Historic Hood River
Hood River Garage, Circa 1930
4-2-2013
Notes
Loyd Blowers is on the left in this interior view of the Hood River Garage. Hopefully some of the automotive expert can narrow down the date and explain the apparatus on the right.
This space is now inhabited by the River Daze Cafe. They have remodeled extensively, but still use garage doors to let in the summer air.
spinsur
Looking at the round table behind the dolly/creeper and partly hidden by the tool cart, the pull handle, and the path of the belts and gears, I’m not sure that isn’t just drill press. Looks like a bearing press in the background. what’s the lightweight track curving along the ceiling for?
Jim Gray
I agree with spinsur its a drill press, one that large was usually found in a machine shop or mill. the track on the ceiling is a trolly system for the chain lift that is holding up the car body in the background, looks like late 20’s to early 30’s vehicles.
l.e.
Was this a Chevy dealership in the 1970’s?
spinsur
I dunno, Jim, I can see the body on a chain hoist, but it doesn’t appear to be attached to the track, and the track looks too lightweight, more like an old style barn door track…
Jim Gray
202 Cascade at one time was a Chevrolet Dealership, notice the bowtie symbols around the top of the building. during the 50’s & some of the 60’s the Chevy dealer was where Andrews Pizza is now, perhaps earlier, one of the Oak street photos shows it as a Chrysler dealership. some time in the fifties the Chrysler dealership was directly across the street from yesterdays photo & later was the Rambler dealership, now a glass shop.
charlott
If it was a dealership in the ’70’s it wasn’t by that name. Did we not see Blowers in an earlier photo? I do know that his parents were Lawrence and Bertha Blowers, but that is about all.
Buzz
Shop too modern for a 70’s Chevy dealership. Agree on drill press. The light curved track may be an air line running from compressor to a work station.
Norma Jubitz Simpson
202 Cascade was also the Buick dealership in the 50’s. Owned by Rene Devine. The funny part is that he sold Buicks but his wife insisted on driving a Chevrolet.
Jim Gray
You are right spinsur now that I have my glasses on the body is hanging from the rafters, however I still believe the rail is used as a trolly system for a hoist, we had them all over the place when I worked at the Dee Mill.
charlott
I know way back when Garrabrant’s Chevrolet was right there about where the pizza place is. You always sort of hand to poke your head around the corner of the garage door to see if some sort of vehicle might be coming out.
Leslie Blowers-Hays
Loyd Blowers, the man on the left, is my grandfather.
Jeffrey Bryant
Hood River Glacier, 1926-12-2, page 1: The Coulter Motor Co., which recently took over the Hood River county agency for the Ford line, moved yesterday to the Hood River Garage.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1926-12-02/ed-1/seq-1/