Interesting. Suits and chaps...Wonder what they are out there looking for...

charlott on 13th February 2014 @ 7:05am

Probably looking for some of your,or possibly our, ancestors who were horse thieves. LOL. It is obvious from all the pictures I have seen on this site that horses were important in that time. The all appear to be well fed, groomed, and taken care of. More so than too many of the horses that you see in pastures today.

Buzz on 13th February 2014 @ 7:30am

Neat photo!!!
I wonder if their names would be familiar local names or if they were government agents that moved on.
Maybe they were checking on the sheep bands moving through the area. Maybe they were checking out the newly established Columbia National Forest. (1908)
Maybe checking on the lumber mills that were stealing government timber.
It looks previous to prohibition days so probably not checking for stills.

The road appears to be well used and in good shape.
Interesting breast collar on the second horse.

l.e. on 13th February 2014 @ 7:46am

I can hear the photographer yelling......TIP THOSE HATS BACK SO I CAN SEE YOUR FACES!!!!! Nice chaps or whatever those leg things are called...all seem to be matching.

Arlen Sheldrake on 13th February 2014 @ 9:58am

Arlen, they are all wearing buffalo "woolies" (chaps) which is pretty unusual. And yes, I think they did tip back their hats for the picture. I also think they are Native American. Buzz, that breast collar is the same one that trick rider Prairie Rose Henderson has on her horse, Valentine. My photo says 1912. This is a very interesting picture.

Jill Stanford on 13th February 2014 @ 2:09pm

Jill, I wouldn't have guessed Native American, but you may be right. And I believe those chaps were normally used more for warmth as opposed to the leather chaps which were used more for protection from brush. But I make no claim to being an expert.

Buzz on 13th February 2014 @ 3:15pm

But you nailed it Buzz! They were worn for warmth.So, why are they on these guys? It is obviously not mid-winter.

Jill Stanford on 13th February 2014 @ 4:37pm

My guess is this is for show. Can't imagine government rangers working dressed like this.

Buzz on 13th February 2014 @ 5:36pm

Looking at the background carefully, there might be a pile of supplies on the far left, and the road MIGHT curve around behind them as it looks like more light is coming through behind them.

nels on 13th February 2014 @ 6:27pm

Love the history of this area and the historical pictures of the early days and lives of the people. Interesting weather changes over the years! Brings to life all the stories I have heard from the senior women who lived here in the 1920's in Stevenson and Carson.

Phyllis Crews on 13th February 2014 @ 11:25pm

Well....I have done some interesting searching around for early Mt Adams area forest rangers. I found photos of some, but they all had beards or mustaches.
The guys in this photo are definitely wearing the Ranger hat.

Oregon has the very interesting character Cy Bingham. He was a legend, both as Ranger and sheriff. There is even a photo of him in the curly sheep skin chaps.
http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/6/willamette/photos.htm

OPB did a program about him and here is a short article about him.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19901123&slug=1105661

l.e. on 17th February 2014 @ 4:17pm

Are you sure its not a photo taken before they bury someone ? The two guys on the right look dead which would explain the fancy cloths and chaps.

Tina on 18th April 2014 @ 8:37pm

Has anyone figured out how theses riders are and if this pic was for a post card or taken in real time for the years the riders were patrolling Skamania County?

mitch patton on 22nd April 2022 @ 8:51am