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

B.R. TUCKER AND FAMILY                         1887
Maud (Tucker) Frary

     B.R. Tucker was born in North Carolina April 11, 1840 and when grown became a teacher in his native state. On March 28, 1861 he married Martha Walls and changed his occupation to farming.
     Mrs. Tucker was a native of North Carolina and was born on Feb. 27, 1841. A daughter, M.E. Tucker was born to them on Jan. 2, 1862.
     The Civil War was then raging and Mr. Tucker's sympathies were with the North but to leave the South openly was out of the question, if he remained he would be compelled to fight with the Southern Army against his honest convictions. He could not take his wife and baby with him and if he was caught in his attempt to reach the North he would be shot as a traitor. In this dilemma he slipped away from the farm, crossed the mountains and worked his way down the river on a steamer to Cairo, where he joined, as a private, Company M. 6th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry and marched with General Sherman to the sea. At the close of the war he returned to his family in North Carolina where Mrs. Tucker had cared for the farm during the war. (Mrs. Tucker could have undoubtedly written a thrilling tale had she recited her experience during those heart breaking events), but her troubles were summed up in these words: "She had a hard job". On October 21, 1865, their daughter who had been her mother's companion and charge during the awful days of the rebellion passed away leaving their home desolate.
     On December 14, 1866 twin sons were born to them and named after Lincoln and Sherman; W.S. and A.L. Tucker. The latter died March 19, 1867. On August 1, 1869, Roby Jones Tucker was born and on March 24, 1871 Byron F. Tucker joined the family in their North Carolina home. In 1872 or '73 Mr. B.R. Tucker and family left North Carolina and drove with horse team to Kansas, where he took a homestead on the prairie on the present site of Wichita.
     While living in Kansas a daughter, Martha Maud, was born on June 29, 1875. Another daughter was born November 28, 1876 and named Dora A. Tucker.
     In 1877 Mr. Tucker sold the homestead and moved to Astoria, Oregon where he took a timber claim on Young's River and went into the logging business, using oxen to haul the logs to the river.
     May 15, 1879 Byron F. Tucker died and on August 1879 William Sherman Tucker died. Charles A. Tucker was born at Astoria, April 28, 1883.
      In 1887 Mr. Tucker came to Hood River and purchased a saw mill at the place now known as Tucker's Bridge." His family came to their new home on June 1st of that year. The mill race and mill were repaired and the mill started, Mr. Tucker acting as sawyer and Mrs. Tucker cooking for their hired help. A few rooms were added to their house which burned down Jan. 7, 1889 and they moved into the woodshed temporarily. Later an addition was built on the end of the mill and a postoffice established and named "Tucker's Postoffice," the two girls taking charge of the office. Later a box factory was built, part of the lower story being used for a store of drygoods and groceries and postoffice. The Postoffice was then moved to the new house built in 1892, and still marks the old homesite.
     The Postoffice was discontinued when Free Rural Delivery was established. In 1893 Maud Tucker became Mrs. J.H. Frary.
     Early in 1893 the Hood River Fruit Grower's Union was incorporated and Mr. Tucker served as one of the directors, being one of the early growers of strawberries and apples.
     In 1896 Roby J. Tucker was married to Cora Kelly. In December 1900 Dora A. Tucker marries F.E. Strang. Soon after this the mill burned down but in 1902 the Tucker Power Co. was formed and a new mill built which ran for some time and then sold to the Hydro Electric Co. and Power Plant erected there. In l904 Charles Tucker married Bertha Plog. In 1907 Mr. Tucker purchased a home in the town of Hood River and retired from the farm leaving Charles in charge.
     Mr. Tucker was a member of the post of G.A.R. of Hood River. Tucker Hill, Tucker Bridge and Tucker Road as well as Tucker P.O. were named for him. Tucker's Bridge was built by the farmers of Odell without any outside help. The stringers being raised in the fall of 1881 by the cooperation of every able bodied man in the community. In the spring of 1881 a floor was laid on the stringers and travel began, but it had no name until the location of Mr. Tucker at that point gave the settlers an appropriate name.
     In the fall of 1910 Mr. Tucker bought a house and lot in San Diego, California and he and his wife moved there to enjoy their remaining years in a warm and sunny climate.
     On the 21st of October, 1911 Mr. Tucker was struck by a street car and died the next day. Three months later, January 2, 1912, Mrs. Tucker dropped dead in the streets of San Diego while waiting for a street car. Their son Roby Jones Tucker, who died in Sept. 1905 was buried in Idlewilde Cemetery at Hood River and there the children laid the bodies of their parents to rest.

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