Historic Hood River
Paris Fair, 1989
1-12-2012
Notes
The Paris Fair ended its 87 year run in February 1989. The building has fortunately been restored to much of its former glory, and this “modern” facade replaced with something more appropriate.
The History Museum of Hood River County
Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life
Charlott
Who owned the Paris Fair at the time it closed? I wasn’t in Hood River at the time. Know that Lance’s owned it until they were killed in 1972.
l.e.
That seems to be the big mystery Charlott. Arthur shows us photos connected to the 1900 Paris World’s Fair or Exposition that some one supposedly from the HR area took, and asks us if there is a connection to the opening of the Paris Fair store.
I have read about the construction of the building, which was an IOOF meeting hall with Paris Fair on the ground floor. That’s about all I know.
Dan
Paris Fair had those cool tubes that ran from downstairs to the second floor that operated on air pressure. When you paid for something downstairs the money was sent up to the second floor where change was made and sent back down the first floor. It was fun to buy stuff there.
Connie
The musuem has a nice collection of items that were purchased on the very last day of Paris Fair business operation. A few hats, etc. with the sales receipts included. My guess is that people in 1989 felt the history of this store was in their minds necessary to preserve for future generations. Dan – I have heard about those air tubes and was hoping that at some point they would surface so we can have them at the museum…but alas – no.
William C. Seaton
Another Paris Fair feature I remember from the late 1940’s was their x-ray machine in the Shoe Department. You stood with your feet in the bottom of the machine and looked down through the viewer to see your feet outlined inside your new shoes. No telling how much radiation you got.
Charlott
The money went back and forth through the tubes up to the mezzanine where the cashiering was done by Myrtle Nance. Very much in use at bank drive throughs this day and age. Yes, bill, recall the foot x-ray machine. Wonder what on earth it was really suppose to do. Upstairs they always had a Santa at Christmas.. My uncle was their Santa for many years as my aunt worked there.. You could get your picture taken on his lap.
Charlott
Look….no parking meters out front!!!!!!!
CB
and in the shoe store part, they always gave you chicklets. And let you stick your feet in the show buffer thing that polished your shoes.
Ellen Dittebrandt
Judith Cunningham had her first Art Show in this building.
Charlott
I remember the name of the shoe salesman. His last name was Jones. Do’t know where he lived or when he left Hood River, but he had a daughter named Karen and she went to school with us for a time, but don’t recall whether it was Pine Grove or Mid Valley. Lillian Hjalatain worked upstairs for many years.
Carmy Miller
The shoe salesman was Ron Jones….his daughters were Karen, Marsha and Kathy….not sure what school they went to. Ron and Karen are both gone….Marsha still lives in the area.
Barbara Parsons Bernstein
Don’t forget red-headed Warren Predmore, who clerked at Paris Fair. He played in the HRHS band, too.
Kirk Jansen
Sad picture, I worked there right after high school for a few months in 1977.
Thomas Turner
I also worked there from 1968 to 1971. I was in the basement receiving merchandise and attaching tags using kind of an old linotype machine, and I also added the old paper receipts and cashiered upstairs with those great pneumatic tubes. I think Dick Lance’s dad may have owned the business before he did.
Just found this great site and hope to participate when I can. PS: My dad is Marvin Turner, principal at Coe, Park, Frankton and Westside schools, and my Gramma was Lanora Frick, principal at Coe. I have great memories of HR. Thanks to all the work of the museum folks!
Susan Turner
I agree with my brother–a big thanks for this visual history. I remember a picture of our grandfather (Warren Frick) working in an orchard, at the old HR Museum.
[For the record, I was envious of the $1.15 or so an hour that he got having a Real Job!]
I love HR and always will.
Dennis Toomey
My mother, Irene Schiller worked at the Paris Fair in the 1930’s. She told me about working there and being an usher at the theater in Hood River. She graduated form Hood River HS in 1936.
Her grandfather Levi Nealeigh got there on a covered wagon.
Lesa
Richard "Dick" Gregg Scearce, our grandfather, worked in 1925 for Highway Automobile Company, soon after he quite, and became sales manager for Paris Fair. He eventually went to work for Diamond Fruit, as a traffic manager. He worked for Paris Fair in the late 20’s and early 30’s.The pay was not great, but it kept his families roof over its head.
Susan Baldwin
Dana Lance (Richard Lance’s brother I believe) and his wife Ellen operated the Paris Fair after Mr. and Mrs. Lance were killed. They also owned one or two retail stores in The Dalles. My timeline is sketchy but I remember the store Petticoat Junction was in business in the early 80’s.
Loribeth Jarrell
I am interested in talking to anyone who has stories of Dick and Eleanor Lance, and or any childhood stories of Barbara Ann Lance. They were my grandparents, but I never knew them. Their plane went down just before I was born. I am the second of four children of Barbara Ann Lance, Dick and Eleanor’s daughter. In 2003, Dana and Ellen welcomed us into their home and told us the story of our grandparents and showed us the town and the monument. I would still be also deeply interested to hear other stories of their lives. Please feel free to share with me. I can be reached at loribeth_jarrell@yahoo.com. Thanks for the memories you’ve shared! 🙂
Laura Ashley-Spencer
I remember visiting my grandmother Georgia French, who lived on Sherman Avenue. At Christmas the Paris Fair Santa would give out red net Christmas stockings with an orange, nuts in the shell and ribbon candy.
Gail W Dodson
My Grandfather George Thomson and my great Uncle Everett McCarty were the merchants who owned the Paris Fair for many years. My Father Leonard (Tommy) Thomson eventually managed the store with the help of his sister Wilma Franz. After my father died at age 41, his cousin Arlene McCarty came and ran the store.
It was eventually sold to the Lance’s .I believe the cashier was named Myrtle. She was the cashier for many years. At night my Father would take a wire and carry it from one side to the other so that it someone broke in alarms would go off. That was the burglary system.
Barbara Parsons
How did the Lances die at the same time? Was it a plane crash in Hood River or someplace else?
Loribeth Jarrell
From the family stories that have been shared with me, Dick and Eleanor were on a trip to Arizona with another couple and on their return flight, their plane went down in the Northern California mountains in Jan or Feb of 1972….a search party was sent out to find them, but the plane was not located for approximately three months.
Jeffrey W Bryant
A brief history of the Paris Fair was provided by George W. Thomson in 1923.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1923-12-27/ed-1/seq-2/
Hazel Eskew Schaller
I worked at Paris Fair my senior year of high school. My jobs were checking in new merchandise and sales on the second floor. The owners were always so nice to work for and I loved my job. I graduated From HRHS in1957 I married and moved to.vancouver Wa. Now I live in Woodland Wa. I would Love to hear from any classmates or others who recognize my maiden name from Hood River Ore.
Judith Morgan
My Mom Jackie Morgan …
Worked at rge Pais Fair store
From some time in the 1940 till 1962…
She worked on the main floor selling fabric & patterns an portable
Sewing machine an sewing item for your new garments…
MOM helped Mr. Lance open Ladies ready to ware on the second floor.
Luggage was sold on the landing on your way out to the bank
Parking lot for customers only…
Cashier Myrtle’s office was to the landing to the right….
My favorite for shopping fabric & Vogue patterns the best..
My senior year at wy’east Hi a dress I made Mr. Lance had it on display
In the Fabric department… year was 1959…
H.R. memories are the best….
Dennis Toomey
My mom, Irene Schiller worked at the Paris Fair while in High School. She was part of the class of 1936 at Hood River High School. He grandfaters,Levi Nealeigh an his son Levi Nealeigh are buried in the Idylwild Cemetery. The Nealeigh family came to Hood River by covered wagon from Clarinda Iowa in the 1860’s.