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History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon.
Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

THE STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY D.M.C.

The first strawberries grown in Hood River were of the variety known as "Wilson's Prolific" and were planted on the Nathaniel Coe farm soon after their arrival in the country. The berries were probably raised for home consumption but some were sent to The Dallas with other produce.
In l872 Haynes and Sanders planted the market variety "Wilson's Albany" on their farm at Ruthton. They shipped most of their berries to Portland as The Dallas market was too small to bother with.
Fred A. Clark of Mt. Tabor grew strawberries for the Portland market, and he and his wife amused themselves by raising seedlings. One of these seedlings promised so well that he named it "Clarke's Early" and distributed some of the plants among his friends. His neighbor's at Mt. Tabor received some plants for trial, Haynes and Sanders at Ruthton, Dr. Patton on Phelps Creek and Hr. Warren on the State Road were also remembered.
The Mt. Tabor berry growers said they were not prolific, and Haynes and. Sanders decided against them for the same reason. Dr. Patton sold his place to Mr. Hull and the very existence of the plants seemed to have been forgotten.
In the early spring of 1884, T.R. Coon went to Mr. Warren's home to buy some "Wilson's Albany" plants for his home garden. Mr. Warren was busy at the time and directed him to go "behind, the barn" and dig what he wanted. He had dug about two hundred plants when Mr. Warren appeared and informed him that those plants were not the "Wilson" variety but a worthless seedling, sent him by Fred Clark of Mt. Tabor. Mr. Coon offered to reset the Clark plants or pay for them but Mr. Warren said no, for he was intending to plow them out anyway. Mr. Coon had never heard of Mr. Clark's seedling strawberries and was glad to give them a trial, for he remembered Mr. Clark as a successful berry grower and a former neighbor and patron of his school at Mt. Tabor.
The two hundred Clark plants were planted in two rows on the hillside, and near them about ten or twelve rows of the "Wilson Albany" plants. The two plants received exactly the same treatment.
The following spring the Clark plants produced ripe berries six or seven days ahead of the Wilson's and were equally prolific. The young sets were saved and about one fourth of an acre planted, from this plat he marketed berries in 1885. The first picking, fifteen pounds, went to Smith's store. Mr. Crowell thought they must be worth fifteen cents a pound, Mr. Smith said twenty cents for they are early. The second picking was twenty three pounds and was sent to Page and Son, Portland. The net returns came the next day for $9.75 with an order for more berries.
This was the beginning, later shipments were made to Montana and Idaho, bringing returns from three to ten dollars per crate.
L.E. Crowe, who was station agent and telegraph operator in Hood River, furnished names of reliable parties who handled the fruit in these sections. Joseph Wilson and George Prather both acted as shipping agents in a small way. From the two hundred plants, dug by mistake, Hood River Valley became a vast strawberry field and a prosperous community.
About the year 1887, Mr. Hull, owner of Dr. Patton's place on Phelps Creek, made the claim that the berries which were being planted so extensively were originally from his place and had been named "Hull's Favorite" by him. To prove this claim he showed fruit and plants identical with the Clark's. A little investigation disclosed the fact the "Hulls Favorite" was on the place when it was purchased from Dr. Patton and the berries and plants in question were derived from the Clark's Early plants sent there for trial.
The increasing number of shippers made it necessary for some uniform method of marketing the fruit to be adopted, and in 1893 the Hood River Fruit Grower's Union was incorporated.
The business was managed by a board of seven directors at first but was later reduced to five. The secretary was the only member of the board to receive pay.
T.R. Coon was elected president of the board and served seven years. H.F. Davidson was elected secretary and also acted as manager. In 1894 the unusually high water washed out the railroad and much of the fruit perished on the vines. The president of the Union put in his entire time during the berry season of 1894, gratis, endeavoring to route the berries to a market. Teams were employed at The Dalles to haul the fruit, by night, about seventeen miles to the nearest shipping point. Other teams made the portage at the Cascades.
The shipments up to the year 1895 had been made entirely by express, this year thirteen cars were shipped to eastern markets and T.R. Coon was sent to Denver and to Omaha to receive and distribute the fruit, the pay received was per day and expenses. In 1896 T.R. Coon was again sent to Omaha and Denver and Mr. Chas. Bone went into Montana and other northern markets. In 1897 Mr. G.H. Castner was added to the distributing force, he and Mr. Bone going to Omaha and Denver and Mr. Coon to the northern markets. Five cars of berries were shipped into Butte, Montana that year, the first shipment in car lots sent to that destination.
At the time the berries were received in Butte the market was weak and over stocked with inferior California berries, but owing to the superior quality of the Hood River berries and the skill of the dealers and distributors, the price was forced up and the season closed at a good figure with a strong demand for more berries.
Other varieties of strawberries have been tried and tested by different growers, T.R. Coon had more than thirty different sorts on his trial grounds at one time. Some were more prolific than the Clarks and some were equally early, but none combined so many good qualities or were so safely shipped as the Clarke Seedling.
Gradually the planting of orchards has curtailed the strawberry business but the strawberry remains the poor man's helper and carload lots are still shipped from Hood River.
The Hood River Fruit Grower's Union has given place to the Apple Growers Association which markets all kinds of fruits.
T.R. Coon, by chance, discovered the value of the Clark's seedling strawberry and rescued it from oblivion, thus helping himself and his neighbors, but this article would not be complete without a tribute to Mrs. Louise Clark, who planted the seed and nurtured the tiny plant, and to her husband, Fred A. Clark who recognized its value and distributed the plants. Neither ever received financial compensation for their work and few people have ever considered its value to Hood River.