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The Hood River News, Hood River, OR., Hood River, OR., June 19, 1925, page 5

HISTORIC SPOTS IN MID-COLUMBIA
(By Lulu D. Crandall in The Dalles Chronicle)

The Old Emigrant Road

     The Old Emigrant Road entered Sherman county at Leonard's bridge in 1861, on the John Day river about 18 miles south of the Columbia River, and near the mouth of Rock Creek, climbed the hill, passing a mile and a half north of the present town of Wasco and crossed the Deschutes at its mouth, thence on The Dalles. At the top of the John Day hill at Emigrant springs, the road divided, one way to The Dalles, the other in a southeasterly direction by Grass Valley canyon over to Buck Hollow and down to the Deschutes river at what is now known as Sherar's bridge, and thence by the Barlow road over the Cascades.

The Old Stage Road

     The Stage road was built in 1864 between The Dalles and Walla Walla, crossed the Deschutes river at telegram River at Graham bridge, up the canyon, now called Fulton's. It went from there to Spanish Hollow, passed Price's stage station at Poplar Grove, now the Hugh White place, on to Locust Grove at Eaton's, also a stage station, through what is now Wasco, to John Day river, at Leonard's bridge. This road led to the Idaho mines and practically followed the old Emigrant road.

The Old Cattle Trail

     The Old Cattle Trail was used by the missionaries in 1838. Also the emigrant trial known now as the Walker Trail. It runs across Hood River valley by Odell, crossing the east fork of the river above Dee, over Dee flat to Sand Flat, to the west fork of Hood River at Stone Bridge, up the west fork to Archway, the entrance way to the national forest, thence National Forest , events National Forest , then it's National Forest , the, thence, a round Chitwood lake, down Bull Run River to Walker Prairies and over to Oregon City.

How Hood River Was Named

     Hood River was named by Lewis and Clark in 1805 "La Biche River," which is French and means the female of the canine species. Indians communicated this to Astorians in 1811. Present-day Indians call it Kamooks, their word for "dog." The first settler on Hood River was Miss Mary White Coe, 1854. She insisted that that such a beautiful stream that should bear the name of the grand mountain where it had its source. The name was changed to Hood River.

Legend of Bridge of Gods

     The Klickitat legend asserts that once upon a time a rock formed an arch or bridge, one base near Mount Hood, the other near Mount Adams, across the Columbia river, and that canoes passed under its shadow. These great snow mountains where rivals for the love of the beautiful St, Helens. They threw hot rocks at each other until the arch lost its balance and fell, blocking the river, hence the Cascades.

First Settlers

     In 1862 the Masikers located at Poplar Grove in Spring Hollow near Wasco. Massiker died and his widow married Samuel Price. They conducted a stage station for years. Jesse Eaton and family located in Spanish Hollow in 1864. He grew the first grain in Sherman county. It was rye, raised for hay.

How Mount Hood Got its Name

     Old Mount Hood was named by Lieutenant Broughton, October 29, 1792. He was sent by Captain George Vancouver up the Columbia river on an exploration trip. Lord Hood was an admiral in the British navy. The height of the mountain peak is 11,255 feet.

Site of First Settler

     An old Concord grape vine at 1022 State st., Hood River, which is about 70 years old, marks the site of the Coe donation land claim and log house built in 1852 by W.C. Loughlin, and occupied by the Coe family, permanent settlers, in 1854.

Hood River County, 1907

     Hood River county gets its name from the mountain stream that heads in snow-capped Hood. It pours 30 miles into the Columbia river at the town of Hood River, the county seat.

Waukoma

     Waukoma is the cotton wood grove on the flat at the mouth of Hood River. The Indians called the place Waukoma. It extends about a mile up the beach to Stanley's rock.

Lewis and Clark

     Lewis and Clark traveled by boat up and down the Columbia River between the years 1805 and 1806. There is no doubt that they camped on the south side of the river.

Grave of Veteran of 1812

     Nathaniel Coe was a captain in the war of the 1812. His remains lie in the cemetery back of Hood River valley. He was a pioneer settler of Hood River in 1854.

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©  Jeffrey L. Elmer