THE DALLES DAILY CHRONICLE, SATURDAY,' APRIL 23, 1921.
PAGE TWO
The Mid - Columbia Home of Dodg
W. E. WALTHEii
Vice-President and General Manager
Twenty years of progress Is exem
plificd In the present plant of tllb
Walther-Williams company, the larg
est autqmoblle and heavy hardware
house In eastern Oregon, and among
tho leading establishments of Its
kind in the state.
The Walther-Williams plant covers
acres in tho very heart of the busi
ness district of Tho Dalles and Its
business lines lead westward to
Portland and into almost every coun
ty east of the Cascades. As repre
sentatives of Dodge Brothers, the
Walther-Williams company servos
Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow,
Wheeler, Jefferson, Crook and De
schutes and parts of Lake and Klam
ath counties in Oregon. To Iho
north Its Jurisdiction for Dodg'i
Brothers' cars Includes Klickitat
county, Wash.
This is the 20U- anniversary year
of the founding of tho Walther-Wil-Hams
c'ompany. W. E. Walther and
Felix Sexton, on February 1, IsJOl.
opened a general hardware and farm
Implement house at Second and Jef
ferson streets, wherj Lane & Sox
ton's, store Is now located.
In 190G the company moved to the
present location of its general offices
at Second and Jefferson streets, buy
ing out the hardware company of
Mays & Crowe. In this merger the
company acquired tho entire half
block between Second, Third and
Federal, as now represented by the
general office building and the heavy
hardware building.
The company was incorporated
the same year. Felix Sexton with
drew, retiring. He is still a resident
of The Dalles. This reorganization
took place in August, 1906, E. M.
Williams securing his interest in the
company at. that time.
Main Office and Salesroom, Second and Federal SticeU
In Korcgroui cl, Hardware and Implement Duildlng, rear, General Offices
HARRY E. WALTHER
. Automobile Salesmanager
The old Mays & crowe ouilding
burned In 1908 and it was replaced
by the present two story brick struc
ture at Second and Federal streets.
In 1910 Walther-Williams company
made its first venture into the auto
mobile business, adding it first as a
sld- line to its heavy farm hard-,
ware line, a very large volume of
which was being done. The auto
motile business steadily grew, and
Walther-Williams company early lei
the industry in this section.
Dodge Brothers' agency was taken
in 1915. The Walther-Williams com
pany was one of the first dealers in
the west for this car. It now has the
exclusive agency for Dodge Broth
ers cars In a very large section of
eastern Oregon.
'The garago building, at tho north
west corner of Third and Federal
streets, which extends westward al
most to Washington street, was
elected In 1913-14. The garage Is
one of the largest in the state, and
certainly it Is as well equipped as
any garage on the Pacific coast. The
structure is fire proof and incorpor
ated in it is everything necessary
to make it a complete repair and
storage establishment for automo
biles. Success for the local. Dodge Broth
ers agency' came immediately and
In a very large way. In the years
1915, 1916 and 1917, between 500 and
COO cars were sold each year. The30
i in w
An Interior View of tne Garage
Service Department in the Garage Building
-
i
Dodge Brot,
of their motor ca
dinary experience
independence am
which has long b
Dodge Brothers'
HQ
j.