Historic Hood River
Teaser
Notes
We have some photos in our collection that are just there to tease me. This is from a set of images marked as being from a July 4th parade in the Heights. I am always looking for good images to show the character of the Heights in earlier years, but this set just adds to the mystery. We have the parade on a main street (note the parking meters), likely 12th Street, the only main street in this era. The parade is passing the Armco Drainage & Metal Products Inc., purveyors of overhead irrigation systems and steel pipe. The 1942 Sanborn map shows a “Sheet Metal and Plumbing” business on the NE corner of 12th and June. but this building isn’t situated on a NE corner– that alley runs east on the north side of this building. Other frames confirm we’re looking east (parade is heading north), but don’t give much more context. Does anyone know anything about this building or Armco? I think this is later than 1942, so the business could have moved from their earlier location.
RHD
Looks like the alley between US Bank and the Mesquitery possibly.
Steffen
…I am going to challenge that we are looking east. Looking at the shadows of the marchers. The east side of 12th is coveted for viewing the 4th July parade because it is in the shade. It would be very late in the day for the shadows to be on the east side of the marchers. Your thoughts…Steff
ArthurB
Steffen, next week I’ll share a view of the same building with what I am pretty sure are the east hill in the background– which as you point out makes this an afternoon parade. When Dale tells us the year of this car we can check the newspapers for the parade route. Good thing about the July 4th parade is we know what day it was.
Pat A
34 Hudson sedan is my guess on the car.
Roger Sheldrake
What group do the women represent?
L.E.
"Armco Inc. is a worldwide producer of stainless, electrical, and carbon steel products…..Armco was founded in 1900 by George M. Verity as the American Rolling Mill Company. "
A metal that didn’t rust. An Armco water trough is advertised and wood kitchen ranges made of Armco polished iron sold in the Smith building and at Franz.
There was Armco Drainage & Metal Products advertised in many different Oregon towns, especially Portland and you can order a book
Handbook of Culvert and Drainage Practice
Armco Drainage & Metal Products
Published by Armco Drainage & Metal Products,, 1937
There is evidently a Benjamin Gifford photo that shows "a stretch of flume made with Armco pipe is a link in a long irrigation ditch which heads in 4 mile lake high in the cascade mountains." But I couldn’t find the photo.
All of this is of no help in solving the Parade mystery, but it is what I learned.
kmb
I was looking at the car and thinking it is an older model car (1930’s), and if true, doesn’t really help date the parade.
Bill Seaton
I agree with Roger, what do those women represent?
JEC
Roger, Bill. this is just a wild guess, but the first thought that popped into my mind on seeing this was "Civil Air Patrol".
In the early 1960’s when I rode Mona Wampler’s school bus to Coe Primary School there was a business on this lot that manufactured concrete pipe. Connie Smith later built his AMC car dealership on the site. The Building Smith built now houses XTC Truck and other businesses.
Roger Sheldrake
I think the Hudson was in the parade; it died; they parked and moved on. Those ladies had some pretty nice uniforms and patent leather shoes?? Big bucks during the war years if you could find them. Civil Air Patrol is a good guess though as they have had women volunteers since the beginning.