Historic Hood River
Sunset Auto Park
Notes
I’ve been trying to pin down the location of the city’s early auto parks for some time, but unfortunately this image doesn’t solve the mystery. We’ve previously seen this image and this image of city auto parks, and debated the exact location. There are dozens of relevant entries in The Hood River Glacier, but they don’t give me a definitive location– and I know there was more than one auto park. At least we know this one wasn’t in the Heights (or at Shushula!), as it is described at the “West Entrance” of the city. The 1928 Sanborn Map has Antler Auto Park, Smith Auto Camp, and Spring Grove Auto Park clustered on the south side of the Columbia River Highway, but they all appear to have small cabins.
This card is postmarked 1931, so it could easily be a later generation than the first city auto park.
The small building to the far right has a sign which appears to say, “ELECTRIC COOKING.”
L.E.
Hood River definitely had oak trees didn't it? I am making a guess. This is the Walmart parking lot. 😊
ArthurB
My yard would look like this if I didn’t constantly yank the oak trees popping up everyplace.
Christie
There is a link to it here in a story from 1933 (not sure if it shows location) but you have to have a newspapers,com search account to see it https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/97315136/ (says this – not sure it says where it is so maybe someone who already has an account can take a look)
“Medford Mail Tribune from Medford, Oregon on September 11
Eagle Point school bus drives to Sunset auto park to pick up the high, Two highly … TERRIER'S IMAGINATION IS WELL DEVELOPED HOOD RIVER, Ore., Sept.”
Dave
My family owned the Sunset Cottages in the early 1960's. We built the laundromat at that time. The Cottages are now long gone. They were just west of is where the Sunset Motel is currently located.
Kyle
Beautiful place.
Norma Curtis
My wife and I bought the place in November 1984 from Arthur Green and we had it for 21 years and sold it to Andrew Ball . There were almost four acres and is west of the state sand shed and north of safeway It had nine cottages and two small houses which were very old and no insulation we made the auto park into 21 rv spaces which served us well plus the old cafe was redone into a laundramat it was a lot of hours but we did ok. Lee curtis
Dave
We lived in one of the houses. I think i was 15 at the time. that would have been 1963. My uncle and step dad converted the café into a laundromat. We always had plenty of business during fruit picking season. I'm not sure when we sold it. My mom is still alive but she doesn't remember when. I used to work after school at the garage across the street washing cars and cleaning parts. Things have really changed over the years!
ArthurB
Wow, great information everyone. I've certainly learned a big piece of history I knew nothing about.
Jeffrey W Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, January 4, 1923, page 2
Greer Installing Service Station
R. F. Greer is now engaged in installing a service station on the Columbia River Highway at the west edge of the city adjoining the municipal automobile camp grounds. He expects to have the new place fully equipped, he says, in time for the beginning of spring touring.