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liefrc IIixhI ivor had ut
crmvti its swaddliue clotlus the
people there owned a few orchards
and kept u a few berry patches.
When the magnificent products fin
ally leve.iled llu inseU es and the value
and productiveness of the land there
abouts from a frtnt raising stand
point was fully realized. Hood River
sprang almost instantly into promi
nence and as uiekly a beautiful city
began growing on the banks of the
Columbia.
Hood River is synonymous of fruit.
Go to Xew York and you will hear
of Hood River. In San Francisco, in
the very heart of California's fruit
district, Hood River berries and ap
ples are as well and familiarly known
as the state's wn products. That's
here, in the United States. Over in
the Chinese empire, thousands of
miles across the Pacific, the yellow
races find as much enjoyment eating
the contents of fruit crates from
Hood River as do the fastidious epi
cureans of London on the other side
of the Atlantic.
Fruit raising holds a preeminent
place in the industrial and commer
cial life of Hood River, because it has
made the town, coined its constantly
increasing wealth, built up a stupen
dously rich district surrounding the
city, and even now, with only an in
finitesimal part of its results accom
plished, is driving the city ahead with
leaps and hounds.
The adaptability of the soil and cli
mate to fruit rnismg was a discovery
by accident, but since that memorable
day when a few of the earlier settlers
found that orchards and berry
patches were sources of untold wealth
the growth of Hood River's fruit in
dustry has been nothing short of phe
nomenal. As a commercial possibility the
strawberry is very attractive, giving
large and tiick returns in this sec
tion, a good crop being picked from
the vines only one year after they are
planted. Hood River's first shipment
of berries amounted to four crates.
The crop for 190( amounted to 50.0(10
crates, valued at $1.10,000. The crop
for 1907 amounted to 75,000 crates,
valued at $185,000.
The increase in apple production
shows a similar growth in returns.
In 18 the total shipment from Hood
River amounted to one car, but that
was the forerunner of a development
in orchards that finds no equal any
other place in the country. With less
than 1,000 acres in bearing orchards,
much of this bearing the first or sec
ond crop, Hood River shipped 300
cars of apples last season, the re
ceipts from which totaled $250,000.
That record speaks for itself.
Hut while apples and strawberries
are the main crop of the valley and
will always remain so, gaining in vol
ume of output year by year, there arc
many other varieties that are suc
cessfully raised. There are black
berry fields in the vicinity of Hood
River that are yielding incomes rang
It is stated upon reliable estimates ing from $300 to $500 per acre. Like
that only about 15 per cent of the returns come from cherry orchards
available fruit land in the vicinity of and Hartlett pears and prunes flour
Hood River is under cultivation. The ish in abundance. The greatest di
annual fruit production now amounts versity not alone in fruit, but in vege
to $500,000. With the production tables, grains and other products is
from individual orchards increasing offered.
each year and the full acreage that is Probably because of the superior
capable of producing fruit placed un- quality of both the Hood River ap
der cultivation it can readily be seen pies and strawberries, which gives
that I loud River within the course of them a distinctive preference and
a few years will be the center of a higher price in market, is due to the
fruit industry amounting into' the mil- fact that the hulk of the land under
lions. cultivation is devoted to these two
These figures are stupendous, but products. An average acre of straw
neverthcless convincing, when atten- berries will yield 150 crates each
tion is directed to the fact that a little year and an average income per crate
more than 10 years ago there was not is $2. For some years, however, this
$300,000 in cash in Hood River with production has brought more than. $2
which to build an irrigating ditch.
Today there is upwards of $700,000
in deposits in the city's prosperous
banks.
A Remarkable Growth.
A period
covers the
per crate.
A Growing Fruit Center.
On the other hand deep, moisture
retaining soil, cool nights, and other
favorable conditions make possible summer, free of disagreeable days.
f perhaps a dozen years the production of a quality of apples A city of modern duellings, many
remarkable growth of unexcelled in the world. In short, of them costly structures which
globe, nidged bv the quality ot it
fruit. The entire crop from this dis
trict reaches a market which pays
from $2 50 to $3 per 50-pound box.
Many columns could be written
about this district as a growing fruit
center, but they would not add to the
remarkable results already attained.
There are many other avenues
through which Hood River is fast
gaining a foremost place in the com
mercial and industrial ranks of Ore
gon and the northwest. Among other
things is its unsurpassed induce
ments as a home city. The latter
couples with it an unmatched climate
and scenery which finds few counter
parts in the United States.
Like other sections of ( )regon, tim
ber is paving the way for a greater
and more rapid development of the
fruit industry at Hood River. The
recent establishment of large lumber
plants is bringing in thousands of
dollars. Success lor the fruit grower
means prosperity for the business
man and property bolder and has cut
the channels for modern conveniences
for both city and valley.
Telephone lines traverse through
every portion of the rich valley re
gions back of Hood River. Rural
deliveries have given a daily mail and
good roads easy transportation. Elec
tric lights, a water and sewer system,
modern business blocks, railroad and
steamboat transportation all empha
size the growth of the city which has
held fourth rank in returns to the
O. R. it X. of all stations east of
Portland during the past 10 years,
4food River's Location.
Hood River lies at an advantageous
point on the Columbia, d5 miles east
of Portland on the mam l.ne of the
Q, R, & Hack of it spreads out a
broad valley a distance of 30 miles
to the base of Mount Hood, the his
toric mountain, the base of which is
-the camping ground
of scores of tourists
mcr months.
Lying in the very heart of the Cas
cades where the cool breezes mod
erate both day and night, the average
number of days during the summer
when the thernv unetcr reaches above
90 degrees is nine. During the win
ter months the same mildness exists,
the government records showing an
average minimum temperature dur
ing January and February of 29 de
grees. The annual rainfall amounts
to 38 inches. The bulk of this falls
during the winter and early spring
leaving a long, cool, invigorating
ience for home living 4iy a thoroughly
equipped electric lighting plant, the
purest of mountain water and an ade
quate sewerage system
Hood River's Schools.
am!
it is
speak volumes
industries sur
thc branching
; and destination
during the smn-
Hood River from nothing to the most Hood River stands Without a parallel waould ornament the largest city in
famous fruit center in the northwest, as the greatest" apple district on the the state, is rendered every conven-
F.leven public schools, including a
high school, are located in the Hood
River District. These arc in charge
of the most competent teachers which
a plentiful supply of educational
funds can secure and facilities for in
creasing the scope of tins most es
sential side of a community's life are
constantly being added. Coupled with
excellent school facilities are the
churches. Splendid buildings house
the congregations of Methodist, Om
grcgational, Haptist, F.pisi opal,
United Brethren, Christian, Unitarian
and Roman Catholic denominations,
and the valley regions back of the city
are likewise filled with places of wor
ship. Hood River's business streets arc
lined with many substantial business
blocks. Modern structures during the
past year have been erected at an
expenditure reaching over the $200,
fTI mark. Brick buildings are rapidly
taking the place of frame blocks .and
progress and improvement goes for
ward steadily.
The city's financial institutions are
among the solid ones of the state.
Husiness of these banks is not con
fined to the local channels, but in
stead reaches out into many other
financial marts. The widespread
markets of Hood RivCr's fruits, its
lumber and flour products make
necessary banks which can meet the
requirements of these flourishing in
dustries. Deposits have climbed to
remarkable heights ami have kept
even pace with the growth in popu
lation, prosperity . ami the growth ot
the business ami commercial indus
tries of the city and community.
A community's prosperity is re
flected to great extent by the number
and amount of depositors in its
banks. Hood River's deposits today
reach a total of $750,000, an average
of $125 for every man, woman and
child living within the limits of the
city and the valley region surround
ing. Rapidly Increasing Population.
With a population in 19(0 of 622.
Hood River broke the crust and
launched forth on a period of unpre
cedented growth and expansion.
Within three years' time the city had
doubled its number of residents, and
in 1905 the population had reached
1,781. Last year these figures went
over the 2,000 mark and it is confi
dently believed that with the close
of the present year the city's inhabi
tants will number close to 2,500. Fig
ures like these alone
lor (he lountry
rounding it, and
out of the older features of commer
cial life anil the inauguration of the
new which has brought about these
interesting changes.
Hood Rui-i docs not depend upon
its fruit alone to promote its wel
fare. Resources and industries are
varied. The tremendous power of the
mountain streams, lying within a
stone's throw of the city, is being
utilized for lighting and power pur
poses and with the expansion of this
industry there is a strong incentive
for the establishment of other lines
of commercial activity.
The Hood River Electric Light &
Power company, using 600 horse
power derived from the river and
capable of developing as many thou
sand more as necessity demands, sup
plies other establishments with the
current to turn its wheels of indus
try. In h' connection is the cold stor
age warehouse and artificial ice plant,
which supply both the city's de
mands and those from the outside.
Flour from Hood River's mills make
up many a cargo that goes to the
orient, and back of the city are lum
ber mills cutting 700,000 feet of lum
ber a day. One of these is run
throughout by electricity, the only
plant of its kind in the United States.
Owing to its peculiarly adapted lo
cation, proximity to both rail and
water transportation, raw materials
and markets. Hood River offers ex
ceptional opportunities for the estab
lishment of a cannery, fruit preserv
ing :nul frjut products plant, furniture
factory, wooden ware factory, pulp
and paper mills, woolen mill, shoe
factory, machine shops and other en
terprises. Transportation Facilities.
Freight rates from this point will
remain at the minimum as long as
water continues to flow down the Co
lumbia. Transportation by boat al
ready adequately established, governs
the rates by rail, and the conditions
will continue unchanged In conse
quence both grower and producer
work constantly to an advantage ex
istent in few other localities.
Transportation facilities to and
from Hood River are superior to
most interior towns in the Pacific
northwest. Three transcontinental
trains over the main line of the O. R.
& N. pass through daily, besides local
service each way. Two lines of river
steamers pnnide water transportation,-
and across the Columbia the
north bank mad is building from the
main line of the Northern Pacific
westward to Portland.
Leading out of Hcv)d River through
the fertile and productive valley is
the Mount Hood railroad, recently
completed with modern equipment
and standard gauge tracks. Facilities
by rail and water like these cannot
help but make a greater city and sup
ply it at the same time with all the
essential business accumulation neces
sary in the building.
The Value of Land.
Approximately it may be stated
that the range in land values in this
section is from $25 to $1,000 per acre.
Recently $10,000 has been refused for
10 acres in bearing orchard, but with
in a radius of 10 miles of Hood River
cleared land not set to fruit is worth
from $100 to $200 per acre, and the
same set to trees, one or two years
old, from $200 to $400. Orchards of
standard varieties in bearing are
$400 up. Uncleared land in the same
radius would command from $30 to
$150 an acre. Within a radius of from
10 to 15 miles, unimproved land
would range from $10 to $50 an acre,
while improved land would almost be
as high as nearer town. Location and
quality of soil are prime factors in
fixing value of land.
Cost of clearing land will range
from $25 to $75 an acre, but the
monev derived from the sale of wood
materially reduces the cost of clear
ing. While at first thought the valua
tions above may seem high, it should
lie recalled mat me production oi
which it is capable is very great,
and that as compared with other fruit
districts that have not equal assur
ance of good crops every year and
prices, it is most attractive. Further
more, 10 acres are ample for a family
and will yield more than a compe
tence under intense farming such as
is possible there with soil of inex
haustible fertility and abundance of
water.
Irrigation Possibilities.
One of the great advantages pos
sessed by the Hood River valley is
its adaptability to irrigation and the
fact that it also has abundant water
at all times of the year for that pur
pose. Traversed its entire length by
the east, middle and west forks of
the1 Hood river, it is possible to get
water on almost every foot of it.
These branches of the Hood river are
end of the valley and the water is
pure and rfnfailing.
The Hood River irrigation district,
which will take water from the west
fork, and will soon have its irriga
tion system completed, will supply
about 10,000 acres of land with this
very necessary commodity in an
fruit country.
On the same side of the valley, but
lower down is the system of the
Farmers' Irrigation company that
supplies 5,000 acres in which water
rights are invested to owners and
purchasers, one miner's inch of water
going with each share of stock. The
length of the system embraces about
30 miles of main canals and laterals
ami cost $80,000. This company has
made extensive and permanent im
provements in its system recently and
it is now in a condition that insures
an inexpensive maintenance for many
years.
The Iast Fork Irrigating company,
as its name indicates, takes its supply
from the east fork of the river and its
system includes 40 miles of canals
with 10,000 inches of water at its
command and irrigates over 12,000
acres of land. The Fust Irork Irrigat
ing company waters the east side or
chards of the valley and from its
fountain head 17 miles away, extends
to the corporate limits of the city of
Hood River. Its supply is considered
plentiful enough to furnish water for
that district for all time.
The upper valley is irrigated by the
.Middle Fork Irrigating company,
which reaches about 1.000 acres from
a new system which it has recently
completed and where is situated some
oi the t m est land in the vaTIey.
Still farther up the valley the Gla
cier Irrigating company waters the
fine farming country directly around
the base of Mount Hood and reaches
the highest tillable land in the valley.
All in all, for the home builder, the
wage earner, the business man, the
investor, the sightseer and tourist
Hood River stands preeminently in
the front rank. The city and the val
ley region beyond it offers induce
ments for the thrifty seldom equaled
anywhere. In climate conditions, soil
fertility and productiveness it has no
equal, and for such as want these
there is rivmi and welcome. Tired o
dredgcry in farm life, weary from
desk work, or merely on pleasure
bent, the most glorious mountains,
fishing streams and scenic grandeur
awaits him who will step "front hi
the overflow from the melting snows house only a short distance intQ ttlfl
and glaciers of Mount Hood, which very heart of nature's eloquent
raises its hoary head at the extreme beauty. Who could ask tnxtt - -4 A,