Historic Hood River
Oak Street View
3-20-2025
Notes
This is probably the oldest postcard view I’ve seen of downtown Hood River. The date clues are the Williams Drug store, only half of the Brosius Block, and the George Crowell General Store.
The corner of 2nd and Oak held a drug store for many decades, but the Williams Drug Store became the Hall Drug store sometime about 1909. The first portion of the brick Brosius Block was built about 1905, with the second piece being added by 1909. The brick Hall Building replaced the wood frame George Crowell General Store in 1909. A postmark of July 1908 seals the deal– this image was captured between 1905 and 1908.
By 1909 the view much more like today, as seen in this postcard.
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1900s, Brosius, Brosius Block, drug store, George Crowell Store, Oak Street, Williams Drug Store
Tags: 1900s, Brosius, Brosius Block, drug store, George Crowell Store, Oak Street, Williams Drug Store
Dale Nicol
The street photo sure seems to be free of any new automobiles and maybe only a wagon 1/2 way up the street.
Jeffrey Bryant
Most of the old downtown oak trees are now gone, as well as the telephone and power poles.
Buck Parker
No one else has asked, so I will. What is that tall skinny pole that appears to be on the Paris Fair building (assuming that this photo was taken post-1906)?
Arthur Babitz
Good question, Buck. I’ve never seen a picture with a flagpole on that building, but many of the older Paris Fair pictures show that pole and one across the street. I wonder if it was for wireless telegraphy? Voice and music wouldn’t come to radio for another 20 years. https://archive.pdxradio.com/radio/history/messages/995/174787.html
Ellen
I took a great photo from pretty much this exact position in Feb 2016…early morning light and a beautiful full moon in the sky at the end of Oak. I think Kirby published it in the paper not long after.