Notes
This week we'll look at historic views of the Columbia River.
Notes on the back of this photo tell part of this story, though they leave many questions unanswered. In one handwriting we see the buildings identified as "boathouse where Ollie was born" and "shop." Another hand records a date of June 10th, 1913. A third hand records the name "A.J. Shepler."
We have many other photos of this boathouse, so I am pretty sure it was located on the Hood River Delta just north of the train station. In fact a previous Fun Friday post was taken right near this spot. The names noted on the back of the photo bring to mind yet another HHR post. "Ollie" may refer to Miss Olive Sheplar, also the namesake of the ferry Ollie S. I have been told that a ferry operator lived in that boathouse, so perhaps Commodore Dean was the resident of this unfortunate waterfront property.
Category: [Downtown Hood River]
Tags: 1910s Columbia_River Dean ferry flood Mystery_Monday Shepler
Comments
It would make sense that the ferry operator would live on the water and have a "shop" for repairs.
Evidently A. J. Sheplar was a stepson of Commodore Dean.
l.e. on 14th May 2012 @ 7:25am
There are some flood statistics for June 1913 at this link. http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/041/mwr-041-06-0941.pdf
We sure don't see this kind of flooding any more.
I once read that old man Crate, from Crates Point, in The Dalles, said that when he first landed his boat, it was during flood stage and he landed at the area of 5th and Washington. I think this was in the late 1840's. The Dalles people laughed at him, until the 1894 flood when the flood waters once again reached that high.
Of course old man Crate was gone by then.
l.e. on 14th May 2012 @ 7:45am