Historic Hood River
Oak Street Circa 1924
Notes
This view of Oak Street looking east appears to have been taken in 1924 while the Butler Bank Building was under construction. Several of the prominent buildings in this image are still around. The Shell station is now home to Bette’s and Gorge Dog. Hood River Jewelers and Footwise currently reside where Corson the Music Man once played. The Paris Fair Building looks as good as ever.
There are also some ghosts in this image. The Rialto Theater is on the left, next to the Shell Station. The Fashion Livery lingers at the far east end of Oak Street, though by this point it also served as a garage. The lone wood frame building on the right appears in the records as a “Japanese Hand Laundry.” It was eventually replaced by the brick building where Dog River Coffee currently brews.
Here’s a more recent view of this part of Hood River.
l.e.
The days of standing in the middle of Oak Street and visiting are long gone.
Arthur, when are you going to have a picture with leaves on the trees?
Dan
Wow! What a great view of Oak St.
Connie
I love the fact that our down town doesn’t have all those power poles in it. But the little traffic light in the middle is interesting. Arthur – what building are we looking at way down at the end of the street towards the east?
Arthur
The building at the end of the block is the Fashion Livery and Dray Company. We saw the back of the same building with the steam engine on a truck in the April 25th post. I’ll post a close-up soon.
As for why there are so many pictures without leaves on the trees– I’m guessing the photographers were trying to document the local commerce, and leaves just got in the way. I wonder if that was the last oak tree on Oak Street?
spinsur
From my reading of Wild Beauty, the coffee table book on the gorge, the photographers liked the shoulder seasons to get away from the wind. I think it’s one of the reasons most everyone is stopped. The shutter speed was so slow, it picked up movement. Even a little movement of leaves would like the person on the sidewalk in front of the garage door, and the other one in the center of the street, a block away. Perhaps some of the more camera attuned can chime in.
Charlott
Here us a curious question. What is that little building about half way down built out into the street?
Arthur
Charlott, I believe that shed in the street is associated with the construction of the Butler Bank Building.
Charlott
I bet you are rigfht. Never thought about that, but Butler Bank, later Hood River County Court House would have been built about that time.
Arthur
I found a photo of the Butler Bank under construction with that shed right in front– theory confirmed. I think it may have been used by the stone masons. I’ll post it one of these days.
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, 1925-02-26, page 11 says the Paris Fair is having the lot just across Fourth street from their big store excavated and leveled. The big department store, however, does not contemplate building on the lot this season.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1925-02-26/ed-1/seq-11/