Historic Hood River
1810 Cascade Avenue
6-16-2022
Notes
[Ed. Note: This image was originally posted on April 8, 2011. I am reposting it so you can see all the great comments people have added over eleven years. This building has clearly played an important part in the lives of so many people.]
This building has had more lives than the proverbial cat. Here we see it as a Richfield gas station and convenience store, but in recent years it has housed Montero’s Mexican Restaurant, Abruzzo Italian Grill, and Sophie’s Restaurant. Just this week it reopened as “Mekong Thai” Thai/ Vietnamese restaurant.
Here’s the same spot today. The building’s been stretched outward in two directions, but if you look closely you can still see the original roofline.
Dan
And don’t forget ice cream 🙂 Might have been before Montero’s
Jim Gray
That was out in the country back then!
db
I remember Richfield gasoline.
Larry
When I moved to Hood River in 1976, it was Jose’s Taco House, which I think was the only Mexican food restaurant in town at the time.
Casey Housen
Wow. Is that really the same building that stands today or just the same spot? I didn’t realize it was that old. Also, has anyone tried to the new restaurant? Any good? ( =
Arthur
West Cascade was part of the main highway back then, so this store probably saw a good number of Columbia River Highway tourists gassing up before the long drive back to Portland.
Sandy Shea
While dining at Abruzzo a few years back, I realized the building was once the home of either 24 or 34 Flavors of very good homemade ice cream. I would go there quite often in the 60’s (and maybe late 50’s) and usually have Rocky Road. I remember the owners as being very nice people. I also remember the screen door. Great spot!
Charlott
I find the gas pumps the amazing feature. I don’t understand the way they worked, but the tops were of glass and would be filled with gas and when the car was being filled you could watch that gas go down. Kids loved those and when I was little there were a few of them around still in use.
David
Yes, Atlantic-Richfield, better known as ARCO.
Maria Curry
Jose’s Taco House(Mexican Authentic Food) was opened back in 1970, my grandfather Jose & Maria Castilla was the owner & they retired back in 1989 or 1990 & sold it to Montero’s . I grew up in that little restaurant. So many great memories.
Arthur
Thanks for filling in the "Jose’s" era, Maria. I remember toward the end of the Montero’s era there was a sign in the window: "Wanted, Cook or Wife." I guess he didn’t find either, because Montero’s closed soon after.
Jeffrey Bryant
When I was growing up in the 1960’s we would get ice cream there from "Uncle Bud" Chambers.
Donna
This was Bud’s 24 Flavors and I remember banana splits for 50 cents! With three flavors of ice cream and all the toppings.
Kenn
The gravity pumps were all we had before electricity, some remained in remote areas after that in case of power failure, no gasoline generators at that time. Seems my grandfather always did the car fueling but I was expected to pump gas back into the glass waiting for the next customer. There was a valve to empty the globe back down to the tank at closing timel
Pamela Jones Opperman
I was very excited to see this picture of the ice cream store I spent 9 years of my childhood in. I’m the daughter of Bud’s 24 flavor ice cream . My dad Bud and mother bought this building in 1953 and operated it as a ice cream business and also sold hamburgers and fries and curly dogs until they sold it in 1962. I was only 10 when we sold it but have the fondest memories of this time of my life. It was heartwarming to here that people remembered my parents as really nice. I also remember the screen door. My dad added a addition to the right of the original building as a walk in cooler. If anyone has any picture of this time period I would love to see them. I remember the coca cola bottling plant across the street . Also the Smith’s War surplus store . We actually lived in the old Jay Mar lumber Co.building that my dad converted into a house located a few houses west of the ice cream store.
Arthur
This building is starting yet another life, now as "Pho River" restaurant. They opened about a month ago, replacing Mekong Thai restaurant.
Matt McCoy
My grandparents purchased Bud’s Ice Cream in the early 60’s and operated it for several years until they were robbed at gun point. I have the firearm they were robbed with as well as their handgun that was stolen. I’m looking for any and all photos, articles etc from the early 60’s, especially their newspaper advertisements.
Hazel Eskew Schaller
My sister Minnie and I both worked for Bud and ethel while we were in high school. She was five years
older than me and our other sister worked there too.
We loved our jobs with Bud and Ethel I do remember when you were born Pam. My two older sisters went on to colllege Minnie graduated from Oregon State. When I was in high school after working at the ice cream store I went on to work att Paris Fair in Hood River. After that I married in 1957 and moved to Vanc. Wa.
Norma
Memories! A girl friend and I stopped all the time in the late 50s. She always got a cherry coke with extra ice and I got a lemon coke.
Basaltgrouse
I think that all of us who have made many laps around the sun have memories of the old local community store back when we were little. You know the one. Creaky wood floors, wooden screen door with a spring to snap it shut, always stayed close behind your pop when you went in so the door wouldn’t smack you when it closed, Old men standing around talking about the weather, and at least one of them smoking a stinking pipe. If modern convenience stores had half of the character of the old community store, the world would be a better place. Or so I think.