Historic Hood River
Busy Intersection
4-29-2022
Notes
This a detail from another fine Russell Lee negative captured in 1941 for the Farm Services Administration, courtesy of the Library of Congress. It’s hard to believe that little gas station has room to prepare steaks and lunches. There are great billboards advertising Coca Cola, Chesterfield Cigarettes (milder, cooler), Gilmore Red Lion (gasoline), and the need for pear and apple pickers.
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1940s, automobile, Button Junction, Farm Services Administration, Lee, Library of Congress, logging, truck
Tags: 1940s, automobile, Button Junction, Farm Services Administration, Lee, Library of Congress, logging, truck
kmb
This is the east side grade? I can't imagine going to my local Richfield gas station to have a steak dinner, but maybe times were different back then.
L.E.
A 1924 view of this area with some discussion of the buildings
http://historichoodriver.com/index.php?showimage=2577
When I was traveling in British Columbia in the 1960's, almost every gas station was also a little restaurant. I bet much of the U.S. was similar thirty years earlier.
nels
That little truck is pulling a very heavy load of logs. Not sure I would want to ride with him on a long downhill grade. Nowadays it would be a very large semi hauling it.
nels
Any idea what the tall and narrow building diretly north of the station and between the two telephone/electricity poles is?
Jeffrey W Bryant
The tall and narrow building is the old blockhouse. See previous comments at image 2577 and other views at image 18 and 40.
andyb
Such a great photo. What is a Blockhouse and why is it there?
Jeffrey Bryant
For protection from the Indians following the 1856 uprising.
Philip Marsh
My stepmother, Shirley Harder (Clarke) Marsh, often mentioned working in her parent's (Melvin and Clara Harder) diner/gas station at this location, named the Loop Lunch. The Harder family moved to Portland when Shirley was in her junior year, which would make it around 1943 or 1944.
James
I cannot place where our present day Grace Su's restaurant would be in this photo? Up the road, or down the road? Is this Hiway 30…..? Not 35.
ArthurB
Grace Su's is roughjly where the Richfield Station is. The log truck is driving N on SR35. You can see State Street on the left edge of the image. If you connect State Street to the intersection, you can see roughly where the present bridge is located. The E bridge abutment in 1941 was N of the current bridge, closer to the railroad bridge (and lower to the river level).
Arlen L Sheldrake
GREAT photo…..both train depots in upper right. I'll bet that log truck brakes are on the warm side.
Judy
This was the way Colonel Sanders started his Kentucky Fried Chicken business.
He would take fried chicken out to customers waiting for gas . He soon learned to pressure cook with spices so he could get the chicken out faster.
I would have LOVED to see the station pictured here in person & to have eaten their food!!
Arlen L Sheldrake
us old folk remember this gas station location as the Y-Inn…a regular teen hangout….