Historic Hood River
How much house can you buy for $1615?
Notes
This floor plan for a $1615 for a 7 “chamber” house (complete with 1 bathroom) is the very last page of the Earl Conser album. If you’ll recall, Earl Conser worked as an intern on the realignment of the OR&N Co. railroad line between Hood River and Rowena in the summers of 1901 and 1902. We’ve seen many of the wonderful images documenting that project, but the latter part of the album covers the years right after that episode. Based on his age in an image which appears to show his wife and friends lounging on the porch of this house I am dating it to no later than 1910. I do not believe the house was in Hood River, as his connection here was only through the summer job.
Conser was married in 1906, and later became a bank manager in Burns where he died in an automobile accident in 1930.
Rawhyde
Using the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator, which only goes back to 1913 dollars, the price of this house at $1,615 in 1913 dollars would be the equivalent of $53,389 in todays dollars.
Shockingly inexpensive, especially considering today’s mass produced inexpensive materials (nails, roofing, etc.).