The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-10-12
LOCAL WOMAN IS
PIONEER OF 81
MRS. MCGUIRE TELLS EXPERIENCES
Aged Woman Now Busy With Needle Pre-
pairing Christmas Presents For
Her Friends

tue largest immigration 10 oregon, Will
find her busy making Christmas pres
ents. And the gifts. you may be sure,
are always priced by those whu receive
them. Following the custom of years.
Mrs. Mcclure begins months before
the Yuletide season to prepare dainty
treasures for her favored friends and
relatives. She uses the sheerest Of
materials and the finest of needles.
Mrs. Mcclure learned those neat stitch
es; such as cannot be equaled by any
machine, when child in an early day
private school. Her needlework is the
wonder of all who know her.
Twenty-Five years ago Mrs, Mcclure
and her husband, the late Joseph Nc
CURE, who passed away on March "a,
1900, retired from the hotel business
at McMinnville, where for many years
they had been located, and came here
seeking health for the latter. They
built a home ON Cascade avenue. then
not much more than q trail. Mrs. Nc
CURE has seen Hood River grow from
a population of few hundred souls to
a progressive city, and today a paved
street, the Hood River extension of
the Highway, passes her door. And
last year, when the great scenic high
way was officially opened, no Hood
River man or woman was more enthus.
iastic than Mrs. Mcclure. 90 she sat
on her front porch and waved at the
party of prominent men of the state
who formed the first party touring up
the Columbia's gorge. Among the men
coming over the Highway was State
Treasurer Thomas B. Kay, an old time
friend and former neighbor of the Ore
gon pioneer woman.
while ! have lived to see much, "
says Mrs. Mcclure, "having witnessed
the transformation of methods of
transportation, having watched the in
stallation of everything that brings
modern convenience to my home, be-
lieve l have lived so years too soon.
Ny first journey down the Columbia,
just GA years ago. required more time
than a transcontinental trip takes to-
day. But it is a journey | will never
forget. Often recall the site Of Hood
River. In 1852 it was an unbroken ex-
panse of oak trees covering the sloping
cany0nside. Hood river was called
Dog river. Little did realize. as with
my family ! made my way slowly
down the great stream on fiat boat.
| that some day would sit here watch
Ii ing the rushing limited trains of two
ltranscontinental lines and the magnifi.
cent steamboats, that have supplanted
the old fatboat. As for the Columbia
River Highway, it must have been q
vision of every pioneer who Travelled
down the Columbia in the early days.
The Journey was made extremely diff
cult by the portage at the cascades and
the negotiation of the treacherous rap.
ids below. remember at this point
we lost our chest of silver, containing
the family crest.
Mrs. Mcclure, whose maiden name
was Maria Moore, was born at Toronto,
Canada, January "a, 1882. The family
set out for Oregon, after reading stor.
les of the great land of opportunity. in
1852, crossing Lake Ontario to Buffalo,
IN. Y. Across Lske Michigan they
travelled by boat to Milwaukee. Mrs.
Mcclure was of family of eight chill.
dren, four boys and four girls. The
day before the journey was begun her
oldest brother. Crawford Moore. was
married, and the ox-cart journey across
the plains was his honeymoon trip.
This brother while en- route gave uK
the plans of going to Oregon and leav
ing the family of his father. proceeded
to Salt Lake. Utah. Later he settled
| in Kansas.
The journey across the continent con
sumed six months, the party arriving IL
Portland November 6, 1852. Portland
was then but little more than village
1.-THE stumps of big trees could bt
seen in the Streets" says Mrs. Nc
Guire. can buildings were little ons
story frame structures. The sign Of
the Oregonian was seen attached to ont
of these little buildings. My father
Immediately subscribed for the paper
From that time to this have been ;
regular reader of the Oregonian. To
day would rather 60 on two meals ,
day than to forego my morning paper.
The long trip was hard and tedious
one, according to the story Of the aget
pioneer. But ID miles of railway hat
been constructed in the state of Wis
consin. and none in Iowa. The part!
passed through Des Moines and Ceda
Rapids, Ia. then mere villages, ant
the greater portion of the fertile are,
of western Iowa was vacant, with onl.
an occasional building or small settle
ment. A short distance before tn,
Missouri river was reached the part.
passed through the Mormon settlement
Of Kanesville.
"At that time," says Mrs. MCGUIRE
1.-The Mormons were abandoning thi
point and leaving for Utah. We di,
not see a single building where tods.
Omaha is located. From that poin
until we reached Fort Laramie on tn
North Platte we did not see building
The entire country was occupied D.
Pawnee and Sioux Indians and at al
times we had to guard our horse
closely. At one place We we're detaine,
for an entire day, while herd con
tanning thousands and thousands o
buffalo crossed our path. From For
Laramie we proceeded to Fort Hall
then trading post located on what i
now the Fort Hall Indian reservation
not far from Pocatello. The trail the
lay along the south side of the Snak
river. TuifoWiuk thto tkui Aok ooou
40 miles without food or water for ou
stock, we finally reached point wher
the bank was low enough for US t
descend and give the famished animal
drink. The sound of the water rushin
over Shoeshone falls some distance be
low could be plainly heard.
"Here occurred our first tragedy
There was no feed for the stock on th
south side of the river. but wild gras
was growing luxuriantly on the or
posite side. My brother, c. W. Moore
and another boy were instructed I
drive the animals across the river.
carrying out their task they reache
deep water. My brother managed I
get across, but his companion wa
caught in the whirlpool and drowned
Ny brother was left alone on the OF
posite side of the river with about &c
! head of stock. II would have been in