Douglas Electric Co-op Has
Served County Since 1939
Mon., Feb., 27, 1961 The News-Review, Roseburg, Ore. 9
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DOUGLAS Electric Cooperative's center of operation is this building in north Roseburg.
The company serves the rural areas af the county. v
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PATTERSON'S BAKERY, located at 1350 Short St., Roseburg, is Douglas County's only
home owned wholesale bakery. Owner and operator of the business is George Patterson.
Cement Industry Will Play Role
In Douglas County Road Building
The cement industry has become
a part of Douglas County's highway
progress.
The widening of part of Highway
99 from Rice Hill to North Oak
land Junction will be done in ce
ment, according to Richard Mont
gomery, public relations counsel
for the Cement Industry of Oregon.
It is part of a sharp increase in
use of Portland cement concrete
being used during 1961 on Ore
gon's interstate highway system,
he says.
He reported that total concrete
highways completed or contracted
on Oregon's interstate system now
amounts to 204 lane miles. "This
is progress for an Oregon indus
try." he said, "considering that vir
tually no concrete highways were
constructed in the stale during the
15 years before 1958."
Factors Involved
Montgomery , believes a number.
of factors are involved in me siaie s
renewed use of concrete in con
struction of its hishway system.
"Because the federal government
now pavs 92 per cent of the initial
construction cost on the interstate
svstem, Oregon is able to build
better, longer-lasting highways.
"Highway maintenance is also
an important consideration," said
.Montgomery. "Under the inter
ciaiA art Oregon navs the full bill
for upkeep of its road system. This I
clearly reveals me necessity iur
constructing durable highways."
Stilt a third reason, he said, is
development in concrete highway
construction. Construction has been
accelerated and cost reduced as
the result of technical advances in
in concrete-laying machinery, he
claimed.
Patterson Bakery
Home-Owned Firm
Speaking in dollars and cents.
Douglas Klectric Cooperative is one
of the major industries of the county.
The cooperative has invested
nearly S4 million during the past
22 years to extend dependable, low-
cost electric service to J.boo mem
ber-owners in northern Douglas
County over 925 miles of power
line.
ent dealer for Hancock products
back in 1922 on the corner of NE
Stephens and (iarden Valley Blvd.
a property which he still owns.
Myers became consignee for Sig
nal on Jan. 1. 1957 when he pur
chased the interests of Bob Mc
Farland, who started the business
in 1947. The firm serves seven re
tail outlets in the area bounded by
Voncalla on the north and Canyon
ville to the south. In addition to
catering to ils retail outlets Ihe
firm serves home heating oil ac
counts in the area.
The oil dealer recalled that when
he first came to Roseburg only two
lumber mills were operating, Rose
burg Lumber Co. and Joelson Lum
ber Co., both then located on Di-
Mobil Oil Serves
12 County Outlets
For the Dast 7',i vears. Virail Lo-
max has been distributor for Mo
bil Oil Co. in the Roseburg and
Canyonville areas. In addition to
the two communities in Douglas
county, he also owns the agency in
Cottage Grove.
With the exception of four years
of Army service during World War
II, Lomax has been wilh the same
company since he started in the oil
business 22 years ago in Bend.
That, of course, doesn't take into
consideration two changes of com
pany ownership which have occur
red during that time. 1
Lomax said the local plant, lo
cated at the south end of Mill
St., was completely renovated in
1952. The firm services 12 retail
outlets in (he county with two tank
trucks and one pickup.
Lomax built the Canyonville tank
farm in 1958. Larry Moyer serves
that area as plant manager. In all.
five employes service the area
served by the firm which handles
a complete line of gasolines and
lubricants, fuel oils and industrial
products.
The firm lost one station in the
Roseburg blast which has not yet
electric co-ops were combined to
ever, that he is looking for a site,
and plans soon to replace the one
which was deslroyed.
Patterson's Bakery, Douglas
County's only home-owned whole
sale bakery, located at 1350 Short
St., Roseburg, is owned and oper
ated by George Patterson.
Patterson purchased the business
from Roy Hutching in 1943. At that
time, only one delivery truck was
necessary. Now, 10 trucks, in addi
tion to a 35-foot transport truck,
are used. The transport delivers
as tar soutn as Medtord. Some
times two trucks are needed to
make the run to Medford because
of the volume. Delivery to the
norm extends as far as Oakland.
Recent expansion involves deliv
ery of retail products to several
Roseburg area grocery stores.
The business employs an aver
age of 50 persons and operates
almost 24 hours a day, five days
a wceK.
Jim Myers
Is Signal Oil
Consignee
J. D. (Jim) Myers, local con-
Thirty-five persons are employed signee for Signal Oil Co. has been
bv the cooperative. 25 of these bas-1 associated wilh distribution of not
ed in the main office in Roseburg. ; roleum products just about as long
six out of the district ollice at, as any other man in the county.
Yoncalla, and two-man service He first started as an independ
crews in, Keedsport ana MKion.
Power is purchased from the Bon
neville Power Administration at
three delivery points Reedsport,
Drain and Lookingglass.
But these ere only dusty figures.
In terms of people, the story of
Douglas Klectric Cooperative is
much more vital and dramatic.
Cooptrativ Organiitd
It begins in 1939. when the West
Douclas Electric Cooperative was
organized to serve 257 rural cus
tomers in an area west ot nose
burg. A couple of years later, farm
families in the northern part of the
county formed the North Douglas
cooperative, activated in 1941 with
240 members. The North Douglas
svstem later purchased COPCO dis
tribution properties in that end of amond Lake Blvd.
the county, and, in 1942, the two New Stations Plantwd
electric co-ops were combined to! immediate plans for the future
form the present Douglas Klectric : include opening of a new station
Cooperative. iat Sutherlin, which is just about
It is interesting to compare the ; ready for business, and replace-power-use
statistics of the early-; ment of the station destroyed by
day members of the cooperative j the blast which was located on the
and those of today. In 1939. Ihe i corner of Washington and Ste
average use was 38 kilowatt-hour 1 phens. A new site, however, re
per month, for which the mem- mains to be chosen,
ber paid 73i cents each. In 1960, 1 Mvers said the Signal Oil Co.
this had jumped lo an average of believes Roseburg will continue to
nearly 800 kilowatt hours per lK,ow and is willing to invest mon
monlh but cost to the consumer ev jn service stations despite the
had dropped to about l' cents a;current economic slump. He feels
kilowatt hour. When the cooper-le local economy will expand as
alive's sizeable industrial and com- the growth of Ihe country creates
mercial load is included, the aver-new demand for building,
fg', Un,l PuT mel?lURmeLTlnX ! "e has long been active in com
ly 1,000 kilowatt hours per month. muni(v serving as a mem.
As the responsibilities of the co-ber o( the Douglas County i'air
op increased, so did the demands I Board for the past 12 years. He
of space and office plant, and innas been a member of the Douglas
1959, Douglas Klectric took overHousing Authority since its in
its present quarters, a handsome !OCpiion during the emergency war
office and warehouse on Nh Ste- j housing years. Myers recalled the
phens St. - : first emergency housing was the
Director's Control ' ! setting up of trailer houses on Di-
But this is certainly not the end amond Lake Blvd. Later he serv
of the story. "You don't stand still ; ed with the authority when units
in this business," says Harold Back-! were built in Roseburg. Sutherlin,
en. who has been manager since I Myrtle Creek. Reedsporl, Scotls
1946. "We have attempted to cvalu-1 burg and Riddle,
ate our future responsibilities to j Jle js a mpmber and past presi
our members and prepare for it Ment of the Roseburg Rotary Club.
we anticipate me nine in iu
too-distant future when our average
consumer will be using 3,000 kilowatt-hours
of electric energy each
month. This means Ihe cooperative
'.T.fn.
kUM
CALIFORNIA-PACIFIC UTILITIES bulk plant is located near downtown Roseburg. Its
safety wo proved during ths Aug. 7, 1959, blast. Although it wos just a block from
the blast center it did not explode. It was threatened by fire, but firemen kept it drench
ed with water to save it. (News-Review Photo).
California-Pacific Utilities Has
Served Douglas County Since HI
, IT PAYS TO
PATRONIZE
NEWS-REVIEW.
ADVERTISERS
I Sutherlin Enjoys
Sutherlin residents enjoy an ad
ditional television station over
most of the remainder of the
county.
A low-power transmitter atop
the ridge of mountains at the
eastern end of the valley receives
Roseburg Shingle Employs 35-40
The Roseburg Shingle Co. started
out as pretty much ot a father and
son operation back in 1946 and has
since grown into a local industry
employing from 35 to 40 people.
The company was started by Del-
mar Roles and Ins sons, uuane
and Dale. The falher and Duane
came to Roseburg from Toledo and
Dale joined them later when he
was discharged from the Navy.
They were originally from Port
land. Starling out with the three Roles
and two or three employes, the
company now employs 35 to 40 peo
ple in its shingle mill, sawmill and
planer mill. In addition, a stake
splitting mill is scheduled to begin
operation this Spring. .
The chief product of the com
pany is red cedar shingle. It now
must plan well ahead for the load." , Pnftc0i. TV Cmiah
A seven-man noarci oi aireciors uvvjiw w iuiivii
representing the various areas over
the system governs the operation
of Douglas Electric. The directors
serve three-year staggered terms
and are elected by member vole
at the annual meeting each spring.
This vear, the member-meeting
will be held at the Douglas Coun
ty Fairgrounds, Thursday, March CBS television, from Portland, and
re-broadcasts it westward toward
Ump(iia.
Dick Bonnet, manager of the
City Variety in Sutherlin and re-
turns out belter than 44.000 squares rceatel. transmitier stales resi
of shingles a year, which are sold dents pay for the service by do-
piiiudiiiy in vdiuuiiiid. t nation only.
The company works two shifts in
the shingle mill and cne in the
sawmill. The new stake-splitting
23.
The Portland programs are re-
broadcast on Channel 10. They are
received only in the general vic-
mill will make red cedar fencing, i been replaced. Lomax said, how-
The sawmill was added in 1956 and few Homes in Jloscnurg are anie
the planer mill in 1958, to pick up the signal, he reports.
3 COAST TO COAST C
CONSOLIDATED FREIGHTWAYS
I II
SERVICE
"CUSTOMER FIRST" SERVICE
C0NS01
DATE
D.
FREIGHTWAYS
18S8 NE Airport Rd. ROSEBURG Phone OR 2-2671
From manufactured oil lo pro
pane, and in point of time from
1911 to 1935, the California Pacific
Utilities Co, has long served Doug
las County.
The original concern was form
ed in 1911 and provided its cus
tomers with manufactured oil. It
was then the Southern Oregon
Gas Co.
Propan Plant IniUlltd
California Pacific Utilities Co.
took over in 1935, purchasing the
original gas company operation.
It then installed a modern propane
plant. This development, said Dis
trict Manager Al Parr, provided
a superior fuel at a lower cost
and resulted in an increase in gas
line use in Roseburg.
In 1948 Ihe California Pacific
Utilities Co. started use of pro
pane tank gas in the suburban
areas. Gas service was made avail
able to rural homes by installing
propane tanks at the consumers'
homes, and the tanks were filled
by routed tank trucks.
County Service
Most of Douglas County, in addi
tion to the cities of Canyonville,
Riddle. Myrlle Creek, Dillard, Win
ston. Oakland, and Sutherlin. are
handled from Ihe Roseburg office,
Parr explained.
The company has also concen
trated in providing the area resi
dents with gas appliances, such as
ranges, automatic heating plants.
and water heaters. One of their
current attractions is a one-unit,
gas burner-operated appliance lo
heat in winter and cool in sum
mer. California-Pacific also works
closely with dealers in the area in
the promotion ot gas appliances,
Parr added.
22 Milti Of Main
After the disaster of August 1959,
the utilities firm completely re
built all of Ihe downtown distri
bution system in Roseburg, with
22 miles of main involved. New
lines were installed under the
pavement. The office, lor a led in
the Pacific Building on SK Cass
Ave., was remodeled and new of
fice fixtures installed, making it
among the city's most modern of
fices.
Currently approximately 3,000
accounts are handled throughout
Douglas County, with about two
thirds of them residential. I
L. K. "ROY
C0RNWELL
-7
OVER 25 YEARS
BUILDING EXPERIENCE
DESIGNER
CONTRACTOR
COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL
REMODELING
REPAIRS
NEW CONSTRUCTION
ROOM' 21 5
Equitable Building
(Old U. S. Bonk Bldg.)
Roseburg
ORchard
2-2432
Roseburg's Home-Owned Wholesale Bakery
OUR 18th YEAR-
Contributing To The Progress Of This Area
Our 1960 payroll totalled $209,000. An
important contribution, we feel, to the
economic progress or Roseburg
George Patterson, owner
wj m k !. j w iii p i ' i
BAKERS OF
TAYSTEE FRESH VARIETY BREADS
WHITE & WHEAT BREADS FRENCH BREADS
Available at all grocers and super markets
Miles 'and Miles Fresher!
Patterson Delivery Trucki tarve daily ell communitiei north to Oakland
and louth to Athlond.
ojakeiry
1345 S. E. Short
Roseburg, Oregon
OR 3-6515