Hood River Agriculture

History - Nathanial Coe brought to the Hood River Valley the first fruit trees in 1854, when he arrived to establish Oregon's first post offices and mail routes.

In 1876, E.L. Smith planted the first commerical orchard, 30 acres of apples (Newtown Pippins and Spitzenburgs) and peaches. In time, apples became the dominant crop.

In 1919, the Hood River Valley had a disastrous freeze that killed many apple trees. With that, growers began planting pear trees to replace the apples. Today, pears are three quarters of the area production and produces over 30% of all winter pears (Anjou, Bosc, Comice) grown in the United States.