pre-
vented and period of inactivity caused
by fire in 1918, when the big plant
was destroyed. the Oregon Lum.
Der Company's big mill at Dee, has
been in continuous operation. Follow
ing the fire the plant was replaced as
rapidly as possible. The new mill cuts
between l25, 600 and $50, 900 feet daily,
operating 10 hours. The mill and the
lumber camps employ about 300 men.
The town of Dee. however, is no Ion
ger the terminus of the line of the
Mount Hood Railway Co., for the
tracks in 1910 were extended to Park
dale in the Upper Hood River valley,
and daily train service is maintained
between Hood River and this point
During the berry harvest season, iced
refrigerator cars are hauled to Park
dale and Dee for the accommodation
of the growers.
: "a six mile line of railway has been
extended to the West Fork of HOOD
river. tapping the rich tracts of timber
there. The company's logging camps
are now located on the West Fork.
This West Fork line will be gradually
pushed further to the southwestern
part of the county until eventually il
will end at the shores of Lost Lake
one of the most scenic spots of HooC
River county, and it may be safely pre-
dicted that the time is not far in the
future when a tourists hotel will bt
erected on the banks of the crysta
clear body of water, which in the sum
mer months mirrors the glistening peal
of Mount Hood. The fishing in th,
district is unsurpassed, and even today
with the journey to the lake calling TO
the most strenuous enaeavors, man.
| men and women journey there annually
| Much of the heavy timber land ex
tending to the very shores of Los
Lake are owned by the Oregon Lumbe
Co.. The management of the company
however. declares that the magnificen
virgin forest at this point, frs, cedar
and spruce, will never be despoiled.
bill has been prepared for introductio
into congress that provides for the es
change of timber lands further to th
east of the lake, thus the shores of th
beautiful body Of water will pass agai
to the government. A chain of woode
government land, too. will be preserve
along the line Of the proposed road inf
the lake from the ends of county road
already penetrating the scenic disuic'
and the whole will form a mart of I'll