Historic Hood River
1520 Wasco
Notes
This image bears a relatively modern inscription “1520 Wasco.” I think they got it right!
i don’t think I’ve seen any other views of this neighborhood in our collection. It’s fun to see three horses grazing in the size yard (one is just barely visible).
Update:
Thanks to a former owner we have some important new information. She was told by Paul Keir that this house was moved to Wasco Street from the current location of Salon Visio (Christian Science Reading Room) on Oak between 7th and 8th. This seems like an awfully long distance to drag a relatively large house, but as luck would have it we have a way to verify this story. The purported original location of this building is next door to a building we know well, the Cottage Hospital. Sure enough, the structure of the building in the background matches the Cottage Hospital, and the unusual upper level windows clinch it. This photo was taken on Oak Street before the house was moved.
So when was this house moved to Wasco Street? I haven’t found conclusive evidence yet, but the Sanborn maps a house this shape at the NW corner of 7th and Oak first in 1905 (previous map is 1902). It appears again in 1909, 1916, 1928, and 1942 (our last Sanborn map).
In the 1916 map the front porch was removed and the street was widened, likely due to the initial paving around 1913. This suggests this image is pre-1916.
I don’t have a date for construction of the Christian Science Reading Room on this site. It is not on part of the historic sites survey. I’ll have to take a look and see if it has a cornerstone.
Kenn
Assume the wood sidewalk indicates well into town, and the horses do add class
Harold
What year?
ArthurB
The state historic sites database indicates this house was constructed circa 1900, and the house at 1522 Wasco circa 1920. These dates are not always accurate, but photos and maps I've seen indicate this neighborhood was first developed between about 1915 and 1925.
nels
That is a huge house in the background. Four stories., almost like a hospital. Will drive down tomorrow to see if tttthat still exists.
Kenn
In 1900 had a wood sidewalk and in 2019 picture none?
ArthurB
I noticed that too Kenn. There's clearly room for sidewalks, but for some reason the city didn't require them as much of this neighborhood developed.
Peggy Thompson
This is indeed the home now located at 1520 Wasco St. It was where Hood River Coffee Roasters started in 1990. The story we learned from the former pharmacist Paul Keir, who has since passed away, is that this home was originally built on the land where the brick building that Salon Visio is at. (and was originally a Christian Science Reading room).The home was moved down the road on Wasco St. later. I understood it to be quite a bit later….but unsure of the date. Maybe learning when the brick building on Oak was put up will give us a clue. The home in the photo was built in 1910. I question if this photo was taken at Wasco St or at Oak St mostly because the side of the home is on quite a steep grade. Much steeper than what it is on Wasco St.
ArthurB
Thanks for the history, Peggy. I found evidence you are correct about this being Oak Street. It turns out the building in the background is none other than the Cottage Hospital, which has very distinctive window. I'll update the notes to reflect this.
Charlott
The minute I looked at this I saw Cottage Hospital, but figured it had all been researched. My thought was in that time frame the town was not really populated on Wasco.
Peggy Thompson
The story Paul Keir told me was that he grew up on Lincoln St (don't know the address) and one day, looked out to the north and slightly west to see this home planted where it is now. He had relatives that lived in it when it was up on Oak He told us of a time when he was at the home (on Oak) for Christmas, celebrating with family, however he had an earache and was in a lot of pain and isolated in the front upstairs bedroom. (Mind you that was a long time ago given that he would be 111 if he was alive today!) This home was the first home to be located on Wasco. I wonder if we could find out when Wasco was created as a street?