Historic Hood River
Oak Street, circa 1915
10-22-2014
Notes
I wish we had a better print of this image. This is Oak Street circa 1915, and the town is welcoming someone or something, as you can see by the bunting and the sign on the Hall Building.
The car in the foreground is a White steamer. It must have been an exciting time as the mix between horses and automobiles started to tip towards autos.
The upstairs window in the E.L.Smith Building says “Dentist.” This was probably when it was the office of Dr. Pineo.
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1910s, automobile, carriage, Hall Building, horses, Oak Street, White Steamer
Tags: 1910s, automobile, carriage, Hall Building, horses, Oak Street, White Steamer
l.e.
Are the cars parked on the wrong side of the street because someone important has arrived?
Looks like a good day to get stuck in mud.
l.e.
I’ve never known for sure if the Columbia River Highway went through HR on Oak St. or State St.
Paving began on the highway in June of 1915.
Arthur
West Cascade to Oak to Front to State Street– that was the route of the Columbia River Highway.
Jim Gray
i.e, I don’t think at that time it was determined which side of the road was correct, notice the Steamer is right hand drive.
Bill Seaton
The two corner buildings on the south side of that block appear to still exist today.
Charlott
Old Highway 30 went right down the middle of town on Oak Street.
Jay
Yes, the buildings exist – I’m sitting in one of the those windows right now. The bay windows on the E L Smith Building (where the dentist was, now a law office) were removed years ago, leaving flush windows. The downstairs windows, in the lower right of the photo, are now the Hood River Stationers.
Steve r
Notice the street lighting … Some on the building also … Red or darker colored bulbs ?
Could this be a race ? 🙂
Arthur
The first automobile came to Hood River in 1905, a 4HP Waltham owned by photographer W.D. Rogers. By 1910 there were 71 automobiles in the valley: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1910-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/