Did you know?
Our name has serious Hood River roots
Long before our block was here, the name Henderson was shaping the very history of Hood River's world-famous fruit orchards. Here is the legendary history behind our name:
Henderson Luelling: The "Johnny Appleseed of the West"
- The Traveling Nursery: In 1847, a nurseryman named Henderson Luelling loaded 700 fruit tree seedlings into two giant, dirt-filled wagons and hauled them 2,000 miles across the Oregon Trail.
- Priorities! When water ran low on the grueling trail, Henderson gave it to his baby trees first. His family got whatever was left over!
- Hood River's Roots: Henderson established Oregon's very first commercial nursery. When Nathaniel Coe planted Hood River's first-ever orchard in 1854, he got his trees directly from Henderson's stock.
- The Bing Cherry Connection: Henderson's brother later took over the family nursery business, where their orchard foreman, Ah Bing, developed the world-famous Bing Cherry!
The Local Henderson Pioneers
- Log Schoolhouse Legends: The Henderson family was among the earliest pioneer settlers to plant roots right here in the Hood River area.
- Building Community: In 1879, the local Lage-Henderson family actually donated the land to build the area's very first log schoolhouse.
- The Strawberry Trick: Early local Hendersons and valley orchardists planted Henderson's traveling strawberries between the rows of young apple trees. This allowed them to make money selling berries while waiting years for the big fruit trees to mature!