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About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2015)
www.hoodrivernews.com Hood River News, Wednesday, January 28, 2015 A5 Celebrate with Friends & Neighbors at Skamania Lodge Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea W ARMING S HELTER M OVES Beginning Jan. 25, the Hood River Warming Shelter opened in the building formerly known as the Expo Center (405 Portway Ave., on the waterfront just north of downtown) thanks to a partnership with the Hood River Port Commission. The Shelter will be housed there through March 8, the final date of the shelter season. Andy Wade, foreground, volunteer co- ordinator and co-founder, moves a couch with Rick Starrett on Jan. 23, move-in day, as Alan Wiebe, a shelter host, sets up the TV and DVD player. For the remainder of the season, the Expo Center site does away with the weekly move between five locations taking turns host- ing the Warming Shelter, now in its fifth season. On weekdays, guests can catch a CAT bus to the shelter at Rosauers at 5 p.m. and Hood River Hotel at 5:30 p.m. There is no charge, guests just need to let the driver know they are headed to the shelter. The shelter opens at 6 p.m. and guests must be out by 7 a.m. Meals and a warm place to sleep are provided, along with games and movies, and access to shower and laundry. For details go to hoodrivercares.org. Casco Especial Tuesdays in February will be hot in River Rock! Our culinary team members with Latino heritage will be generously sharing their family recipes for Mexican, Central and South American Cuisine. Spice up your Tuesday! Young Voices What Being an Oregon pioneer descendent means to me BY ABBY WALKER S tarting in the early 1840s, whispers of a new territory rich with opportunity were beginning to reach the ears of those liv- ing in the east. Its name was Oregon, and it promised a fresh start for whomever dared make the journey west. It was the start of a mass exodus. Brave settlers craving bet- ter lives took their fates into their own hands, packed what they could into covered wagons, and left their old lives behind. They knew what they sought would be dangerous to obtain, and that many would not survive. But they were determined to fulfill their dreams, or to die try- ing. My ancestor Catherine Abbott was one of them. At the age of 10 she left her home of Council Bluff, Iowa, and began the treach- erous journey west. Her fa- ther, John, suffered from consumption, and the fami- ly thought that a different climate would do him some good. The family of four left in 1850. That first year, they made it as far as Salt Lake City before they had to stop for the winter. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, granted them permission to build a cabin there. The plan was to stay only for the winter, but the Abbotts ended up staying for two years after Keturah, Catherine’s moth- er, had her third child. At the end of those two years, however, the family was greatly pressured into join- ing the Mormon Church, and in order to keep their religious beliefs they set out to finish their journey in 1852. After years of dreaming of their lives in the west, the family finally made it to Oregon City. They rented a home from John McLough- lin, owner of the general store that most consider to be the end of the Oregon Trail. Undoubtedly, the clean air did Catherine’s fa- ther some good, because he lived for three more years before he passed away in 1855. The Abbott’s lives took a turn for the worse after the loss of their father. Keturah Abbott, now with five chil- dren to look after and no job to sustain them, had a nervous breakdown shortly after her husband’s pass- ing. The court deemed her unstable and she was thrown in jail, and later put in an insane asylum. The children were all separated and given to other families, for they had no one else to take them in. It was a very sad ordeal, to reach Oregon without loss of life, but to be separated a few years after their arrival due to circumstances beyond their control. Eventually, however, their mother was released from the asylum and was taken in by Catherine and her sister, Amanda. Ketu- rah Abbott lived to be 90 years old, and see her daughter Catherine mar- ried to my great-great-great grandfather, Hercules La- Tourette Kelly. She had seven children, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, my grandmother. Catherine Abbott Kelly is buried in Oregon City with her hus- band and a few of her chil- dren. I have always loved histo- ry. In elementary school, I would spend hours reading library books about girls who lived during memo- rable events in the past, like the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Ameri- can Revolution. When I learned that one of these events took place so close to home, I fell in love with the Oregon Trail. I remember the excitement I felt when I would open one of my books and recognize the names of landmarks listed there, knowing that I had visited many of them in my home state. Suddenly I was the owner of a pioneer bon- net, and my grandparents were taking me on trips to Flagstaff Hill, Three Island Crossing, Whitman Mis- sion, Old Fort Hall, the Blue Mountain Crossing, Clover Creek, and the Bar- low Road, among other things. When my fourth- grade class did an Oregon Trail unit, I was proud to bring in pictures from my adventures and share them with my classmates. ■ Sisters Abby and Johanna Walker of Odell won the Sons and Daughters of Ore- gon Pioneers (SDOP) 2015 Junior Awards, as reported in the Jan. 24 Kid Space page, where Johanna’s draw- ing was published. This is the full essay by Abby, a sophomore at Hood River Valley High School. Serving Hood River Daily! Monday - Friday: The Dalles • Hood River Call 541-386-4202 Happy Hour Is Back! Monday - Thursday 4 PM - 6 PM Petite menu and discounted select beverages, including: Hot Crab & Shrimp Dip, Chili Fries, Rock Burger with Cheese, Buffalo Wings, Mac ‘n’ Cheese Plus, Don’t Miss Our Prime Rib Sunday! January 18th and 25th 5 - 9 PM Enjoy this dining feature for a limited time. 8 oz. prime rib dinner $22; 12 oz. prime rib dinner $28 Reservations Suggested: 509-427-7700 Portland, too! Tue&Thur Service The Dalles Hood River • PDX Dr. Stephen Snyder after 42 years practicing general dentistry here in Hood River, will be limiting his practice at Hood River Dental to the treatment of sleep apnea, snoring and complex denture prosthetics. Dr. Snyder would like to thank all of his patients for their trust and loyalty allowing him to care for their dental health needs over the last four decades. If you have any friends or family who are suffering from snoring, sleep apnea, are CPAP intolerant, he would love to assist them. Dr. Snyder Dr. Snyder will continue at Hood River Dental as a valuable part of this advanced dental team. 1805 Belmont Drive • Hood River • 541-386-4255 STEVENSON, WA • 800-221-7117 • SKAMANIA.COM
