History of Hood River

The fruit and vegetable growers in Oregon owe a debt of gratitude to Henderson Lewelling. It was this man who brought a wagon train full of fruit and vegetable trees to Oregon in 1847 and established the first nursery in the state. Along with William Meek, they propagated these trees and began an industry which soon realized profits of incredible figures from the sale of fruit. Soon, there were orchards being planted from Corvallis to the Columbia River, and farmers growing fruits and vegetables for market along the entire west coast.

Some of the apple varieties being grown at this time were Gravenstein, Spitzenburg, Newtown, White Pearmain and Winesap. These varieties can still be found among the offerings of our Heirloom Orchards farm!

The first apple grower in Hood River was Nathaniel Coe, a lawyer and scholar from New York, who had always had a passion for horticulture. He and his family sailed up the Columbia from Portland and decided to make the land around the Hood River their home. They planted many fruits and vegetables, and by 1856 were trading the results for meat, flour, and other necessities. In 1858 Coe’s diary notes the sale of 1,000 pounds of peaches in The Dalles. This is believed to be the first agricultural sale from Hood River production.

The Coes continued to buy stock from the Lewelling nursery, and records from 1860 show apples including Northern Spy, Spitzenburg, Gravenstein, Golden Russet, and Newtown included in his orchards.

By 1880 men who were to guide Hood River’s future toward fruit growing were clearing land all over the valley. They saw what is still evident today; beautiful plateaus, rolling hillsides, a soil very adaptable to fruit, bountiful rains, and a crisp, cool climate adding high, fine color and keeping qualities, especially for apples.

Enter Ezra L. Smith, an educated man from Illinois. He arrived in Hood River and immediately saw the potential for apple orchards like those from his home in the Midwest. Together with Chris Dethman, he cleared and planted thirty acres in Pine Ridge area of Hood River valley. This farm became known as “Beulah Land” and was used as a showcase to lure other farming families to the valley. Smith became active in community affairs, and went on to be a representative in the Oregon Legislature.

Many other families came to Hood River valley in the 1850’s and most became important to the development of the family farm in the area. William Odell, Virgil Winchell, and David Turner were some of these settlers. As time moved on, farms began to be started by names that are still recognized and in business today. Hans Lage, August Paasch, and Albert Mason were some of these men responsible for furthering the orchards and nurseries of the area.

From here it was just a matter of the natural evolution of the community. Things like the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, the establishment of rail service to Portland, and the digging of the “Big Ditch” in 1897 which brought irrigation water from high on the Hood River to the valley floor, all contributed to the growth of the family farms in Hood River Valley. Today, the same spirit of community, family farms and businesses, and a simple lifestyle dependent on the earth, continues to make Hood River Valley one of the most desirable places in to live and raise a family.

(All Photos courtesy of The History Museum of Hood River County Photo Archives)