Historic Hood River
Eldon Bradley and Engine #1
Notes
Eldon Bradley is at the wheel of the city’s 1920 La France fire engine in front of the new City Hall building. This photo was taken in the 1920s, but that fire engine still lives in Hood River (at WAAAM). The engine is a popular site at local parades. I can tell you from personal experience its bell is very loud. My ears are still ringing from the holiday parade.
The building has recently been renovated to house the police station, municipal court, and city administration. If you’re in Hood River this afternoon (January 9th), stop by for an “Open House.” You can tour the building and enjoy some refreshments from 4-6PM, and you’re welcome to stay for the city council meeting which starts at 6PM.
We have no ID for the passengers, so that will be today’s mystery. If the name “Eldon Bradley” sounds familiar, that’s because we saw him (or his son Eldon F. Bradley) in this photo from election day, 1948. His father, Eber Bradley, was the founder of the Hood River Newsletter, which eventually became the Hood River News.
Tags: 1920s, 2nd Street, automobile, City Hall, fire, fire apparatus, fire engine, fire station, Mystery Monday
Charlott
Eldon "Fred" Bradley is one in the same as was in the Hood River Saddle Club photo. Have no idea who the passengers might be. I think it was way too early for him and Marie to have been married. Maybe his sister (s). His brother Bill Bradley lived in Pine Grove married to the former Norma Norton.
l.e.
Look at those nice new tires.
Jim Gray
Those were the "as delivered tires"
hard rubber, were later changed to ballon tires. which helped in the traction and ride I am sure!
Arlen Sheldrake
GREAT people in the roster shot!!! Appears that girl is about to
capture a hat……and those tires are true classics…….
Micki (Mohr) Bradley
Fred was my father-in-law. Don’t recognize the ladies.
Shawna
This picture is Eldon Russell Bradley. The lady next to him is his wife, Gretchen. The lady behind him is his sister, Pearl Hollingsworth. Dad also added this tidbit: She was the 1921 Campus Queen, which was about the same thing as a prom queen, from what he said.
Eldon Russell Bradley is the son of Eber Bradley, and the father of Eldon Frederick Bradley. It’s Eldon Frederick Bradley that is in the Election Day Saddle Club photo.
Micki
Just a little more addition here. Aunt Pearl Hollingsworth was the 1921 Campus Queen of Willamette University. Gretchen Bradley’s maiden name was Calkins. I think I spelled it right. I will check on this and let you know if it is different.
Connie
Wow – another great job of mystery solving by the photoblog team!!
Charlott
Gretchen’s maiden name was Bradley and she married the Calkins. She was a sister to Fred.
Charlott
I can’t figure this out, as I knew Fred and his wife Marie very well. Let us get it clerified as to who was who.
Charlott
Accept my humble apologies here. I was unaware that Marie’s first name was Gretchen, always knew her as Marie. Sorry about my lack of knowledge.
Richard BRADLEY LaBille
Eldon is related to me… His Father Eber is my Great Grand Uncle…See his site for a message….
Richard BRADLEY LaBille
I had the lineage Of Eldon Russell down…..,But it took over 20 min A dropped the info….Not doing it the 2nd time —-this 20 min thing is for the Birds…..
l.e.
Richard…..when you were ready to submit your comment did it tell you, you were spam?
That is what it does to me, if I take too long to comment.
Anyway….welcome to the site.
Arthur
Richard– sorry about the time limit. I’ve increased it to 60 minutes. It’s part of the built in spam protection on the site, but I think we’ll be OK with an hour. I look forward to hearing more about your relatives.
Richard BRADLEY LaBille
Thanks for changing the time setting. I have Parkinson’s & it takes a little longer to type "Hen Peck" anything… Eber Ross is my Great Grand Uncle. Which makes Russell my 1st cousin 2x removed…. And yes, he married Gretchen Marie Calkin…….. They had 4 children, one being Fred Bradley…
And all the above are buried in Idlewilde Cemetery……This is a part of my lineage…….Oregon & Washington States were the Melting pot of my back ground …… I have been to Washington to check out my back ground… I need to come to Oregon to check out the rest….. Can’t wait to get there one day soon I Hope… RBL
Richard BRADLEY LaBille
I’ve got a strange Question… Why was the Idlewilde Cemetery sign spelled wrong….. It has to do with Looks/Balance, Eight letters each side…..Surely it wasn’t misspelled & not caught till it was to late to change… What’s the story… RBL
l.e.
Richard….I still sometimes have HHR recognize my comment as spam. When it does that, click the back arrow. Your comment will still be there.
Highlight it and save it and bring up a new HHR page.
Paste your comment and submit.
That works for me.
Richard BRADLEY LaBille
The last 2 entries went in without any problems… Thanks for your help…
RBL
Peggy Gaston (Bradley)
This is a picture of my grandfather Eldon Russell Bradley. If this is picture of Gretchan (Calkins), that would have been his wife (my grandmother) and Pearl Hollingsworth (Bradley) was his sister. I’m not sure if this is them, I never saw a picture of them at this young age. Maybe grandfather just picked up a couple of chicks….great line, "Hey do you want to see my fire engine?" Eldon Frederick Bradley and Maria (Thurn) Bradley were my parents. Dad was locally known as "Fred", much taller than grandfather.
steve nohlgren
Just stumbled across this. Am pretty sure the blonde in the front seat is my grandmother, Pearl Bradley Hollingworth, who was Eldon Sr. sister and Fred and Bill Bradley’s aunt. Sure looks like Pearl’s nose and smile, both of which stayed with her all her life.
Steve Nohlgren, St. Petersburg, Florida
Shawna
Just wanted to finish sorting out the two "Marie" names in simple terms for anyone that runs across it later and is confused.
Eldon Russell Bradley and Gretchen Marie (Calkins) Bradley were the parents of Eldon Frederick Bradley. Eldon Frederick "Fred" Bradley was married to Maria "Marie" (Thurn) Bradley.
Marie (Thurn) Bradley would be the one Charotte knew, not Gretchen (Calkins) Bradley.
Arthur "Brad" Bivvin
I am the youngest son of Florence Ann Bradley (Bivvins). She was the sister to Fred, Gladys (Hap), and William (Bill) – her twin brother.
Interesting note on the fire engine – a story my father told me. My father stopped by to see the restored engine.
It was all finished, except for a tail light or something that was missing (it might have been the lamp you see on the back). It was the only part they could not find.
My father informed them it had been in his garage for decades and brought it down.