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

FRANK McFARLAND AND FAMILY

     Frank McFarland, son of Cornelius and Martha McFarland was born in 1858 at The Dalles where he was raised and educated.
     His grandfather was owner and captain of the Wasco and his father was engineer and both were at the Cascades on the little steamer when the Indians made their murderous attack on March 26, 1856. In August 1873 Frank, in company with six men (he was only a boy of fifteen at the time), made a memorable trip around Mt. Hood. They were gone seventeen days. They went through Hood River valley, up the Branch fork to the lake, then east and south of the lake, skirting the base of the mountain, crossed the Sandy river and reached the Barlow road. From the south side they tried to reach the summit but on account of heavy clouds gave it up. The party was poorly equipped for climbing and Frank slid seventy five feet down the mountain side with no hurts but bruises. They reached The Dalles by way of Dufur.
     Frank McFarland was trained in the mercantile business and followed that vocation far many years in The Dalles, moving to Portland he became interested in real estate and life insurance business and carried on an extensive work in that line.
     He was married to Ida Potter of Hood River in 1881. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles B. Potter who came to Hood River November 1875 as members of the Parkhurst Colony.
     They had four sons: Earl, Carroll, Arthur and Victor. They adopted Miles McFarland, a nephew, and gave a home to Laura and Ed McFarland, a niece and nephew. Arthur died when a child; Victor and Lube were in the World War; Earl was a dentist in Portland and became Collector of Customs for that district but died before his term of office had expired.
     Mr. and Mrs. McFarland were owners of a fruit farm in Hood River, a part of the original Potter farm, and here the family were accustomed to spend their vacations. In May 1923 they arrived, accompanied by a small grandson. Mr. Mc-Farland was amusing himself by stacking and burning brush when the dinner bell rang, not wishing to leave, he sent the boy in to explain to his grandmother, and after waiting a reasonable length of time, Mrs. McFarland sent the boy back to the orchard to learn the cause of the delay. He returned with a troubled look and said: "Grandpa was asleep on the ground and would not talk."
     An investigation showed that he had dropped as he was leaving his work and died from heart failure. This was the first day of his vacation and a sad blow to his family. One year later Mrs. Ida McFarland passed away and five days later her mother, Mrs. Potter, followed.
     Mrs. Potter had long been an invalid and was eighty-one years of age and unable to withstand the shock.

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