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

PIONEERS HELD ANNUAL MEET SEPTEMBER 21, 1916

Old Timers live over bygone days.
D.A. Turner plays fiddle and Newton Clark tell of Lost Lake Discovery.

Once a year the sturdy men and women who conquered the virgin forests of the Hood River valley, who have seen the vast area of pine and fir trees give way acre by acre and tract by tract to orchards of Spitzenburgs and Newtons, the apples of which have been sold in every market of the world, with their children and grand-children meet to live over the days of the conquest. The incidents of pleas-ure and primitive joy along with the innumerable hardships that they encountered are all recalled. Each year some prominent member of the Hood River Pioneer Association, under the auspices of which the annual reunion is held, is selected to give the formal address, and the address is usually an authentic narrative of some early day event that is full of historical significance. Indeed the Hood River Pioneer Association is partially a historical organization, and in its archives may be found papers that tell graphically the pioneer history of the mid-Columbia. Some September day is chosen for the annual reunion, and the birthday of a member is always chosen. The Pioneers met Thursday and simultaneously participated in their annual gathering and celebrated the 80th birthday of David A. Turner, who has resided here for fifty five years in the fostering clime of the mid-Columbia. Mr. Turner, a native of Missouri, came to Hood River valley from California. Mr. Turner, who formerly owned a tract on the East Side that has long since been planted to commercial orchard trees, has now retired to a home in the city, where he devotes his time to the tending of his garden and flower pots and in a hobby of the protection of songbirds. Despite his four score years, Mr. Turner was bubbling over Thursday with optimism, and was greeted with rousing cheers when he rendered on his beloved fiddle "The Arkansas Traveler" and other old time favorites. Accompanied by his granddaughter, Miss Ethel Rand, daughter of ex-sheriff Ed. Rand of Baker County, he sang the "Golden Sunset Trail", a song for Pioneers written by W.R. Winans.
On behalf of the Pioneer Association Mr. Turner was presented by E.L. Smith with a handsomely bound copy of Samuel C. Lancaster's book on the Columbia River Highway.
Newton Clark, who delivered the annual address of last Thursday, chose for his subject the discovery of Lost Lake, the beautiful shores of which were first sighted in 1880 by a party of men composed of Dr. T.L. Eliot, Prof. L.F. Henderson, Milton Odell, E.L. Smith and Mr. Clark. (Although not mentioned above, the following names should be added: C.R. Eliot, B.C. Eliot, Wm. Hudson, J.H. Ferguson, Lyman Smith and his son Wm. Smith). We met our first real adventure, said Mr. Clark, when we reached Hood River near the present site of Dee where a bridge was made by felling a huge tree across the river gorge. We tied a rope to the stump and to a tree on the opposite side of the gorge and holding to this carried across our outfit. Later our pack pony was roped and dragged across the swift current. When we reached the region of the Upper heat Fork we found this country had all been burned over the year before by a great forest fire. Only jagged trunks were left.
We called the region a desert. I was axeman for the party and proceeded ahead to cut a path through the debris. Mr. Smith grew discouraged over a heel minus most of the skin, but his wits were keen. That old saying of Horace Greely's was then going the rounds, and Mr. Smith, to stimulate us as our determination flagged must have remarked a score of times as we pushed on toward the lake, "Go west, young man, go west." He did not reach the lake the first day but found it early in the morning of the second. I took Mr. Odell's rifle and went out to get some game, while the other members of the party built a raft from fallen logs and endeavored to catch some fish. I returned with only my rifle, expecting to find the bank covered with fish. But my companions had not caught a single fish. They declared there were no fish, in the lake. We had supper and just as the sun was setting behind huckleberry mountain, lighting up with gorgeous color the peak of old Mt. Hood, I suggested that we again try fishing. Everybody demurred but Mr. Smith, who consented to go out on the raft with me. Pretty soon the surface of Lost lake was literally alive with trout. They bit the hook as fast as we could take them off. I soon gave up catching for myself, taking the fish off Mr. Smith's hook, and then after about 30 minutes not a fish was to be seen. Everything be-came quiet. The lake trout had finished their evening feeding and had sunk to the bottoms of the crystal waters. But we had landed all we could eat. They were fine specimens, each about the length of a case knife, handle and all.
On our return trip Prof. Henderson, a botanist, found many wonderful specimens plants that thrive in the region.
A paper on the Columbia River Indians, prepared by Capt. H.C. Coe of California, who was unable to be present for the gathering, was read by Prof. Henderson.
The paper, an interesting and authentic document, will be placed among the archives of the society. Mr. Coe also presented to the Association a pruning hook, the property of his father, Nathaniel Coe, the founder of Hood River, who arrived in the mid-Columbia when Hood River was known to the Indiana as Dog River. The relic was used by the pioneer settler in pruning the first apple orchard ever planted in the district.
Other numbers of the program were: Singing of America by the entire assembly; a reading by Mrs. Alexander Thompson of The Dalles, who was present with a delegation from the Old Fort Dalles Historical Society; readings by Mrs. Maribeth Crowell.
The date set for the reunion of next year falls on September 17, the birth of E.L. Smith and Mrs. Wm. Boorman, who will be 80 and 82 respectively.
At noon Thursday, around long tables set in the big Odd Fellows Hall, the pioneers ate their sumptuous dinner of good things prepared by the pioneer families
The committee on resolutions, composed of S.F. Blythe, George Prather and Rev. Troy Shelley, brought in the following, which were adopted: Resolved: That to the officers of the Association who have so ably looked after the interests of the members and the work intrusted to them we are greatly indebted. Especially are we indebted to the historian, Mrs. T.R. Coon, for her untiring labor in looking up the records of members. Your committee heartily recommends that the present board of officers be re-elected. Resolved: That our thanks are due Newton Clark for his story of the finding of Lost Lake. Resolved: That we tender our thanks to Mrs. Alexander Thompson of The Dalles for her remarks and for the reading she gave. Also to the members of The Dalles Historical Society for their attendance. Resolved: That we were much gratified to listen to the paper by Captain H.C. Coe, giving a history of the Indians of the Middle Columbia, read by Prof. L.F. Henderson. Resolved: That we greatly appreciate the singing and violin music rendered by David Turner on this his 80th birthday, which we celebrate by holding our annual meeting. Resolved: That we highly appreciate the remarks by E.L. Smith in presenting the gift of the book given by the Association to David Turner on this the 80th anniversary of his birth. Resolved: That our thanks are due C.C. Masiker and W.R. Winans for the excellent poem which was sung to music by David Turner. Resolved: That the reading by Mrs. Crowell was highly appreciated. Resolved: That the committee on dinner, decorations and music deserve our thanks.
List of those present. Following are the names of those who registered, together with the year in which they came to Hood River:
Those who registered for the respective dates of their arrival in Oregon were as follows:
Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Howe, 1881, Miss Marion Howe, native, Mrs. and Mrs. T.R. Coon, 1877-1878, Warren Miller 1884, Alice Miller 1886, F.C. Sherrieb, 1871, Belle Sherrieb 1886, M.H. Nickelsen 1884, George Prather 1879, Mrs. Therese Castner 1887, Joseph Frazier 1885, J.R. Nickelsen 1884, Mary E. Frazier 1885, C.C. Masiker 1860, Wm. Boorman 1886, Burns Jones 1889, Cynthia Jones 1889, Mrs. Harriet Marden (Dalles) 1869, E.C. Rogers 1884, P.J. Mohr, native, Mrs. Lulu D. Crandall 1858, T.E. Wickens 1877, Hans Lage 1876, D.A. Turner 1861, Lena Lage 18__, Laura E. Turner 1892, F.R. Abaten 1882, W.A. Husbands 1877, Mrs. Anna Wilkins 1858, Wm. Wilkinson 1867, J.H. Koberg 1895, Mrs. M.K. Scobee 1876, E.L. Smith 1876, J.B. Smith 1890, Mr. and, Mrs. A.J. Eastman 1887, Charles Wallace 1875, Mrs. Charles Wallace 1888, Edward Lage native, A.L. Rumsey 1875, S.E. Bartmess 1890, George I. Slocum 1883, Mrs. George I. Slocum ____, W.L. Clark 1878, Mrs. W.L. Clark, Jasper Wickham 1889, Mrs. Alidia Shoemaker 1889, C. Dethman 1879, R.B. Lindsey 1885, C.H. Ehrck native, D.M. Jackson native, Mary C. Jackson native, Mr. and Mrs. Lena Larson 1874, Dr. J.F. Watts 1883, Mrs. Jessie Watt 1876, Ida M. Crapper 1882, Mrs. Belle McCurdy 1886, W.S. Crapper, Rose Crapper 1881, Mrs. S.E. Bartmess 1890, Mrs. Anna Clark 1800, George I. Howe 1887, Mrs. Eleanor LaFrance 1875, T.G. Smith 1890, Fannie Smith 1891, Rev. Troy Shelley 1869, R.H. Husbands 1878, A.J. Graham 1881, Mr. and Mrs. Newton Clark 1877-78, Florence Howe 1890, Mr. and Mrs. Blythe 1877, Mrs. O.G. Seymour 1889, F.E. Parker 1882, Mrs. N.A. Monroe 1878, Mrs. H.B. Lindsey 1885, Mrs. Grace Arneeon 1885, Mrs. Alma Howe 1883, Miss Hester Howe 1883, J.H. Gerdes 1879, Mrs Kittie Coe 1867, Mrs. C.P. Knapp, Irma Aneley 1881, Nell Coe DuBois 1888, Mrs. J.H. Gerdes 1871, Mrs. Phebe Foss 1876, Mrs. E.E. Hinrichs 1874, Mrs. Greta Veatch native, Mrs. A.L. Rumsey 1890, Mrs. Anna Lenz 1881, Mrs. A.L. Parker 1881, Mrs. Norman Tostevin 1889, Mrs. James Graham 1884, Mrs. Rose Shelley 1881, Mrs. Alice Williams 1884, Mrs. May A. Gilbert 1890.