| Letters | Oregon Historical Quarterly, 107.2

LETTERS

To the Editor:

As a longtime member of the Baker County Library District Board, volunteer library archivist, and local historian, I enjoyed reading Oregon State Librarian Jim Scheppke's article, "The Origins of the Oregon State Library," (OHQ, Spring 2006) and viewing the wonderful selection of photos that accompanied it.

In the article, Scheppke included Cornelia Marvin Pierce's reflections on the state of Oregon's public libraries when she began her job as Oregon's first state librarian in August 1905: There were "no free books available for any person in Oregon except for those fortunate ones who lived in Portland, Salem, and Eugene, and only one of these maintained a tax-supported library."

Pierce was apparently unaware that Baker City had a public library as early as 1903. Here's an entry from Polk's 1903 Baker City Directory: "Libraries and Reading Rooms. Baker City Public Library Association — Citizens Bank Building. Contains 900 volumes."

In the 1905 volume of Polk's, under Miscellaneous Societies and Clubs, was this entry: "Alpha Literary Club — City Hall. Meets first and third Mondays. Object, maintenance of public library."

The Alpha Literary Club was founded in 1900 by a number of wives of Baker City's professional and business men. Right away they set about organizing a public library. By December 9, 1903, the Baker City Herald reported that the library holdings had increased to 1,500 volumes and, additionally, the library was receiving a $1,000 subsidy from the city to support it.

On October 17, 1905, the Morning Democrat reported: "The public library was accepted and became the property of Baker City by means of a bill of sale signed by the president of the Library Association, Mrs. Lulu C. Eppinger."

That same fall, the city council of Sumpter, a booming Baker County mining town, established a public library.

Gary Dielman

Baker City, Oregon

To the Editor:

[described in "Guild's Lake Industrial District," Spring 2006]

I enjoyed revisiting my old neighborhood. I remember it from the mid-30's when most of it was called "the sand flats" by the local kids. Until the housing project most of it was just sand spoils dredged from the river. There were a few businesses along NW 29^th Ave. north of Nicolai, and near St. Helens Rd. and 35^th, but not much more until the railroad tracks north of Yeon Ave. We always called it Guiles Lake. No "d" sound. The picture on page 89 shows a wooden sidewalk in the foreground, but it's doubtful if that was St. Helens Rd. More likely it was part of the Willamette Heights development that began around 1890. Maybe it went to a still existing house on Vaughn St. between 32^nd and 33^rd. The house in the middle was at the end of gravel 32^nd Ave., north of Wilson until recently when it was moved to 30^th and Wilson to make way for a totally obscene McMansion. The old house was owned by the George Babich family from World War i to the present time, the new builder being the son of the Babich daughter, Mary.

Although I don't remember the incinerator, I always thought it was at the foot of NW 25^th Place just north of Nicolai. I do remember the dump that was just east of NW 29^th Ave. between Nicolai and Yeon. The dump was probably contiguous to the incinerator property. The adults called the shacks at the dump "Hoovervilles."

The Fairmont/Evergreen Court was later for the poorest folks in NW Portland. I was shocked when I visited a classmate there and got a good scolding when I arrived home for being there. But, originally, it was a nice place to stay across the street from the main entrance to the fair. That's what I was told by the then "old timers." Now that they're all gone, and I'm the old timer.

Until Guilds Lake school was built, the kids went to Chapman, and in '43–'44 Chapman was double shifted. A different group of teachers taught the afternoon kids, but before that year, I don't remember any black kids attending Chapman. There was the Campbell family, but I don't think they lived in the project. As I remember, it was after the flood of '48 when most of the black families moved there from Vanport. At Lincoln High, pre '48, I only remember one black student. In the fall of '48, it was a big culture shock for the Lincoln kids. There may have been 100 black students there then. I don't remember any problem, though. Back then, the teachers and principals ran the school, not the kids.

I remember Balch Creek after the WPA projects of the late '30s when the structure was built over the entrance to the sewer pipe, and the stone structure where the Wildwood Trail leaves the creek, which was a rest station with a table and a drinking fountain. There was no Wildwood Trail then, but the park, being another of our playgrounds, had "kids" trails. Now, I rarely see any kids anywhere in the park. Back then, we hardly ever saw any adults. Now, it's hazardous with boorish runners who don't miss a beat and dog owners who don't follow leash laws. When I see those huge dogs coming, I hug the bank. Those rocks in the creek are hard. When we were kids we waded in the stream on hot summer days even though it's the coolest place in town on a hot day.

The WPA project to build the tunnels on Cornell Road was at the same time, and possibly the work in the park was part of that. Cornell was slow, narrow and hugged the bank opposite the canyon. Some of the old road is still visible between the tunnels, and the bike path goes around one of the tunnels just above the canyon.

More of NW Portland history and pictures, please. And, don't buy into name changes by newcomers. The "Pearl District" name is being used as far west as the Moreland Plumbing place on Raleigh and I've heard that Slabtown is now near NW 16^th and Lovejoy. Front Avenue should still be Front Avenue, because it means something historically and is still the frontage road downtown.

The picture of Guilds Lake housing shows only duplexes, but there was a variety of building types there. The original part that was on Guild (now Industrial), Luzon and Guam streets was based on circles bisected by Guam and Luzon streets. On the inside of the circle were single houses and on the outside of the circle were duplexes. There were single story structures, but in other parts of the project there were two story structures, too. The project was located from NW 28^th Avenue and Nicolai to the Kittridge Overpass. The school was near the present motel location.

Joe Kordic

Linnton, Oregon

To the Editor:

This might be considered an additional footnote to the excellent article by Jim Scheppke in the Oregon Historical Quarterly for Spring 2006 (vol. 107, no. 1) on "The Origins of the Oregon State Library." While the article does not deal with more recent events, except for the reference to the dedication of the new building in 1939, it might not be presumptuous to add an incident from 1935 (which might have been a factor in the need for a new building).

The State Library at that time was located in the Supreme Court building, occupying most of the first floor and basement, with little-used material stored in the attic. The Supreme Court Library was on the second floor, and the courtroom and Justices' chambers occupied the third floor. The State Librarian at that time was Miss Harriet C. Long.

The Supreme Court building was connected to the Capitol building by an underground tunnel for conveying heat, electricity, etc.; and when the Capitol building burned in 1935, the water that was poured on, in a vain attempt to extinguish the fire, flowed into the basement of the Supreme Court building. There it soaked and ruined many of the State Library books that were shelved in the basement.

In those days the State Library provided part-time employment for students at Willamette University, across the street. The writer was fortunate to work there for about three years while attending Willamette. My duties were shelving books, wrapping packages of books for shipping to local libraries, and serving as a general-errand boy. After the Capitol fire, one of my duties was to retrieve the damaged books and to try to dry them out or dispose of the ones that could not be salvaged.

The 1935 Capitol fire may not have been a significant event in the overall scheme of things, but at the time it was a major catastrophe, and it had a considerable impact on the history of Oregon.

Randall B. Kester

Portland, Oregon

Note: The foregoing is largely taken from my article, "Ex Libris," in the Oregon State Bar Bulletin for June 2003.

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