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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1934)
' In mini anrt iff-t. LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER. LA GRANDE, OREGON Pape Eig-ht DUG-OUT HOUSED FIRST BUSINESS HOUSE IN 1862 Edward B. Patterson - Opened First Store in "Side of Hill." A lock at La Grande's modern, up-to-the-minute biulne&s sec ' tton this year, 60 years alter the coming of the railroad, to this city, and not bo far removed from the building of the first home here in 1661, and one would little think that the first store here was in a dug-out. Yet, pioneers tell us that La Grande's; original store, started by a man named Edward B. Patter son In the fall of 1862, was lo cated In a dug-out In the side of the hill at the head of what was later called A avenue, close to the old Crandall place. The provisions, consisting large ly of brown Manila sugar, co'ffee, large quantities of syrup In live gallon kegs, and other staples, were kept In the dug-out all dur ing the winter of 1862-63 and not until thje following spring was Patterson able to erect a build ing the first business house of Its kind In La Grande. The first store was built on block 2, C avenue. Old Town, and whs lo cated along the original Old Ore gon Trail highway. Patterson also built the first plank house in La Grande during the year 1863 on the north side of C avenue Ben Brown's first house In 1861 was made of logs. In, either 1867 or 18t8 Patterson sold his store to Mt Enrich and left for Ver mont, Jater going to California. When Patterson came here two men Green Arnold and Don Chaplin were surveying and staking out the town of La Grande, the two main streets of which were B and C avenues. B Avenue was directly on the Old . Oregon Trail, which all emigrants took when passing this way. The trail went almost directly west from La Grande, leading up over the luil, rattier than following j tho canyon. The Mcond general store was opened by S. AC Bloch about 1863, j nd wi located In a log house on the south side of B avenue, Just east of the creek which runs through Old Town, later he erect-j ed a r.tw f-tore building on B and Cedar, wfcich was used for several ; years. j PIONEERS TO MEET HERE ON THURSDAY AcctnLng to President Ed Reyn olds, the annual meeting of the pion-etr-.. of Union county. Thurs day. July 19. arranged by the Sons and DtiUfhters association prom ises to have unusual interest this year and its proponents are ex pec tine a crowd t wo or th ree times he usual size on hand for the prcvTam. Some of the features are planned especially In connec tion with the opening day of the great railroad Jubilee, others fol low lint which the pioneers have been familiar with for years. As generally known the day start cl! with the arrival of the replica of the original train from Island City. In the coach of the train which leaves the Island at 0:00 e'rlock will be the oldest pio neers which can be found. A pro gram will be offered at the sta tion at 6:30 on the arrival of the train and there are some special numbtrt to be given here that the committee have secured but are not ytt announcing. The parade to tlw pirk will form at 10:00 o'clock and will reach the park probatly at 11:00. From that time on the pioneer meeting will have much the same outline as in pre vious )ars with business meet ing, prrram and opportunity for visit mp, and a basket lunch at noon. It it yTSrssed that each fam ily if to bring Its own lunch, the coffee itiid cream to be provided by the wtscclaWon. One additional feature and one wliich fiiomlsoa to have great sig nificance is tt reunion of stu dent of the old Blue Mountain acfUK-my. This Is scheduled tor 6:30 o'clock and will also be held at Riverside park. THEY SKIPPED Oi:T Myrrtt Bros., late extensive wool : deleni of Kamrla, are now In tome unknown locality. When last heard Ironv tbfy were at Walla Wnlla. having written a letter from that city stating that , they could not avttle their ob- Itgmtioaa. and had concluded to "skip." I Grand Oawtte. - Sept. 33, 1899. SEVERAL IN OLD FIDDLERS BIG CONTEST Several contestants have already entered the Old Time Fiddlers content to be conducted Wednes day night July 18, at Zuber hall. The contest la drawing entrants from all parts of the, country. Suitable prizes are to be awarded winners. The method of judging has not yet been, definitely settled. Just prior to the Fiddlers contest there will be held an old time dance In the street on Adams between Depot and Elm. GUARDSMEN HAVE PART IN JUBILEE Company E, 186th Infantry, the La Grande unit of the national guard, will make two appearances during the Semi -Centennial U. P. celebration here next week. The company will lead the par ade on Friday morning, and wilt furnish an escort for the colors, and on Saturday It will take part in the pageant at the La Grande stadium, which Is free to the pub lic. Capt. Walter A. Bean Is com mander of the company of 60 men. one of the best rifle units In Oregon. FOUR MAJOR FIRES IN EARLY LOCAL HISTORY Like most other cities which can look back Into the 19th cen tury for their early history. La Grande had several major fires in Its first forty years of growth. The first fire of size of which there is record came In the early seventies when many of the build ings on the south side of C ave nue were wiped out, and never rebuilt. At this time most of La Grande was in the neighborhood of B and C avenues. For several years after this La Grande was at a standstill, rather it was going down Instead of progressing. The next big lire was in 1886 when much of the business sec 'tlon of the new town was de stroyed, half of a block of build-' Ings between Depot and rAm streets on the south side of Ad ams avenue, and on Jefferson ave nue were completely razed. Burned down were two hotels, a livery stable and several other business places. This section was rebuilt, but again In 1891 a third fire de stroyed all the buildings on the west side of Depot between Adams and Jefferson, including the first brick building in the city con structed by A. So mjner. j, D. Slater and Circuit Judge J. W. Knowles had law offices In that building. In July of the same year, 1891, the fourth large fire occurred. starting In the old Blue Mountain When the Railroad Was Young- In 1886 the Kiddle family came to La Grande and the Valley and There Was Established the PIONEER FLOURING MILL With Stills and Warehouses Now Throughout Union County The Pioneer Flouring Mill company has been buying grain from Grande Ronde valley growers and manufac turing flour for half a century. And :is Union county has gone forward, new methods in nulling, new know ledge of food values, new tests for baking qualities have permitted us to match the progress of the community and the industry. BUY 'FEDERATION" FLOUR Not only because it is a Grande Ronde valley product and a means to greater valley progress but buy it for Federation quality that insures success in all your baking needs. hotel, located on the corner where the Elks temple now stands, and burning all the buildings on that street as far east as tne Presbyterian church, also a one story building where the Sornmer hotel now stands, and two build ings on the corner o Washington and Depot where the Modern Laundry is now located. Since then there have been many fires, but none as disas trous to the business section as a whole as those early blazes. BACK TO THE OIL BURNERS Something la radically wrong at the power house of the elec tric light company. It is not an occasional occurence but almost every night the lights become so dim as to necessitate the light ing of lamps in the business houses where electric lights are used. La -Grande Gazette, Oct. 21. 1892. CUESTNTT SOCIAL The ladles ofl the Episcopal church will give a chestnut so cial at the residence of J. H. Stevens Friday, Sept. 30. La Grande Gazette, Sept. 23, 1892. VISITS MOTHER Mrs. Laura Ohilds, of San Francisco, is visiting her mother, Mrs. Zuber. She will remain In La Grande during the winter. La Grande Gazette, Oct. 21, 1892. The choicest grain of the entire val ley is selected from the thousands of bushels bought by us each year for our milling. Expert millers, with years of experience and the advant age of the most modem laboratory tests and milling equipment, super vise the making of our products and the prime product of the valley "Federation" Flour. 0G DEN BAND HAS 4 SETS OF UNIFORMS The Union Pacific Ogden band, which Is an outstanding organiza tion of its kind In the west, will be sent to La Grande and spend four days here during the XT. P. Jubilee. This band consists entirely of railroad men and for several years has led the grand entry at the Cheyenne Frontier Days. Among other honors it has also won first place at the Salt Lake Covered Wagon days celebration among 20 bands from Colorado, California and Wyoming. Uniforms In which the band ap pear Include the West Point full dress uniforms, Elks lodge uni forms and the Union Pacific Old Timers uniforms, all of which will bo brought with them to La Grande's celebration this month. They will appear at frequent In tervals during the days of the cel ebration. With the bands, which will come by special train, will be four Pull man loads of people from Ogden, according to word received from the Ogden headquarters, making between 200 and 250 persons who will be present from that city alone. AHOt'T iirSTY STREETS Editorial In La Grande Chron icle. May 17. 1893. The business men should get together on some plan for sprinkling r.tf streets.
