Historic Hood River
Upper Oak Street, 1993
Notes
We’re lucky to have the Sally Donovan collection to document the not so distant past. 1993 was only 27 years ago, but much has changed. Gas is more expensive. Urban renewal hadn’t yet pushed the power lines underground and replaced the streets/ sidewalks/ light poles. The Hood River News was still on Oak Street, though it moved to State Street by 1995 (and will be moving again shortly). That space is now Dog River Coffee. It served as the home for Mountainview Cycles for a while, and perhaps there were some other tenants.
The space which is now Boda’s was a windsurfing retailer, maybe Northwave Sails? Then City Market? Yet through all of the changes, the frame store looks unchanged! I think Hood River Jewelers and Bettes are also largely unchanged, though you can’t see them very well in this view.
Tags: 1990s, Bodas, Dog River Coffee, Donovan, Hood River News, Mountainview Cycles, Oak Street
JKG
Back in the day when gas stations were also gun dealers, I see.
L.E.
Looks like maybe I could drive up this street without worrying about hitting someone stepping out into the street from behind a parked car.
Arlen Sheldrakes
most definitely pre-wind recreation era…..I tell my grandkids, yea another old guy story, that one could roll a bowling ball down HR's main street on a sunday and not hit anything…..
Charlott
Yes sir Arlen. Only traffic on this street on Saturday night was “we teen agers” going up Oak Street and then down State Street. I can relate one story that always upset me. Saturday night………..there was a kid that had a scooter and he stopped at the Chevron on the east end of town to go to the bathroom, because in those days some service stations left their bathroom open at night. People were going around and around and some of the guys (who shall remain nameless) stopped and stole his scooter. I can recall seeing that happen and I went straight up. Naturally they hid out to see his reaction when he came out of the bathroom. Yes, they did give him back his scooter. In my book that was early “bullying or harassment”. At least no harm was done.
Kalley
In April of 1993, my husband John and I leased Kramer's Shell from Jerry Kramer and turned it into Have Fast Mart. It was a two month remodel and we opened in June. Jerry had a great ice maker that we bought from him. It made block ice and then we crushed it ourselves. We had the two stores in Odell, Mid Valley Market and Clem's Country Store, so we hauled ice to Odell a lot! The next year we bought Columbia Market in Cascade Locks. That was a very busy time.
Jay
This was hardly “pre-wind recreation era”! The windsurfers had established Hood River for a good 10 years by 1993 and a second wave of young windsurfers and general outdoor sports enthusiasts was settling in, starting families and businesses, and infiltrating local government by then. I had been here for six years myself.
That said, the streets do look strangely empty . . .
Tami S
I remember a couple summers in the early 90s when the wind didn't blow as usual. There was an article about it in the “Gorge Guide” magazine titled, “Is the Gorge Broken?” This could be during one of those windless times. Looks like a windless day, judging from the clouds.