Historic Hood River
Promotion Building
2-4-2015
Notes
Continuing the discussion about historic preservation, here’s the old Promotion site at 5th and Cascade. Not every old building is a critical part of the historic context of downtown. I don’t recall the removal of this building creating an uproar, and the replacement (below) was designed with sensitivity to both history and the pedestrian experience along the sidewalk.
Charlott
If I recall correctly, during my childhood the upper photo housed the Hood River Supply. My great-aunt (by marriage) was the secretary/receptionist there and resided in an apartment upstairs. Jeffrey Bryant would probably know about this as she was his grandmother. I remember going there with my Dad to get various things.
l.e.
It looks like a hardware store. Could this have been Hood River Grange Supply?
The trees got bigger!!!
Kate
In the late 1980’s, Promotion Wetsuits had the west half, portions of the first floor. Rush Wind sails had the eastern store front. My brother, Pat Dougherty (AKA "the Duke of Nuke") told me that the first few summers windsurfing in the Gorge (mid-late 1980’s) he lived above these businesses and they were both sponsors for his professional windsurfing racing. And when I say "he lived above" I mean he lived on the roof!!!! It was summer…
Dana Love of Promotion is still there, just talked to him two weeks ago. Haven’t seen Dave Russell of Rush Wind for a while…
James Holloway
Kate I sure enjoyed Pat Dougherty, I once rode with him to Boise, and met your father there! His reputation preceded him, and when he crashed, whoa, cartwheels. He loved to sail overpowered, hence his nickname, ‘The Duke of Nuke’…….,He’d come into my store shaking, and said it was nuking out there, and he left for a session!……And where did Dave and Eloise go, I vaguely remember the Williamette valley, high tech stuff…….,I think!
James Holloway
I still have some ‘Gorge Technology’ equipment here. Not used in years, tho. Pat was an engineering graduate, and crafted that skill into techy windsurf items….,mast bottoms, universal, maybe even booms, but I forget. Pat was a great guy, except his love of dirt biking (I hate that sport,sorry) took him away from here. Kate, what has become of your brother? I’d love to see him……! Where is his home?
l.e.
I think today’s photo, more than any other HHR photo we have seen, shows the historic changes to Hood River in the last 50 years.
As I look at the top photo I see a typical building that can still be seen in many rural eastern Washington and Oregon towns. Same shape and style. Perhaps home to a business or perhaps empty.
But something called wind and water, was discovered in Hood River that brought an influx of new ideas, new energy, a new sport, more money, more people, and tourism.
judy
Our Post Office is so small, would have been nice if the government could have purchased this property and remodeled the old Post Office. You are correct, l.e., More people, tourism has re-shaped this town for the better. The "die-hards" need to bite the bullet and get with the times.
Kate
James, Pat remarried and moved to Boise. He broke his neck motocross racing and is now paralyzed…but not stopping! He has invented the "Free Wheel" wheelchair attachment (see it at GoFreeWheel.com) and is selling it in 40 countries. He is skiing and biking more than most able-bodied people. You can email him through the Free Wheel website! All his Gorge Tech business skills trained him to patent and distribute the Free Wheel. Thanks!
Jim Gray
This Old Di-Hard has seen both good & Bad with the return of tourists, Hood River was once before a tourist town in it’s distance past. The bad has been mostly on the Heights, grand old neighborhoods filled in with crackerjack box houses with no off street parking, businesses built with no parking like at 12th & Pine St. or the horrid cardboard box at 13th & A street. But Downtown has for the most part, benefited from the new influx.
Jeffrey Bryant
Charlotte is correct, my grandmother and her kids lived upstairs over Hood River Supply (the upper windows in this photo), where she worked, from about 1949 until the mid-1950’s.
judy
Then we have the beauty on the corner of 17th and Sherman. This certainly did not fit in the surrounding neighborhood houses and sticks out like a sore thumb.
Linda Short
The late Lucile Wyers, Rockford Grange member for 72 years, said the Grange Supply store was located next to the Post Office. It later became Hood River Supply. I hope there’s a photo of it when it was Grange Supply.