Notes
I wish we had a better print of this image. This is Oak Street circa 1915, and the town is welcoming someone or something, as you can see by the bunting and the sign on the Hall Building.
The car in the foreground is a White steamer. It must have been an exciting time as the mix between horses and automobiles started to tip towards autos.
The upstairs window in the E.L.Smith Building says "Dentist." This was probably when it was the office of Dr. Pineo.
Category: [Downtown Hood River]
Tags: 1910s automobile carriage Hall_Building horses Oak_Street White_Steamer
Comments
Are the cars parked on the wrong side of the street because someone important has arrived?
Looks like a good day to get stuck in mud.
l.e. on 22nd October 2014 @ 7:28am
I've never known for sure if the Columbia River Highway went through HR on Oak St. or State St.
Paving began on the highway in June of 1915.
l.e. on 22nd October 2014 @ 7:43am
West Cascade to Oak to Front to State Street-- that was the route of the Columbia River Highway.
Arthur on 22nd October 2014 @ 8:16am
i.e, I don't think at that time it was determined which side of the road was correct, notice the Steamer is right hand drive.
Jim Gray on 22nd October 2014 @ 8:20am
The two corner buildings on the south side of that block appear to still exist today.
Bill Seaton on 22nd October 2014 @ 3:21pm
Old Highway 30 went right down the middle of town on Oak Street.
Charlott on 23rd October 2014 @ 8:37am
Yes, the buildings exist - I'm sitting in one of the those windows right now. The bay windows on the E L Smith Building (where the dentist was, now a law office) were removed years ago, leaving flush windows. The downstairs windows, in the lower right of the photo, are now the Hood River Stationers.
Jay on 23rd October 2014 @ 3:31pm
Notice the street lighting ... Some on the building also ... Red or darker colored bulbs ?
Could this be a race ? :)
Steve r on 24th October 2014 @ 10:32pm
The first automobile came to Hood River in 1905, a 4HP Waltham owned by photographer W.D. Rogers. By 1910 there were 71 automobiles in the valley: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1910-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/
Arthur on 4th November 2014 @ 3:52pm