Historic Hood River
Condon, Revisited
Notes
Condon is still wheat country, but so much has changed in the years since Alva Day took this image in October 1927. I’m not sure if this 1916 “Farmer’s Elevator” is still there, but some of the elevators are being replaced by huge piles of wheat sitting on the ground. Wheat comes to the elevators by truck instead of horse drawn wagons (lower right corner), and there are no sacks.
Another view from the same say showed the railroad servicing this elevator. The railroad lasted here until 1992, but it’s now gone. You can read about its history and demise here.
And I’m sure you know the real reason Alva Day took this photograph was the electrical substation, not the grain elevator. He would be thrilled to know Condon now is surrounded by windmills and solar projects, feeding substations to power the wider electrical grid.
Pat A
The elevator was probably the biggest power user in Condon, probably why this substation was so close to it.
I believe it still stands in the shadows of bigger elevators at the same sight. There is a modern grain facility that now handles the harvest at cedar springs lane closer to the river, where the grain will be transferred to a barge.
Alva may have liked the modern power producers, but the local farmers have grown weary and tired of it.