Historic Hood River
Dan Shannon’s Gospel Meeting House
8-30-2011
Notes
Here is Dan Shannon with his flock at his gospel meeting house. The sign above the door identifies Shannon as the “Cyclone Evangelist.” We believe this meeting house was located on Twelfth Street, but I can’t find it on any of the historic maps. Perhaps I’m looking in the wrong place, or maybe it was a short-lived structure that never made it to a map.
[ed. note] According to this article in the Glacier, it was at 12th and Eugene.
l.e.
Vancouver built a huge, temporary meeting hall for Dan Shannon in 1909.
it could seat 2500.
He spent 52 days there preaching and in April his next stop was Hood River.
So, perhaps it was a temporary building.
spinsur
interesting roof ridge treatment on the house behind the meetin’ place, and the next house south appears to have a garmbrel roof. if still around, that may be a key to location. seems like the 12th and sherman/eugene area has a gambrel roof. and that would be close to Coe’s place. I beleive Kitty Coe was not just against liquor, but rather religous also.
Arthur
In 1910 Shannon visited Coos Bay and built a very similar building. My guess is this is the block bounded by 12th and 13th, just north of May, where the hospital sits today. In 1909 it held the city’s 350,000 gallon reservoir to the north. Various maps call this spot "Chautauqua Park", so a temporary use here is very possible. The rest of 12th held residences in 1909.
steve s
Hadn’t they ever heard of tents? What a waste of resources.
Arthur
My guess is the entire building was turned into fruit crates the following year.
hss
1909 was a big year for evangelical preachers in Hood River county–it was also the year that mega-star preacher Billy Sunday bought his mid-valley ranch. Must have been a sinful place to require the attention of not just one but two celebrity ministers!
As to why wooden tabernacles instead of tents? This from wikipedia:
In 1906, an October snowstorm in Salida, Colorado, destroyed Sunday’s tent"”a special disaster because revivalists were typically paid with a freewill offering at the end of their meetings. Thereafter he insisted that towns build him temporary wooden tabernacles at their expense. The tabernacles were comparatively costly to build (although most of the lumber could be salvaged and resold at the end of the meetings), and locals had to put up the money for them in advance. At least at first, raising tabernacles provided good public relations for the coming meetings as townspeople joined together in what was effectively a giant barnraising. Sunday built rapport by participating in the process, and the tabernacles were also a status symbol.
Charlott
Oh yes, Billy Sunday…..There were times when he was in Hood River he was asked to speak at various churches, especially Pine Grove, as his Sunday Ranch was not too far from that location.
His wife was just called "Ma" Sunday. She ran the ranch while he was out "spreading his word." Story about him preaching one Sunday at Pine Grove. He being a "hell and brimstone" type could go on for hours and hours. This particular Sunday apparently Ma got tired of his going on and on and finally said…." Pa, I think the beans are burning!" In other words wrap it up.
Charlott
Even in the 1940’s and 1950’s there was a big water resevoir there at Chautaqua Park. It still went by that name when I was a child.
Connie
And let’s not forget Billy Sunday’s other profession as a professional base ball player! The museum actually has his baseball shoes in the archives collection.
Arthur
The city still has a large covered reservoir on the north edge of that block. There is a basketball hoop on top, but you can hear the rushing water if you stand in the right spot.
hss
Connie–do you know if the museum has other Billy Sunday memorabilia? Any photos of him or his "ranch"?
Charlott
His house is still in existance as are some of his outbuilding on Sunday Rd. just of Hwy. 35 near the Odell intersection.
Bill Pattison
Let’s identify the two homes on the left side of the photo to locate the strucure.
Bill Pattison
My guess is it closs to 12th and Montello, but the Yasui home was on the corner.
Arthur
Here’s the answer to the location: according to an article in the Glacier, April 22, 1909, it was at 12th and Eugene.
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1909-04-22/ed-1/seq-8/
LMH
The tabernacle was slam bam affair. Notes in the Glacier indicate that by late March a $1,000 guaranty fund was raised for expenses and construction of an outdoor facility that could accommodate large crowds. By the third week in April Fred Coe had started construction of a building that could hold 1,500 people. By May 2nd local pastors were holding evangelistic meetings in the newly built facility in advance of Dan Shannon’s appearances. At the conclusion of Dan Shannon’s appearances, at the end of May, the June 3, 1909 Glacier ran an ad soliciting sealed bids for the building containing some 25,000 feet of lumber. It was announced in the July 1st issue of the Glacier that J.M. Wright had purchased the tabernacle for $25.00 and would wreck it for the lumber. Rev. J.W. Ribgy bought the seats for $25.00.
So this explains why the maps of that time did not showed a large structure such as a tabernacle. It was there and gone in the matter of several months. The Sanborn maps shows that lot as being vacant at least up to 1942.