Historic Hood River
Olinger and Bone Livery
10-22-2015
Notes
I’ve used this image in lectures but I don’t think I’ve posted it here yet. This is the Olinger & Bone livery located at the corner of 2nd and Cascade, where “Mall 202” is currently. As there weren’t any airplanes I wonder why they felt the need to advertise their name on the roof. Perhaps it was for the benefit of visitors at the Mt. Hood Hotel.
Charlott
This structure was simply known as "The Red Barn" so we know it was painted red. Eph Olinger had built a smaller structure when he started out.
He came to Hood River from the Salem area, where he was born in 1880.He had been involved in the livery business in Salem, but initially came to help his father-in-law Gideon Backus. It was with Bone that they put in and operated the stage line from Hood River to Cloud Cap Inn.
Charlott
Forgot to mention that Olinger was in law enforcement in Hood River, for many years as a deputy sheriff, serving under various sheriffs.
L.E.
Is the Hotel Oregon already built?
Freeways and overpasses make getting somewhere quicker and easier, but they sure distort trying to envision what the land looked like previously.
The other day I was driving the freeway north of Vancouver where they are putting in new overpasses. I can vaguely remember, as a child what the previous farms and homes looked like. I hope someone took good photos of the area before they started building freeways.
Arthur
No, I think this is several years before the Hotel Oregon. I think that was 1909 or so.
Photo #807 shows the overpass construction (first version) and #74 shows the start of construction of the current overpass.
Melody Shellman
You know, the sign on the roof would have made the livery easily recognizable from the top of the stairs. Maybe it was for folks coming down from the heights, rather than any passing airplane.
Judy
Funny how names stay in your mind. My kids & myself always refer to this place as "where the old 88 cent store used to be as a reference point to "long timers"
Norma
Does anyone know when the stairs were built?
Arthur
The current concrete stairs were built in the 1940’s. There were wooden stairs in photos from about 1912. I suspect they were originally installed when the pipeline from Wilson reservoir to the industrial buildings along the track was constructed, about 1903.
Kenn
LE, the route you mentioned north of Vancouver is still driveable from the Columbia River to Seattle except for two miles between Woodland and Kalama, much more scenic than the freeway.