Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1987)
Old Days Continued from Pjge 11B Eugene City numbered 600. The discovery of gold in California had helped bring prosperiiy in to the Willamette Valley and ac cording to one account, Eugene City held within its boundaries "nine drygood stores, two b<H»k stores, one drug store, one bakery, one restaurant, two hotels, two billiard saloons, two printing offices, three cabinet shops, four blacksmith shops, two tinshops. two paint shops, one planing machine shop, two meat markets, two livery stables, one flour mill, one sawmill, one barlror shop, one college, one district schoolhouse. a courthouse, a jail, one church, a Masonic lodge, three physicians, four lawyers, four clergymen and one newspaper." The effort to establish Eugene City as a major riverport con tinued despite the fact the up per Willamette River had major navigational obstacles, namely laiulders. sand bars and tree branches. In 1861, optimism reigned when the steamer. "Relief," chugged as far as Springfield. The steamer was undoubtedly aided by the high waters which inundated the Willamette Valley that year Two months of rain flooded Kugene City and carried away buildings, fences and stock. Kugene City was officially in corporated October 17, 1 Ht>2 as the seventh city in Oregon, following Oregon City (1844), Portland (1851), Waterloo (1851). Corvallis (1857), Salem (1857) and Jacksonville (18(>0). Hut Kugene City wasn't without dissension. Soon after incorporation, a dispute arose over what path the town should take, One group of residents prefered “hogs and grog shops on Willamette Street;" the other wanted to ban such nuisances and initiate taxes in order to build the city Although the later group suc ceeded in getting a hog-leash ordinance passed, it made nary \liaxton s big & TALL Fashion for the hard-to-fit man OFF Dockers 100% cotton pleated pants ^ Waist sizes 36-54 £hxIm s Bi^ & I .til 505 South A Springfield >ri|hl over Ihr hr •<!*«•/ 747 9412 % 1 * *' ? * a difference. Hogs and cattle continued to roam the streets, at home in a sea of mud many in ches deep. In 1 Ht>4. the town became known as the City of Eugene, a name that would stick until 18R‘l when it finally became known as Eugene. The telegraph reached the ci ty in February of that year The occasion was conducted by Joseph A. Cray, president of the City Council, who sent a dispatch to Portland Mayor David Logan Smallpox appeared in IBBtJ and during the following decade No one knew what to do prevent the spread of the disease so the Eugene City Council opened a pest-house five miles from the city limits. Inflicted people were sent there until the 1880s when vaccina tion first came into use Although surveys had been undertaken for various railroads, it wasn't until 1871 that the Oregon-California Railway rolled into the City of Eugene, thanks to the efforts of railroad tycoon. Ren llolladav The coming of the tracks spell ed doom for the stagecoach, of course, but it boostod the logg ing industry in the area, which had previously depended on high water to float logs downstream. Street Improvements were slow in coming. It wasn't until 1871 that Willamette Street was graded and gas lights from the Maxim Cas Company of San Francisco were erected. Hut the streets remained muddy and during the summer months, dusty. In 1875, the Koseburg Review unleashed a stinging criticism of the City of Eugene's streets: "The mud is as thick as boar »Yi r* I 3 BARS For all your 4' professional * hair care needs. Also at J-Bars, hair clips, combs, earrings, ear piercing & more! 1233 alder 344-2447 Courtmy of I .an* County Hifttorical Muwum In this tum-of-the-century photo, C.C. Matlock (left) and Bob Veltum pose outside of Matlock's bicycle repair and hardware store on Willamette Street. ding house custard and about the same color. In the middle of winter, horses on main street am not driven faster than a walk in order to prevent stores from being s p1 a 11 e r e d.' ’ the newspaper wrote. While the city grappled with street conditions, schools also were in need of help. The number of pupils had grown beyond the expectations of of ficials. necessitating the use of an old private high-school building at Eighth Avenue and Pearl Street in 1875. It became affectionately known as the Red Top Annex. A few year later, the Central School opened at 11th Avenue and Olive Street. A one-story building, it cost the city $4.00(1 to build. For the 3,308 residents, it was obviously money well spent. By 1884, more than 400 students attend ed the school, an overwhelming number for the seven teachers in charge. 1881-82 also saw another flood hit. A pioneer by the name of Ed Frank reminisced years later that it was "the highest flood I ever saw in this part of the valley... the river overflow ed and came up on Willamette Street. We lived where the Ar mory is now and water got up on our porch but didn’t get into the house. 1 rode a skiff at Ninth and Willamette streets." As the city benefited from the coming of the railroad, hotels were constructed to take advan tage of the many visitors who stopped off. The present-day Smeede Hotel, built in 1885 and originally known as the Baker Hotel, catered to the upper class. Luxurious Sunday din ners cost as much 85 cents and a room as much as $2 a night Sports Injuries & Running Clinic itl l uni-in , I’.C'. • Medical personnel specializing in athletic injuries • Certified athletic trainers • Physical Therapists with full state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities • Individually designed programs to maintain or regain strength while recovering from injury • Care for acute injuries that can usually be initiated the day the patient calls Dr Steven Roy, M.D., the director of the clinic, has 18 years' experience in the field of sports medicine. Sports Injuries &. Running Clinic •4 tug* rw. PC Eugene Medical & Professional Center 132 East Broadway. Suite 830 Eugene. OR 97401 • Tet (503) 683-4703
