Historic Hood River
Central Mfg. Co.
Notes
This is a little far afield but it’s too fine an image to pass up. One of our collections includes some images from the Vancouver Washington area such as this view of the Central Manufacturing Company factory. As you can see from the beautiful sign on the front of the building they manufacture or supply sashes, doors, millwork, cement, and Paroid roofing. I guess that explains all the doors and windows in the building.
This is a great example of a turn-of-the-century industrial building, with a plenty of windows for as much natural light as possible and a loading dock with two levels of large doors to load wagons with finished goods.
There are a couple of details you probably can’t see. The sign painter has signed his work with the name “Meach” or “Deach”. The left side of the building bears a logo of the “Pacific Portland Cement Co./ San Franciso. Cal./ Golden Gate Brand”.
You can learn a little about “Paroid Roofing” here.
This collection is dated in the 1900-1910 time frame. You can see more of it under the keyword “Vancouver“.
L. E.
Probably E. M. Meach and Co. is the sign painter.
The business of Central Planing Mill Company was a Vancouver business for many years.
Alan B Winston
Strange that the tongue and groove siding on the right hand portion of the building only goes up to the sills of the upper windows, with lap siding above that, while the left hand side is tongue and groove all the way up to the top trim. The “loading doors” are the same tongue and groove siding, which suggests that they are intended at best for occasional use during installation or replacement of machinery, and may actually be semipermanent allowances for future doors. None of the doors show any evidence on the ground in front of ever having been used. Perhaps the building is new? But why then the two treatments of siding? Time to check Sanborn maps?
I especially like the streetcar rails almost disappearing in the mud. We know those are streetcar (or interurban?) rails from the wire hanger at the right edge of the photograph, which is of the type used for electrical pickup via trolley poles. Certainly confirms that we’re not in Hood River anymore, if there was ever any doubt.