Historic Hood River
Old Armory on Cascade Avenue
3-19-2012
Notes
This stereo view is labelled “Old Armory on Cascade Avenue, 1881.” I’m not sure if the building was built in 1881, or the photo is actually from 1881. The style of card makes me think it is more likely from the 1890’s or even a little later. I am also not sure if this armory was in Hood River or Cascade Locks. A note added much later identifies this as Cascade Locks, but I suspect that is erroneous. Did Cascade Locks ever have a Cascade Avenue or an armory?
There is no doubt when the building met its demise. The earlier note continues, “Burned down June 29th 1915 at 11:10 PM.” Perhaps the Hood River News from that week will resolve this mystery.
Charlott
The only armory that I have known of is the one where it is today. I am sure there was one prior. I do know where the building is that was the "home guard" facility during WWII, of which my Dad was a member. It then became a small church and now is a private residence on May Street.
As to Cascade Locks, huh!!!!!!! They may very well have had one, maybe this one. It wouldn’t have surprised me, as remember, even though many, many years prior there was the Cascade Massacre.
Grandpa has me somewhat baffled. I assume he is buried in the flowers, but it looks like his photo has just been set into the picture. Personally I would love to hear what he would have to say about his life….Towheaded boys, maybe twins, at least close to same age and I suspect brothers.
Beautiful flowers….Think they look like Cosmos
Esther Smith
All I could find was a story July 7, 1915, as follows:
LOSS IN ARMORY FIRE ONLY $1,000
Loss suffered in the fire last Tuesday evening when the old Armory was totally destroyed was not so heavy as at first reported. Asa and Frank Cutler, who had purchased the building, state that their net loss will not exceed $1,000. The total loss was $2,500. The building itself was insured, most of their loss being in the destruction of their new grading machine. This machine, which was the first of the new models that they had completed, stood near the front door of the building, but the door was padlocked and the machine could not be removed. They had planned to take it to the exposition at San Francisco for demonstration purposes.
The morning after the fire Messrs. Cutler resumed operations in the machine shop of the Columbia Auto & Machine Company, where they are building another grader.
This isn’t very helpful as to determining where the Armory was! But I think if it had been in Cascade Locks, it would have said so.
The prior week’s issue was dated June 30, so the fire probably happened too late to make it into the paper (assuming their deadline was the day before, as ours is).
If I come across anything else, I’ll post it —
Esther Smith
The thing that confuses me is that it doesn’t seem like there is any part of Cascade Avenue that has this much flat area.
l.e.
Odd photo.
It appears to be a posed photo of inspecting the flowers.
The terrain in the background doesn’t seem to fit either Cascade.
It looks more like the Belmont area.
The building already has some age on it.
Something was scraped from the upstairs window and sent down the shoot along the side of the building.
Is the pole at the right corner a flag pole?
l.e.
I beat ya Esther.
And shoot should be spelled chute.
Charlott
Must be Hood River, as Asa and Frank Cutler were Hood Riverites. They invented a fruit grading machine.
Esther Smith
l.e., that was exactly what I just now said to a co-worker — looks like the Belmont area.
spinsur
When the Coe’s platted the first additions to Hood River in the 1880’s, there was no Cascade Street – it was platted as River Street. I haven’t yet found when it was changed.
anndrew b
It is such a cool photo, you can feel the summer heat. It definitely doesn’t look like the Cascade area, but for that matter it could be any where in the area where there is flat land behind. The building looks like a garage/shed, but that chute is perplexing. You would only roll grain, or some other nonperishable down there, so what were they sliding down that thing?
The old man has a cool hat.
Arthur
I don’t know what to make of the old guy growing out of the flowers. I examined the original carefully and there is no sign of a double exposure or other trick to insert him. In fact, he overlaps with the flowers and the boy in such a way as to make it very hard to fake using 19th century technology.
And I agree with Andrew– that is a cool hat.
Paul K
The chute used to evacuate culled fruit into a waiting wagon, to be hauled to wherever culled fruit went?
pk
l.e.
It appears that Asa Bryant Cutler graduated from University Of Illinois in 1899.
He was an apple grower in the Hood River area 1908-1918, where he and Frank Cutler took out a patent on a fruit grader.
He married Ruth Hyndman in 1908.
After 1918 he is in Portland, Ore. and the president of Cutler Mfg. Co.
Another inventor that moved on to the big city?
I’m wondering if Jeffrey will have some input on this photo.
I am wondering if the "armory" could have a connection to the first formed HR division of the Oregon National Guard or the G.A. R.
Did they have a meeting place?
Jeffrey Bryant
The 1910 Census lists Asa and Frank Cutler as partners, fruit farm, in Odell. The 1919 telephone directory also lists the Cutler Brothers Ranch in Odell. I think the flat ground fits Odell better than downtown Hood River.
l.e.
Hood River Glacier editor J.H. Cradlebaugh gives a speech on June 15, 1913. He talks about when he first came to HR.
Cloud Cap Inn had been completed and an Armory was built in Waucoma Addition.
Arthur
According to the county maps, Waucoma Addition is just west of "Hood River Proper," starting about 6th or 7th and going to 9th or 10th. Cascade Avenue is right in the middle of it.
l.e.
Do you think this could be Samuel Blythe at his Twin Oaks farm at Frankton?
He was very involved in the GAR and in this history
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~westklic/sfbpprinter.html
and old building used for storage is mentioned.
Arthur
I don’t think so. He was much thinner, and the pictures we have identified as Twin Oaks don’t show this building.
Arthur
Here’s the issue of the Glacier which discusses this fire: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1915-07-01/ed-1/seq-2/
The building was on Cascade Avenue in Hood River, built in 1892, so both the 1881 date and the "Cascade Locks" notes are incorrect.
Apparently there was a skating rink in this building.
L.E.
From the July 15, 1915 Hood River Glacier:
Stranahan & Slaven are at work reconstructing the home of Mrs. N.S. Monroe, on Cascades avenue, which was badly damaged by the recent armory fire.
Arthur Babitz
13 years later, and we know for sure this image was the armory in Hood River at 9th and Cascade (NE corner). We also know the photographer was W. D. Rogers, the old man was his father Elisha Rogers. His wife Daisy Ellen and their friend Mary Laura Metcalf also appear, as well as three of the Rogers sons. Mary Laura Metcalf later became W.D.’s wife and stepfather to the boys.