March 2024 UPDATE – Garden Home History

Posted on February 29, 2024 by gardenhomehistoryproject

In this edition: The Big Freeze of January 2024, February 2024 Gazette newsletter, Alpenrose property turned over to developers, Our History Corner, Garden Home Community Library – Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s, Kit Bowen, Chapter Two, Memorial for former Garden Home School principal Don Dunbar.

Hello to our Garden Home History Friends – As you all know, we’re just recovering from our Big Freeze of January 2024. Let us know your Big Freeze story and your memories of Garden Home.

One of our subscribers notified us that her name had been omitted from the Donor List 2023 that was published in the February Gazette. We have tracked down and corrected our error. If anyone else notes any mistakes in our stories, please let us know. GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com.

To become a subscriber, email us at GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com and include your Postal mailing address, or call Marie Pacella at 503-244-5758. To unsubscribe, reply with unsubscribe in the subject line.

The Big Freeze of January 2024

Big Freeze of 2024 – 5

Big Freeze of 2024 – 1

Big Freeze of 2024 – 2

Big Freeze of 2024 – 3

Big Freeze of 2024 – 4

Big Freeze of 2024 – 8

Big Freeze of 2024 – 6

Big Freeze of 2024 – Tom Shreve

Although predicted, most of us were surprised by the deep freeze of four straight days. The initial wind storm helped to fall trees which took out the power lines to much of the Portland area including most all of Garden Home. Some residents had no electricity or cable for up to 10 days. Personally, we had no power for five days. Please help us to document how we all coped here in Garden Home: GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com

My adult son (our webmaster) Tom and I used our fireplace for a day which was very inadequate against the freezing temps. It got cold enough for us to fire up our vintage stove that I grew up with on our farm in eastern Oregon. It hadn’t been lit in many years. Thankfully, friends brought plenty of firewood. This warmed the family room. The refrigerator gradually warmed up as we noted the utility room was quite cold as the freeze continued. Tom put the refrigerator items in the cold room and the freezer items outside. We all left our pipes dripping and the sink doors below open.

Cable TV and broadband was out for most of us which left us feeling the need to talk to friends, and find out what was happening. The driveway and local streets were coated with 2 to 4 inches of ice for several days. Fir trees fell into many homes, because fir trees have a relatively small root ball. Many homes had significant damage. At least 14 people died in the greater Portland area. The Governor issued an Emergency Declaration.

Other folks were trapped in their homes when big trees went down on their street preventing any vehicles from using the street. Some folks used their generator or purchased one to then learn how to attach them to their home appliances. Others went to a hotel or a friend’s home outside of Garden Home. The heavy ice limited movement for a few days.

February 2024 Gazette newsletter

GHHP Gazette – Feb 2024 (PDF)

Alpenrose property turned over to developers

Alpenrose Dairy historic panorama

From Friends of Alpenrose, Marita Ingalsbe, February 24, 2024:

Hello Friends of Alpenrose, We received the following message yesterday from Josh Reynolds, Alpenrose Dairy General Manager, with important information about decommissioning the ammonia refrigeration system on February 27-29.

The general manager’s complete report includes many precautions, details, and concludes:

We will complete all decommissioning work and exit the facility completely before the end of March. One of our obligations is to ensure the dairy buildings are sealed off to discourage any vagrancy. As you likely know, future activity and site development is in the hands of West Hills Land Development, the new owners of the property. I’m encouraged that they are a local company, and have been cooperative with us throughout the ownership change.

Our History Corner, Garden Home Community Library – Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s

Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s

Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s – top shelf

Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s – middle shelf

Garden Home Cooks, Early 1900s – bottom shelf

This display of old recipe books and vintage cooking equipment often came with our residents as they settled in Garden Home. Note the huge White House book, Brer Rabbit selling molasses, a hard cover book to announce the invention of baking powder, a book introducing how to cook with electricity and more. The display will be up into April 2024. The Library is open 10-6 Monday through Friday, 10-3:00 pm Saturday, closed Sundays.

Kit Bowen, Chapter Two

Kit shares his journey to return to his childhood home, Garden Home, in Wobbling Into My Past by Kit Bowen.

For me to even be drooling at 74 is a major miracle, (another story) let alone living on the estate of the grandson of the original founder of the best Department Store on planet earth, Meier and Frank. This move was very emotional because it’s now my generation’s turn to down size. I’m two generations down from Cork Ireland and I seem to keep all things from part of those three centuries.

I ended up filling up 3 dumpsters full of memories, selling the hot rods, and motorcycles etc., etc., etc.

I was a basket case.

Passing of former Garden Home School principal Don Dunbar

Don Dunbar and Elaine Shreve are enjoying a cup of ice cream from our History booth – Garden Home Library 40th Anniversary June 3, 2023

Fogelbo tour 2019 interior – Don Dunbar

Don Dunbar 2018, Army 1945-47

Garden Home School prinicipal Don Dunbar speaking with Lavender Shreve - History Society Roundtable May 18, 2018

Garden Home School principal Don Dunbar speaking with Lavender Shreve – History Society Roundtable May 18, 2018

Don Dunbar was Principal of Garden Home School from 1968 to 1974. Don continued his interest in Garden Home through his participation with our organization, GardenHomeHistory.com. His stories are found in Veterans of Garden Home, and Garden Home School by Don Dunbar, Principal 1968-1974. We all appreciated learning from him. For his last visit with us, he drove from Laurel Parc to Garden Home for the outdoor celebration of the Garden Home Library 40th Anniversary – June 3, 2023.

Read the full Don Dunbar obituary.

Remember Garden Home!

Remember to prepare for the next storm: candles, flashlights and head lamps, house thermometer, water, cash, firewood, and good friends!

Discover Garden Home!

As you explore Garden Home, be sure to appreciate the many spring-blooming trees!

Cherry tree on SW 87th Ave

Cherry tree blooming in late April

Volunteer and make friends

New people might enjoy research, interviews, visiting special Garden Home sites, write stories for the website, doing the History corner displays, and so much more! Call Mickey at 503-805-5518 or Esta at 503-246-5758. Board meetings 4:30-6:00 pm on the second Monday of the month.

Stay safe and well, from all of our volunteer dedicated Board of Directors: Mickey Lindsay, Esta Mapes, Sharon Vedder, John and Marie Pacella, Stan and Susan Houseman, Jan Fredrickson, Kevin Mistler, and Elaine Shreve. Tom Shreve is our webmaster.

– Elaine

Elaine Shreve

Posted in Email updates, News | Tagged Dunbar, storm | 2 Comments

Visit the notable Rich and Charold Baer rose garden in Garden Home

Posted on March 28, 2024 by gardenhomehistoryproject

Brandy – Rich Baer

Crazy Dottie – Rich Baer

Fame – Rich Baer

Hannah Gordon – Rich Baer

Louise Estes – Rich Baer

Roses, beautiful roses, over 1,000 roses in Rich and Charold Baer’s rose garden here in Garden Home! They both grew up in Ohio and moved here when Dr. Charold Baer accepted a position as the Chair of the Adult Health and Illness Program in the School of Nursing at the Oregon Health & Science University, OHSU, in 1978. Both Charold and Rich obtained all of their degrees from The Ohio State University. Charold has a BS in nursing, an MS in nursing education with a clinical specialty in renal and a dual PhD in curriculum and media with a minor in statistics. Rich has a BS in Botany, an MS in Plant Pathology, and a PhD, all but his dissertation, in Plant Physiology. With Rich’s background and the change in weather from Ohio to Garden Home, plus the purchase of a home with a large yard, he has become a national expert in rose culture, displays, and rose photography.

Rich planted 13 roses in 1978 when they first moved here. This interest may have been inspired by his mother’s Ohio garden of 50 roses. Dr. Baer became interested in miniature roses when Rich suggested that she needed a hobby that they could share which involved limited decision making. Since roses do not require critical decision making, she agreed and she now has over 300 miniature and miniflora roses in their garden. The miniature roses are small bushes with small roses and the minifloras are larger small roses on larger, taller bushes.

Celebrating Roses calendar 2024

You can find more Rich Baer rose photos in the Celebrating Roses 2024 Wall Calendar. Celebrating roses presents America’s official flower in all its beauty and variety. The rose’s rich colors and elegant petal structure come alive in photographs by Rich Baer, an award-winning member of the Portland Rose Society. Sales of the Celebrating roses calendar supports the educational missions of the PRS.

Peace Rose Stamp – Rich Baer

Rich has entered the American Rose Society’s annual rose photo contest for 29 years. Out of the hundreds of entries, he has won 14 of those years. His photograph of the Peace rose was selected to appear on a U.S. postage stamp honoring the Peace rose in 2018.

Rich and Charold have each been president of the Portland Rose Society twice. They have served in many different leadership positions with the Rose Society and Charold was a Director with the Rose Festival Foundation for 13 years, during which time she served as Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer and Vice President. Rich’s rose photos have appeared in many rose industry catalogues, rose textbooks and of course in the annual 2024 Rose calendar with 12 fabulous photos. Charold was knighted in 1998 by the Royal Rosarians under the rose Sheer Elegance and Rich was knighted in 1999 under the rose Silver Lining.

Rich and Charold welcome visitors to their rose garden. Cameras are also welcome but no clippers, please! Each rose is waiting for the perfect time for one of Rich’s photos. They keep a set of small flags that each visitor can take along on their visit to the roses. When you place the flag at your favorite rose, Rich will chart the flags later to find the most favorite roses over the summer. The roses are just leafing out now, in March, and Rich suggests that we use our tax date, April 15, for the first application of about a half cup of fertilizer, for local roses.

The Baer rose garden is off of Garden Home Road at 62nd Place, turn at the juncture of the huge water tanks. Drive past a couple houses to the address of 8039 SW 62nd Place, Portland, OR 97219. Parking is limited to off street parking where all the roses are visible. Rich also has 15-10-10 rose fertilizer, at $19 a bag, to sell for the Portland Rose Society if you wish. If you want the fertilizer, call 503-246-3087 to see if they are home.

By Elaine Shreve, 2024. As a graduate of the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing and then the RN college program at OHSU before Charold’s time, I was interested in her education and the OHSU position that brought them out to Oregon.

Posted in People, Places | Tagged Baer, Roses | Leave a comment

Don Dunbar obituary

Posted on February 25, 2024 by gardenhomehistoryproject

April 3, 1927 to January 31, 2024

Donald Ferguson Dunbar was born April 3, 1927, in his parents’ Buckhorn ranch home, Condon, Ore., and passed away Jan. 31, 2024, at home in Bethany at the age of 96.

Donald began his educational journey at the Buckhorn one-room schoolhouse across from their ranch and graduated from Condon High School in 1945. His education took a practical turn when he entered the U.S. Army in July 1945. Ultimately, he was assigned to the 13th Engineers Battalion, 7th Infantry Division and stationed in Seoul, Korea, where he attained the rank of S/Sgt. He felt especially blessed to work under Ambassador John H. Holdridge who became instrumental in opening relations with China in the Nixon Administration and served as ambassador to Singapore as well as Indonesia.

Don’s engineering experience with the 7th Division led to his work with the Oregon State Highway Department. Later, taking advantage of the GI Bill he graduated in 1952 from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He received his Master’s degree from the same institution and pursued extensive post-graduate studies through the years. He became school principal and taught grades 5-8 at two-room Fruitdale School in LaGrande, where his wife Zola taught grades 1-4. He went on to become a lifetime educator, serving 36 years as a superintendent or principal, most of that time with Beaverton, Ore., Public Schools. Prior to joining the Beaverton School District he was superintendent of the Knox Butte School District, Albany, Ore, for nine years. In Beaverton he led McKinley, Hazel Dell, Garden Home, Kinnamon, and Elmonica elementary schools. Throughout the years he enjoyed maintaining contact with former students, teachers, and colleagues up until his passing.

Despite his focus on preparing children for the future, he never lost his love and pride in his Scottish and Eastern Oregon heritage. He was a frequent visitor to Gilliam and Wheeler counties and maintained contact with the Scottish relatives of his parents throughout his life. He was an active supporter of several groups and organizations including the Portland Highland Games, the Education Foundations of Eastern Oregon University and the University of Oregon, the Beaverton Elks, the Gilliam County Library and Museum to name just a few. He was also instrumental in supporting the creation of the Cottonwood State Park along the John Day River in Gilliam County.

He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Dr. Zola Dunbar; his parents, Charles and Mary Dunbar, both born in Scotland; his brothers, Douglas and Robert; and two nephews. He is survived by daughters, Donna Mason (Carl) and Myrna Neese (David); nieces, Bonnie Dunbar and Mary Dunbar Squires (Steve), daughters of his late brother Robert; four step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and 18 additional nieces and nephews.

A private interment with full Military Honors in Willamette National Cemetery has been held. There will be a tribute to his life at Bethany Laurel Parc, later.

Family would also like to acknowledge the many friendships with residents of Laurel Parc that enriched his life, and to express their deepest appreciation for the outstanding and compassionate care provided by Brighton Hospice and staff at Laurel Parc during his final days. Donations may be made to any of the Don & Zola Dunbar Scholarship funds established at each of the following: University of Oregon, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon Community Foundation/Condon High School, or the Schools of Education at either University. Please visit his memorial page at www.lincolnmemorialpk.com to leave a message for the family.

Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits

Published by The Oregonian from Feb. 15 to Feb. 18, 2024.

Editor: Don Dunbar was a fine Principal for Garden Home School from 1968 to 1974. Don continued his interest in Garden Home through his participation with our organization, GardenHomeHistory.com. His stories are found in Veterans of Garden Home, and Garden Home School by Don Dunbar, Principal 1968-1974. We all appreciated learning from him. For his last visit with us, he drove from Laurel Parc to Garden Home for the outdoor celebration of the Garden Home Library 40th Anniversary – June 3, 2023.

Don Dunbar and Elaine Shreve are enjoying a cup of ice cream from our History booth – Garden Home Library 40th Anniversary June 3, 2023

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged Dunbar | 1 Comment

Wobbling Into My Past by Kit Bowen

Posted on February 20, 2024 by gardenhomehistoryproject

[Wobbling Into My Past by Kit Bowen was submitted to us via gardenhomehistory@gmail.com on February 1st, 2024. Thanks for this new chapter, Kit! You can read Kit’s first chapter Kit Bowen.]

Obviously Thomas Wolfe had never been to Garden Home or he wouldn’t have written (in 1940) that, ‘You can never go home again’ and then follows it up with a half dozen reasons why. No reason to look it up. It seems to me that Mr. Wolfe was not a happy man. Just the name ‘Garden Home’ has enough pull to bring anyone towards our village.

In May of last year I was faced with finding one more place to pound in my tent pegs in for my last curtain call. I have made a habit of moving in all directions in this crazy roller coaster called LIFE. Garden Home, to Raleigh Hills, to Vietnam 68-69 (horrible camping trip) Eugene, Balboa Peninsula, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Lake Oswego ( where Marty and I raised our sons) back to Raleigh Hills, Tigard, and now the final anchor has been thrown out at the Aaron Frank Estate in Garden Home.

I ended up filling up 3 dumpsters full of memories, selling the hot rods, and motorcycles etc., etc., etc.

I was a basket case.

Six months into this God grabbed me by the ear, dragged me to the sidelines, and sat me on the bench.

“What is it Kitrick that you don’t know about you can’t take it with you? Besides, it was never ever yours in the first place. Now move over and let me drive. This chapter is going to be great!”

So now I’m living MY favorite quote,

“There is nothing more honest, beautiful, and loving than the heart of childhood.”

In May of last year I pulled the biggest u-ball in my life and headed back to my childhood. As I passed my Century old Grade School I slammed on my binders and glanced at the Frank Estate entrance, minus gates. Last time I was here was 1956 and I had to sneak in. As I crept through the majestic 100 foot Fir Trees and the acres of putter green cut grass towards the Frank Mansion, I felt as if I was getting into a warm shower after I had plunged into our freezing Pacific ocean. I had been on the Hi-Way to hell for the last 7 years and now I was truly home and I could breathe fresh air once more. The estate had been developed into condos and Mr. Franks Horse Harness racing track had turned into the Rolls Royse of Dog Runs. The Pool had also been downsized from 50 meters which Mr. Frank had built not just for the children in Garden Home but also for our Olympian swimmers to prepare for the 1924 Games held in Paris.

Two hours after I walked into the Mansion where the managers have their office I walked out with the keys to my beautiful condo. It was situated on the pond where Geri Frank and his friends used to skate on, and has now gone natural with beautiful trees, plants, beavers, ducks, finch, doves, and heron. ‘Squints’ the cat has the Bently of all the Catbird Seats on the estate. My living room and den both have picture windows right on the lake. For me it had everything I needed to get well with my new knee replacement, a beautiful pool, exercise and weight room, and the start of the Fanno Creek trail with our own private gate!

Whenever I walk it I stuff my pockets with dog biscuits,walk through the gate,and start my walk with century old homes in a forest on one side, where all the roads dead end off Garden Home Road. On the other side is the back 9 of the Portland Golf Club. One side is still in Black and White, the other is in color! I would venture to say that God is a much better driver than I am.

Continuing story will include the big freeze we had on January 13 and how it connected to our forefathers in the previous Century. A very generous tip of the hat to the Garden Home History project for preserving Garden Homes heritage, reaching back to the 1800s.

Posted in Memoirs, People | Tagged Frank Estate, Kit Bowen, Mr. Wolfe | 2 Comments

December 2023 UPDATE – Garden Home History

Posted on December 16, 2023 by GHHP

In this edition: History corner display of vintage tins, new Hunt Club historic photographs, remembering the history of Alpenrose and fight to save it, and discovering the Garden Home History artifacts on display at the Old Market Pub & Brewery.

Hello to our Garden Home History Friends – We wish you a joyous holiday season! As we look toward the end of the year, we invite you to consider donating to Garden Home History to help us promote historic Garden Home. We continue to be amazed that our website GardenHomeHistory.com averages about 750 users and 2,500 views per month.

History corner display

Vintage tins – Garden Home History corner at the Garden Home Library

This display in the Garden Home Library features vintage tin containers from the early 1900s. What do you have stored in vintage kitchen tins?

New Hunt Club historic photographs

1940-06-15 Hunt Club – Omer Bonney (on Gold Dust) and John Osburn (on Royal Chinook) jump their horses over a fence at the Portland Hunt Club in Garden Home

1940-06-15 Hunt Club – Omer Bonney stands next to his horse (Gold Dust) while holding a trophy, during the spring race meet for the Portland Hunt Club in Garden Home

1940-06-15 Hunt Club Garden Home Classic finish line

We recently discovered a trove of historic photos of the Portland Hunt Club (located in Garden Home) in the Oregon Historical Society’s digital collection. View the full collection of Hunt Club photos in Hunt Club and Riding Academies.

Remember Garden Home!

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118 Alpenrose

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124 Alpenrose (the first baseball diamond was installed in 1956)

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010240 Alpenrose

Alpenrose Dairy delivery truck

Quarter midget go-kart racing at Alpenrose (source: The Oregonian – 100 years of history at Portland’s Alpenrose Dairy)

Rusty Nails Alpenrose Wanted Poster 1966

Alpenrose Field – Alpenrose baseball facilities were the home of the Little League Softball World Series from 1994 to 2019.

The 50-acre Alpenrose property on SW Shattuck Rd is slated to become a housing development with 139 attached (townhouses) and 130 detached (single family) homes. To read more about the plans to redevelop Alpenrose and the fight to preserve the sporting facilities, see Friends of Alpenrose.

For the full story and more photos of Alpenrose, see our History of the Alpenrose Dairy.

Discover Garden Home!

2020 Old Market Pub – Garden Home Post Office safe

Old Market Pub and Brewery owner Shelly Bigley in front of the Lewis and Clark Centennial photos at the Old Market Pub

2020 Old Market Pub – train reliefs from Colin Lamb

The Old Market Pub and Brewery has a number of Garden Home History artifacts on display: the vintage Post Office safe, and colorized historic photos and train reliefs from the now-closed Thriftway grocery store. Thanks Old Market Pub!

Volunteer and make friends

– Elaine

Elaine Shreve

Posted in Email updates, News | Leave a comment

November 2023 UPDATE – Garden Home History

Posted on November 6, 2023 by gardenhomehistoryproject

In this edition: Veterans Day bell ringing, History corner display, sports will be the next display’s theme. See the new posts on early Garden Home dairies, and Historic USGS aerial photography.

Hello to our Garden Home History Friends – Good Luck raking up all those leaves and deciding whether to clean out the gutters now or later! We hope you’ll join us to Ring the Historic Bell at Trader Joe’s and honor our veterans and Lyle Tate, our Garden Home soldier who lost his life in Vietnam. The historic old church bell has been ringing in Garden Home for 105 years! As the plaque says “The bell hangs here to recognize its role in the life of the Garden Home community.”

In the People and Places pages, you’ll find over 300 stories, and over 2,500 photos of vintage Garden Home and residents attending our events. To become a subscriber, email us at GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com and include your Postal mailing address, or call Marie Pacella at 503-244-5758, or call Elaine Shreve at 503-246-5879. To unsubscribe, reply with unsubscribe in the subject line.

We Rang The Bell – November 11, 2023

For the full gallery of 130+ photos of our bell ringers, see November 11, 2023 Veteran’s Day bell ringing at Trader Joe’s.

We rang the bell to remember our Veterans on the 11 month, 11th day and at 11 am, recalling the Armistice. We remembered all the veterans including Lyle “Toad” Tate, the Garden Home Marine killed in Vietnam. The bell at Trader Joe’s has rung in Garden Home for 105 years to announce and remember significant events in Garden Home.

Thanks to Mark Sakamoto, Trader Joe’s manager, for housing the bell and the plaques remembering the bell’s history and Lyle Tate. He, the staff, and our Garden Home History people worked the event and tolerated two hours of bell ringing! Tell them thanks! And thanks always to our veterans for their service for all of us.

History corner display

2023-11 Indigenous People display – whole cabinet

This display in our Garden Home Library features November’s Indigenous Peoples month with those Atfalati Kalapuya who lived here and more. An Oklahoma newspaper in the Cherokee language and Cherokee items from our own Sharon Vedder, a Registered Cherokee. Note the QR code on the paper to hear it read in English and Cherokee. Henry Roe Cloud items remember his burial at our Crescent Grove Cemetery and his notable history as a graduate of Yale and his work with the U.S. government protecting the Native Americans.

Our next display’s theme will be sports

Our next display will be sports equipment, sporting events, and local athletes of note. If you have any sports memorabilia, sporting equipment, and stories, please share them with us! Call Elaine Shreve at 503-246-5879.

Early Garden Home Dairies

Fulton Park Dairy in Hillsdale – Delivery fleet circa 1932 or 1933

Shattuck Dairy – hay derrick in field

Peter Gertsch driving a Shattuck Dairy wagon

Check out our recent examination of the dairies in the greater Garden Home area:

Historic USGS aerial photography

1936 Alpenrose

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118 Alpenrose

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124 Alpenrose

1971-09-19 6184003904886 Alpenrose

The US Geologic Survey (USGS) publishes historic aerial photography for Garden Home going back to 1952. We downloaded many USGS aerial photos of the Garden Home area from 1952 to 1975. We also add in comparisons to a 1936 aerial photo from the US Army Corps of Engineers. It’s really interesting stuff, check it out.

See USGS historic aerial photography.

Remember Garden Home!

Tate newspaper article, part 1

Bell plaques at Trader Joe’s

Lyle “Toad” Tate lived at 7560 SW Shirley Lane, near the intersection, along with his sister Christine and his parents Rachel and Lyle George Tate, all deceased. The plaque dedicated to Lyle is in the entrance to Trader Joe’s. Lyle was killed in Vietnam while serving in the US Marine Corps in 1967.

Discover Garden Home!

SW Garden Home Rd crosswalk at SW 84th Ave

There’s a new crosswalk on SW Garden Home Rd at SW 84th Ave. The idea is to connect the Fanno Creek Trail to Garden Home Park via SW 84th Ave. If you press the crosswalk button, flashing lights activate to halt traffic on SW Garden Home Rd.

Get Involved

Visit our Get Involved page to learn about how to get involved:

Our Board of Directors continues their monthly meetings. Call to attend. Current subjects include displays in the Library and bulletin board, Century Homes program, Historic Garden Home street signs, new businesses, our newsletters, program planning with the Garden Home Library, Fanno Creek Trail History Walking Tours, and more! We welcome new volunteers to our committees; let us know your interest. Call Mickey at 503-805-5518 or Esta at 503-246-5758.

Stay safe and well, from all of our dedicated Board of Directors: Mickey Lindsay, Esta Mapes, Sharon Vedder, John and Marie Pacella, Stan and Susan Houseman, Jan Fredrickson, Kevin Mistler, and Elaine Shreve. Tom Shreve is our webmaster.

– Elaine

Elaine Shreve

Posted in News | Leave a comment

November 11, 2023 Veteran’s Day bell ringing at Trader Joe’s

Posted on November 6, 2023 by GHHP

2023 Bell Ringing Poster

Ring the bell hanging in the entrance to Trader Joe’s!

Veteran’s Day, November 11, from 11 AM to 1 PM

We hope you’ll join us to Ring the Historic Bell at Trader Joe’s and honor our veterans and Lyle Tate, our Garden Home soldier who lost his life in Vietnam. The historic old church bell has been ringing in Garden Home for 105 years! As the plaque says “The bell hangs here to recognize its role in the life of the Garden Home community.”

The historic bell first hung in 1918 inside the Garden Home Community Church, on the south side of Garden Home Road, just west of SW 71st Ave. In 1961, the bell moved to the new Garden Home Community Methodist Church, today the Korean Society of Oregon on SW 81st Ave. After the church closed in 1994, Colin Lamb agreed to hang the bell in the new Lamb’s Thriftway building.

I Rang The Bell!

We estimate that there were at least 130 bell ringers!

Kevin Mapes

Jan Fredrickson

Posted in Events | 1 Comment

USGS historic aerial photography

Posted on October 23, 2023 by GHHP

See Historic Aerial Photos Garden Home.
See 1936 Aerial Photos of Garden Home area by Army Corps of Engineers.
See Otto Arndt – 1950s Aerial Photos of Garden Home.

Below is a collection of aerial photos of Garden Home obtained using the USGS Earth Explorer. See the end of this post for more about USGS aerial photography. The earliest USGS aerial photos including Garden Home were taken in 1952. I arbitrarily stopped at 1975.

1 - enter address - USGS EarthExplorer.usgs.gov

USGS EarthExplorer – Enter address or location to view

I’ve added selections from a 1936 aerial photo that Bob Cram obtained from the US Army Corps of Engineers, and from a 1943 aerial photo obtained from the City of Portland archives. I’ve also added some low-altitude photography and other images to provide context for the landmarks in the USGS aerial photos.

City Auditor – searching historical records – screenshot

US Army Corps of Engineers – requesting aerial photography – screenshot

Each USGS image caption contains a code like 1ZJ0000010118. These codes indicate which source file a cropped image came from. Some source images have been omitted due to size considerations.

Image resolution and quality varies greatly from year to year. Fortunately, the earliest images, 1952, have excellent resolution (54MB source files).

To view/download full size images, click on the image to open the image’s Attachment page. On the Attachment page, above the image, look for a link to the full-size image. Nearly all images have a higher resolution image available on their respective Attachment pages.

Viewing full-size images on an image’s Attachment page

Tom Shreve, 2023

Garden Home zoom

In the Garden Home zoom images below:

SW Oleson Rd slashes diagonally from the lower left corner.
SW Garden Home Rd runs horizontally across the bottom third of the image.
The two roads running from the bottom-center of the frame and ending at SW Garden Home Rd are SW 71st Ave and SW 74th Ave.
The Oregon Electric rail tracks enter from the right and split to exit the image at the top and bottom, with the original 1908 train station platform visible at the split.

1936 downtown Garden Home. Train station and platform visible just east of the future site of the cannery (Old Market Pub and Brewery). White Store visible (Dairy Queen). Walton’s Tavern is located just west of the Red Store (just west of the southbound tracks and south of Garden Home Road). The original 1912 school building remains unmodified. Gust Johnson’s Texaco original station building. The Community Church is just west of SW 71st Ave on SW Garden Home Rd.

1943 Garden Home zoom. The Oregon Electric station house has been moved to Beaverton, but the original platform trestle remains. The school has its first new addition and a few trees have been cleared. Roofless Seed & Feed has been built (it wouldn’t get a roof until 1957).

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117 Garden Home zoom. The Red Store stands but is no longer operating. The cannery has been built. The school added the long western building, and cleared many trees.

1954 Garden Home School from W – Arndt Neg 01.
From the Otto Arndt collection of low altitude photography of Garden Home and environs. Central Garden Home, Oleson Rd at an angle running left and right. School in foreground with the old original school building still attached in what is now the south parking lot. Garden Home Feed and Seed building has no roof structure. Community Church east of feed store at now SW 71st. Long 2-story store at the intersection, variously named Upchurch, Throckmortons or generally the White store, burned in 1956. Note the filbert orchard NE of intersection where Thriftway is built in 1957.

1954 – Aerial photo of site of Lamb’s Thriftway – Prior to construction – Arndt Neg 03

1957 – Aerial photo of Lamb’s Thriftway – Newly constructed prior to opening – Arndt Neg 08 detail. Seed and Feed roof is partially completed. Gust Johnson’s Texaco has a new building. White Store is an empty lot (it burned in 1956)

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124 Garden Home zoom. Thriftway is open. The Red Store building still stands. The cafeteria expansion has been added to the school. The Community Church still stands just west of SW 71st. There are three gas stations at the intersection of SW Garden Home Rd and SW Oleson Rd.

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010242 Garden Home zoom. The Community Church buildings have been moved to the Unitarian Fellowship on SW Oleson Rd. The original 1912 school building has been removed.

2023 Google Maps – Garden Home zoom

Frank Farm, Hunt Club, and riding academies

Frank track, stable and indoor riding arena

Frank buggy room

1940-06-15 Garden Home Hunt Club Ladies Classic at finish line

1940-06-15 Hunt Club – Ladies Classic at finish line. Mrs. Omer Bonney rode Sun Blanket to victory.

1940-06-15 Hunt Club – Omer Bonney stands next to his horse (Gold Dust) while holding a trophy, during the spring race meet for the Portland Hunt Club in Garden Home.

The Frank Farm, Hunt Club, and riding academies image-crop is characterized by:

SW Oleson Rd runs north-south along the right edge, with a kink at the Hunt Club.
SW Vermont runs east-west along the top edge.
Nicol Riding Academy upper left.
Shattuck Dairy upper left (now Arranmore).
Hunt Club 1/4 mile oval center right (now OES), with Portland Riding Academy adjacent to the south-edge of the oval.
Frank Farm’s stables are immediately west of the Portland Riding Academy stables.
The Oregon Electric tracks arc through the lower left corner.
Portland Golf Club begins along the left edge.

1936 Frank Farm, Hunt Club, Portland Riding Academy, and Nicol Riding Academy

1936 Frank Farm, Hunt Club, and riding academies. SW Oleson Rd runs north-south along the right edge, with a kink at the Hunt Club. Nicol Riding Academy upper left. Shattuck Dairy upper left. Hunt Club 1/4 mile oval center right, with Portland Riding Academy adjacent to the south-edge of the oval. Frank Farm’s stables are immediately west of the Portland Riding Academy stables. The Oregon Electric tracks arc through the lower left corner. Portland Golf Club begins along the left edge.

1943 Hunt Club and riding academies. Since 1936, Nicol Riding Academy gained a couple buildings. The Frank Farm removed the train loading platform at the SW corner of their property.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117 Frank Farm, Garden Home Hunt Club, and riding academies. Since 1943, the Nicol Riding Academy has built a paddock inside the track. A number of houses have been added to the Hunt Club.

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010125 Hunt Club and riding academies. Since 1952, significant suburban infill. It appears the Frank Farm has demolished the indoor riding area in the NE corner of the property.

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010241 Hunt Club and riding academies. Since 1960, the Nicol Riding Academy has been completely removed. Portland Riding Academy still exists, although Harry Kerron sold a chuck out of the middle upon which now stands a house.

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030130 Hunt Club and riding academies. The Hunt Club and Portland Riding Academy appear to still be operating. Arranmore and Oregon Episcopal School (OES) have not yet been developed.

2023 Google Maps – Frank Farm, Hunt Club and riding academies

Alpenrose

The left side of the image is Washington County, the right side is Multnomah County.

1936 Alpenrose

1943 Alpenrose

Alpenrose Dairy circa 1940s based on the two visible cars. Definitely pre-1952, because a 1952 aerial photo includes a new parking lot in the SE corner of complex.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118 Alpenrose on right side of image (the right half of a shield-shaped area enclosed by roads and the Red Electric right-of-way along the north).

1955-08-17 1A001500081076 Alpenrose

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124 Alpenrose

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010240 Alpenrose

1971-09-19 6184003904886 Alpenrose

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030130 Alpenrose (low resolution)

2021 Alpenrose aerial photo, courtesy of The Tribune

Greater Garden Home

Greater Garden Home in these cropped photos is roughly defined as south of Vermont, west of Multnomah County (SW 65th), north of SW Taylors Ferry Rd, and east of the Burgerville intersection. Sometimes the source images don’t cover the whole area, so I crop the best I can.

These are good images to click on, and then click on the link for the full-size image to really be able to zoom in. This section is also useful to determine at a glance which years have the best resolution (1936, 1943, 1952, 1960, 1970, 1971).

1936 greater Garden Home

1943 greater Garden Home. Garden Home was quite rural, with large tracts of yet to be developed land.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118 greater Garden Home. The post-war housing boom was in full-swing in Garden Home.

1955-08-17 A001500081077 greater Garden Home. Fairly low resolution/blurry.

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010125 greater Garden Home

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010241 greater Garden Home

1971-09-19 6184003904872 greater Garden Home

1972-06-02 5720004211183 greater Garden Home. Low resolution/blurry.

1973-07-03 AR5730013110222 greater Garden Home. Low resolution/blurry.

1974-06-28 AR5740018400035 greater Garden Home. Low resolution/blurry.

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030131 greater Garden Home

1952

Comparing a 1936 aerial photo to the 1952 aerial photo, we see lots of houses were built in that period, many in the post-war boom.

1936 aerial photography of Garden Home and environs rotated and cropped to match 1952 image

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117 Garden Home and Maplewood. Alpenrose top center. Portland Golf Club upper left quadrant. SW Multnomah Blvd enters mid-way down from the right.

1952-07-02 source photos

These source files are 55MB.

1ZJ0000010116 includes Maplewood, but Garden Home is out of frame.
1ZJ0000010117 and 1ZJ0000010118 have the best quality images of Garden Home.
1ZJ0000010137, 1ZJ0000010138, and 1ZJ0000010139 have slightly lower contrast images of Garden Home.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010116

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010137

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010138

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010139

1955

The 1955 photos are much lower resolution than most other years.

1955-08-17 1A001500081076 Garden Home, Alpenrose, and Gabriel Park

1955-08-17 1A001500081076 Frank Farm, Hunt Club, and Portland Riding Academy

1955-08-17 source photos

These source images are over 75MB each, but they cover a huge area. Once cropped down to Garden Home, the files are low resolution.

1955-08-17 A001500081077

1955-08-17 1A001500081076

1960

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010126 Garden Home

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010125 PGC, Garden Home, Maplewood, and Alpenrose

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124 Garden Home, Alpenrose, and Maplewood. 1VACZ00010124 is the best resolution of the 1960-08-01 aerial photos.

1960-08-01 source photos

The source images are 66MB each.

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010126

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010125

1960-08-01 1VACZ00010124

1970

Some of the 1970 source files require rotation to align images to compass headings.

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010242 Garden Home (edge)

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010242 The cafeteria building has been added to the school, and the original 1911 school building has been demolished. There are three service stations at the main intersection. The Red Store building still stands kitty-corner to the cannery.

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010241 Garden Home and surrounding areas

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010240 Garden Home

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010181 Maplewood and Gabriel Park

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010180 Maplewood and Gabriel Park

1970-07-08 source photos

These source images are 66MB each.

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010242

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010241

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010240

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010181

1970-07-08 1VCOA00010180

1971

1971-09-19 6184003904944 Garden Home

1971-09-19 6184003904943 Garden Home and Gabriel Park

1971-09-19 6184003904886 Garden Home

1971-09-19 6184003904886 Three service stations

1971-09-19 6184003904873 Garden Home – PGC and Progress Downs (now Red Tail Golf Course)

1971-09-19 6184003904872 Garden Home

1971-09-19 6184003904887 Garden Home zoom

1972

Source files require rotation to align images to compass headings.

1972-06-02 5720004211183 greater Garden Home

1972-08-10 5720005514565 Garden Home

1972-08-10 5720005514564 Garden Home

1973

Source files require rotation to align images to compass headings.

1973-07-03 AR5730013110221 Garden Home

1973-07-03 AR5730013110222 Garden Home and surrounding areas

1974

Source files require rotation to align images to compass headings.

1974-06-28 AR5740018400035 greater Garden Home

1974-06-28 AR5740018400036 Garden Home

1974-06-28 source photos

1974-06-28 AR5740018400035

1974-06-28 AR5740018400036

1975

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030130 Garden Home

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030131 Garden Home

1975-09-13 1VDYL00030131 zoom

Better and best among source files

Within a set of aerial photos for a particular date, typically five to ten photos, some source photos may be better than others. As the plane flew overhead, it may take three photos that include Garden Home (say, in the top half of the frame), and then later another parallel pass that also includes Garden Home (say, in the bottom half of the frame). Lighting conditions may vary between passes. Within a single pass, one photo is likely to have Garden Home closer to the center of the camera lens than the others. This is all to say that for a particular year, I try to use only the best source photo(s).

The first step was to examine each set of source files and determine the better and best of the source images for particular year, and then work from there. Sometimes it mattered how close Garden Home was to the center of the source image because the source image required rotation to align north and south, which often complicates subsequent cropping.

Sometimes, there are quality differences among the source files for a particular year. For example, of the seven 1952 source photos, 1ZJ0000010117 and 1ZJ0000010118 stand out as the highest quality. See below:

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117 Garden Home zoom. Gust Johnson’s Texaco original station building, White Store, roofless Seed & Feed, Community Church, defunct Red Store, and Whitney’s Cannery. The cafeteria building hasn’t been added to the school yet.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010118 Garden Home zoom. Approximately the same contrast/fidelity compared to 1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010117. It’s difficult to differentiate these two source files.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010137 Garden Home zoom. Slightly lower contrast than 1ZJ0000010117 and 1ZJ0000010118.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010138 Garden Home zoom. This image is the worst of the 1952-07-02 aerial photos.

1952-07-02 1ZJ0000010139 Garden Home zoom. Visibly worse quality than 1ZJ0000010117 or 1ZJ0000010118.

About USGS historic aerial photography

USGS (United States Geologic Service) has aerial photography spanning back to 1952. Use the EarthExplorer.USGS.gov web application to view aerial photography. Downloading high-resolution images requires registering and creating an account, free, but it takes a couple of minutes to register. You must log in to download images. Finding and downloading historic aerial imagery is a little confusing at first, so I’ve created a brief step-by-step tutorial below.

: Enter address or location to view

: Select address result

: click Select Data Sets

: select Aerial Imagery, Aerial Photo Single Frames

: click Results button

: click Last to see oldest results first, click thumbnail to view (don’t worry if thumbnail says Image Not Available)

: displays low res photo, click Open New Window

: scroll down to bottom of the new window, click Download

: download desired resolution (or click Register to create an account)

Posted in Places | Tagged aerial photos | 4 Comments

Dairies of Garden Home

Posted on October 20, 2023 by GHHP

This article examines the dairies in the greater Garden Home area:

Recollections of area dairies
Alpenrose Dairy (Cadonau)
Shattuck Dairy (Gertsch)
Von Bergen Dairy
Fanno Creek Dairy (Feldman)
Garden Home Dairy (Marugg)
Hoffman Balmer Dairy
Schallberger Dairy
Fulton Park Dairy (Raz)

Tom Shreve, 2023.

Recollections of area dairies

Bob Feldman of the Fanno Creek Dairy recalled:

Other dairies of the area were: Silver Hill Dairy, Maruggs, 3 Denney dairies, Schallbergers, Alpenrose, Fulton Park, Gertsch, Von Bergen, Raz, Lehman Brothers, Kinnaman and Kosmalski. Some of these dairies sold directly to the Red Rock Creamery in Tigard.

Pete Gertsch of the Shattuck Dairy recalled:

During that time there were several large dairies operating with herds of more than 100 cattle. One of these was the Shattuck Dairy which was producing for over 60 years between 1892 and 1955 located at the intersection of Vermont Street and Oleson Road. The Dairy was located on the west side of Oleson, site of current Arranmore, apartments and Montclair School.

It may be interesting to review the names of most of the dairies, which produced during the previous mentioned time. Some of the names are as follows: Tapfer Dairy, C. Balmer Dairy where the Collins View School is now located, Steudler Dairy, Raz Brothers dairy, later named the Fulton Park dairy where the Wilson High School is now located [Ed. Wilson High School has been renamed to Ida B. Wells High School.], the Teuscher Dairy, Pleasant View Dairy, H. Neiger Dairy, Silver Hill Dairy, three individual Raz Dairies, Brugger dairy, Ludi Dairy located on the Jackson High School property, the Derley (?) Dairy, the H. Frutiger Dairy, the Multnomah Dairy on the Gabriel Park property, the Edelweiss Dairy located on the Safeway property, the Cadonau Dairy, the Roth Dairy, the John Zweifel Dairy, the Hoffman Dairy, the Leman Dairy, the Garden Home Dairy, the Feldman Dairy, the Long Dairy where the Alpenrose dairy is now located, the Ruby (?) Dairy, the Hillsdale Dairy, the Short Horn Dairy, the Meyer Bros Dairy, the Fukret (?) Dairy, the Schallberger Dairy, the VonBergen Dairy and the Shattuck Dairy. Undoubtedly several small dairies have been overlooked in this list. All these dairies were located within a radius of three miles from 45th and Vermont Street.

In History of Garden Home written by students in 1962, a student writes:

In the year 1911, the community of Garden Home consisted of a post office, a train depot, two stores, the beginning of a school and eight dairies.

Shorthorn, Elco, Kosmalski, Feldman, Brown, Fuhrer Brothers, Shattuck and Marugg were the names of the dairies in the vicinity. Marugg Dairy was later changed to Garden Home Dairy which was established in 1930. The last dairy sold out in 1940.

Alpenrose Dairy

See History of the Alpenrose Dairy.

Alpenrose Dairy (year unkown). Circa 1940s based on the two visible cars. Definitely pre-1952, because a 1952 aerial photo includes a new parking lot in the SE corner of complex.

1964 Alpenrose Country Fair – page 1

Rusty Nails at Alpenrose (source: The Oregonian – 100 years of history at Portland’s Alpenrose Dairy)

Quarter midget go-kart racing at Alpenrose (source: The Oregonian – 100 years of history at Portland’s Alpenrose Dairy)

Alpenrose Dairy from above

1936 Alpenrose

Doc Hickman recalled:

The Cadonau family ran the Alpenrose Dairy which was then off of Vermont. They suffered a severe fire at the dairy, causing them to move up Shattuck Road to the vacant Elco Dairy property, presently the outstanding Alpenrose Dairy facility.

Shattuck Dairy

See Shirley Gertsch Bartels on Peter and Pete Gertsch.
See Early Dairies by Pete Gertsch.
See Robert Gertsch.

Shattuck hay wagon, 2 little girls, 3 men

Shattuck Dairy – Hay wagon men

Shattuck Dairy – hay derrick in field

Shattuck Dairy – haying, 2 men above hay mow

Shattuck Dairy – showing off on windmill used to pump water

Peter Gertsch driving a Shattuck Dairy wagon

Shattuck Dairy – two men in wagon

Shattuck Dairy – narrow freight wagon, 4 horses

Wagon with stacked square hay bales

Shattuck Dairy feedlot, barn

Shattuck Dairy – barnyard,milk wagons, log road

Shattuck Dairy barn off Oleson Rd in today’s Arranmore development

Snowy Shattuck dairy farm

Shattuck Dairy – barn to left

Shattuck Dairy – two cows w bells

Shattuck dairy – 30 cows, tall stump

Shattuck Dairy – 10 men, 25 cows, stump farm in back

Pete Gertsch and his accordion

Shattuck Dairy – girl, 3 men shop door open

Christ (1869-1949) and Katie Tannler (1871-1948) Gertsch. Stepfather and mother of Pete Gertsch and paternal grandparents of Shirley Gertsch Bartels

Fred (Fritz) Gertsch Sr. and grandson Robert Gertsch, late 1940s

Fred (Fritz) Gertsch Jr. marries Olive Philena Wolfe 1943. Fred in WWII

Christian Balmer, far left, Christ Gertsch, far rt, Rosalie Balmer taller girl marries Pete Gertsch, center white shirt, parents of Shirley Gertsch Bartels

Oleson Road, looking north, 1948

Chris Gertsch home (front)

Gertsch home, circa 1910

Gertsch home on Oleson Rd. opposite Peyton Rd

Shirley Gertsch Bartels, 2010

Robert Gertsch, Jan 2018

Robert Gertsch recalled:

The first Gertsch brothers, Peter, Christian and Fritz came over from Switzerland in the 1890s and Peter settled on the west side of Oleson Road north of Garden Home. The Shattuck Dairy had regular routes for every other day deliveries. They stopped the home delivery service in 1950.

Shirley Gertsch recalled:

A son whom they called “Pete” to distinguish him from his father, Peter, was born to Katie and Peter but in July of 1895, when the child was 6 weeks old, his father died. Honoring the custom of their Swiss heritage it was decided to send to Switzerland for the remaining brother, Christian, to come to America and marry his brother’s widow. Katie and Christian Gertsch were married and had two sons, Albert and Christian, who were half-brothers to Pete. Katie and Christian raised Pete and the dairy was later passed on to Pete who ran it until the mid-1950s.

Von Bergen Dairy

See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

1905, Von Bergens: Magdelana, Andreas holding Frieda, Ida and Elsie standing and Andreas parents. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

Grandma Magdelana and Arnold, Richard and Madeline Von Bergen. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

Wash day, Elsie, Ida and Frieda Von Bergen hanging out the wash (vintage photo)

Wash day, Elsie, Ida and Frieda Von Bergen hanging out the wash. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

Andreas Von Bergen, cousin Caspar Baumgarten, Ida, Frieda, Grandma Magdelana, Elsie and Great Grandmother Von Bergen (vintage photo)

Andreas Von Bergen, cousin Caspar Baumgarten, Ida, Frieda, Grandma Magdelana, Elsie and Great Grandmother Von Bergen. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

The Von Bergen home off of Oleson Rd, about 1920. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

Von Bergen farm house showing the tall skinny picket fence. Courtesy Richard Roth and Madeline Benner. See Andreas and Magdelana Von Bergen Dairy.

Von Bergens: Arnold, Madeline, Richard

Doc Hickman recalled:

The lane they lived on became known as Hickman Lane which is located off of Miles Court just north of the Garden Home intersection. At one time the Ole Oleson family farmed the Hickman property, now Hideaway Park, and other parcels of land.

The Hickman farm was located in the area of the Von Bergen dairy farm on the east side of Oleson Road in the Miles Court area. At one time, they lived in the Von Bergen home. The Von Bergen grandchildren recall selling a portion of their farm to the Hickmans.

Fanno Creek Dairy

See Bob Feldman.
See Fanno Creek Dairy – Blotters.
See Fanno Creek Dairy drawing, photographs.

Fanno Creek Dairy blotter

Map of the Feldman Fanno Creek Dairy

Feldman family and Japanese family on Feldman Fanno Creek Dairy. See Bob Feldman.

Fanno Creek Dairy milking barn on Feldman, Nusser property

Feldman cows

Feldman Tree Farm

Bob Feldman beside original milking barn, 2011

Bob Feldman (veteran)

Bob Feldman recalled:

Bob’s parents Harry T. (born July 5, 1900 at the family home in Garden Home) and Margaret Rose Mueller Feldman owned the Fanno Creek Dairy which was located on the north side of Garden Home Road between Sandberg’s property line to the east and 92nd to the west, and north beyond the railroad tracks (now Fanno Creek Trail).

Garden Home Dairy

See Stanley Marugg.

Give-away blotter for Garden Home Dairy (aka the Marugg dairy).

Marugg dairy farm was active in the 1940s and 50s. Courtesy Steve Bauer. See post.

Former Marugg milking parlor, 1930-50.

Michael and Gertrude Engel Marugg, 1965.

The Garden Home Dairy occupied what is now Garden Home Park and the Skyhar development.

Stanley Marugg recalled:

The Maruggs had the Garden Home Dairy, on the west side of Oleson Road near Skyhar Drive.

Stan also remembers the big earthquake of April 1949. He was sitting in one of their milk trucks he’d driven to Beaverton High School and was bouncing up and down during the quake. His dad said he never seen concrete bend until then. He said it was like a wave moving through the concrete in the dairy barn.

Hoffman Balmer Dairy

See Shirley Gertsch Bartels on Peter and Pete Gertsch.
See Early Dairies by Pete Gertsch.
See Robert Gertsch.

Between 1885 and 1900 there was a large dairy located at 55th and SW Vermont Street operated by John Hoffman and Christ Balmer

Hunziker Balmer Dairy

Hunziker Dairy, from Tigard by Mary Payne

Christian Balmer, far left, Christ Gertsch, far rt, Rosalie Balmer taller girl marries Pete Gertsch, center white shirt, parents of Shirley Gertsch Bartels

Balmer, Pete Gertsch home

Rosalie Balmer Gertsch (1900-1977) and Peter Albert Gertsch (1895-1972). Married May 15 1935. Parents of Shirley Gertsch Bartels

Christ and Rosalie Balmer. Parents of Rosalie Gertsch and maternal grandparents of Shirley Gertsch Bartels

Shirley Gertsch recalled:

After purchasing cows from the Hoffman, Balmer dairy, they named their new place Shattuck Dairy.

The Balmer family was involved with the local dairy of John Hoffman further east on SW Vermont Ave. and into the (now) Burlingame area.

Pete Gertsch recalled:

Just a brief comment on how the Shattuck Dairy originated is as follows: Between 1885 and 1900 there was a large dairy located at 55th and SW Vermont Street operated by John Hoffman and Christ Balmer. In 1893, two young ambitious Swiss immigrants decided to become dairymen and therefore bought part of the Hoffman Dairy and moved to the 85-acre tract of unimproved property at the Oleson Road location. (Ed: Swiss immigrants were Peter and brother Fritz (Fred) Gertsch. The Dairy was located on the west side of Oleson, site of current Arranmore, apartments and Montclair School.

Vermont Street was originally known as Hoffman Road named after John Hoffman, an 1880 pioneer, whose grandson is still living at the same location of the original dairy.

Schallberger Dairy

In the History of the Alpenrose Dairy, we note:

Doc [Hickman] also worked for the Schallberger’s dairy farm on Scholls Ferry Road near the Raleigh Hills intersection. The testing of milk was a complicated and expensive procedure in that day. The untested and thoroughly clean milk had to be sold as “dog milk.” On this farm, they rigged up a system of dog milk in big cans where one could drain the amount of milk they needed into a container and then choose to use it for dogs or to drink for the family. People paid by an honor system.

Doc Hickman recalled:

In 1948 at the time of the great Vanport flood in north Portland, Mrs. Schallberger had gone to Switzerland to visit family. One of the family members had taken a nice photo of the dairy farm to send her but then forgot to turn the dial to move the photo on to the next space on the camera. Another picture of the terrible Vanport flood got overlaid on top of the Schallberger farm to present an alarming photo. They were afraid to send this photo to Switzerland fearing that it would be misinterpreted. Addition: When Mrs. Schallberger came home, she brought one of the large famous Swiss cowbells especially inscribed for the Alpenrose Dairy.

Fulton Park Dairy

Fulton Park Dairy in Hillsdale near location of Ida B Wells high school (Wilson high school) – circa 1923 to 1936

Fulton Park Dairy in Hillsdale – Delivery fleet circa 1932 or 1933

The Fulton Park Dairy in Hillsdale was founded by the Raz brothers, Swiss immigrants. In 1951, the dairy’s cows and equipment was sold to Alpenrose Dairy. The land was sold in parcels to Multnomah County School District and land developers. [source] The dairy was located at the current site of Ida B. Wells High School (formerly Wilson High School).

Fulton Park Dairy, Wilson and Rieke Schools

Fulton Park Dairy House

Posted in Dairies | Tagged Alpenrose, Balmer, dairy, Fanno Creek Dairy, Garden Home Dairy, Gertsch, Hoffman, Marugg, Schallenberger, Shattuck Dairy, Swiss, Von Bergen | 3 Comments

Garden Home School class photos

Posted on October 19, 2023 by GHHP

This is our collection of class photos for Garden Home School, from initial opening (1911) until its closure (1982). If you have Garden Home School class photos, we’d like to scan them!

See The history of Garden Home School, 1911 to 1982.

Tom Shreve, 2023

1910s

1911 Garden Home School, all grades. This is the founding year of Garden Home School, held upstairs in the Jager store.
Courtesy Ione (Coffey) Owens Parrish. See The Hetlesater Family.

1912 Garden Home School

1912 Garden Home School. Margaret Scherner in plaid.
Courtesy Don Smith. See The history of Garden Home School, 1912 to 1982.

1916 Garden Home School graduates. Teacher Miss Magnuson. (with Margaret’s brother, Rhinehart “Duke” Scherner)
Back row: Olaf Johnson, Birtha Benz, Lena Benz, Frank Erickson, Elizabeth McBroon, John Dehaan, Wesley Beharrel.
Front row: William Kehrli, Pauline West, Wilbur Workman, Adam Dehaan, Rhinehart Scherner, Ruth Caldwell, Clause Erickson.
Courtesy Don Smith. See Don Smith.

1920s

[no class photographs]

1930s

Late 1930s Garden Home School student body

1938 Garden Home School, 1st grade. Teacher: _______.
Back Row: Zora Becvar, Julia, Bruce, Barbara, Victor Blust, Sharka Becvar.
Front Row: Jack Knutson, Celia Canfield, Don, Nancy Kamrar, George Mayness, Sheldon Aiken.
Courtesy Vlasta Becvar Barber. See Garden Home P.T.A. Minutes, 1934-1941.

1938 Czech National Dances, Ted Jensen, Vlasta Becvar, Lloyd Knudsen

1938 Garden Home Grade School, 3rd and 4th grades. Teacher, Miss Waltman. Front row, L to R: Bill May 4th, _______, _______, Harry Feldman 3rd, ___________, Clark Stephens 4th, _________ Jim Bernard 3rd.Back row, L to R: Barbara Lyons 3rd, _________, Shirley Redding 3rd, Alice Burns 4th, Ann Coey 3rd, Rosella Niebert 3rd, Lou Anne Hickman 3rd, Madeline Koester 4th, Betty Schaefer 4th, Evelyn Knudsen 4th
Courtesy Clark Stephens. See Clark Stephens interviewed December 2010.

1939 Garden Home School grades 1 and 2

1939 Graden Home School grade 8

1939 Garden Home School, OperettaIsle of Chance, sailors Ted Newton, Bill Hyde, David Replogle, Donald Mason, Buddy Upchurch, James Lyons

1939 Garden Home School, Operetta Isle of Chance, Lady Vlasta Becvar, Lord Roger Soule, Captain Ted Jensen, King Bill Worsham, Simpleta Phyllis VanDerMark, aide John Gamble Donald

1939 Garden Home School grade 1

1939 Lincoln High School.
Arthur Jones, Eunice Scofield, Jean Frazer, Bill, Irene Rickman, Vlasta Becvar, Ted Jensen, Phyllis Van Der Mark, Kathryn Hunt, Lloyd Knudsen, Mary Jane McMannis, Jean Engstrom, David Replogle.
Courtesy Vlasta Becvar Barber. See Vlasta Becvar Barber.

1939 Garden Home School, primary grades. Leo Feldman in top row next to teacher, Zora & Sharka Becvar, center front row.
Courtesy Bob Feldman. See Bob Feldman.

1939 Garden Home School Operetta: Isle of Chance; From left: Frances McMannis, June Farris, Eunice Scofield, Essie Jones, Burtene Waller, Betty McMannis.
Courtesy Vlasta Becvar Barber. See Garden Home P.T.A. Minutes, 1934-1941.

1940s

Mrs. Waltham – Garden Home School

Mrs. Wadsworth – Garden Home School

Early 1940’s Garden Home School Students. Teacher, Miss Waltman.

1941 Garden Home School

1943 Garden Home School, 5th and 6th grades.
Courtesy Vlasta Becvar Barber. See Garden Home P.T.A. Minutes, 1934-1941.

1942 Garden Home School grades 5 and 6, teacher Vera Jane Waltman

1942 Garden Home School grades 3 and 4

1943 Garden Home School grades 5 and 6.

1944 Garden Home School, 6th grade.
Top row (L to R): Adams, Ricky Newton, __,Robert Feldman, Doc Hickman, ___, Joan Blanchard, Teacher Geraldine Taylor, Janice Stinette, June Steele, Celia Canfield, Keith Huntley, Sheldon Aiken.
Bottom row: Jack Knudsen, Meldon Coffee, ___, Eddy or Jimmy Barnes, Bob Sturtavent, Ellen Smith, Dorothy?, ___, ___, ___, Murial Frame, George Mayness.
Courtesy Bob Feldman. See Bob Feldman.

1944 Garden Home School primary

1945 Garden Home School grade 3 and 4

1945 Garden Home School grade 8

circa 1948 Garden Home School 4th, 5th grades

1940s Bob Day – Garden Home School

circa 1940s – Kathy Grant & Ronnie Lingram – Garden Home School

circa 1940s 4th grade – Garden Home School

circa 1940s 6th grade, Mrs. Edwards – Garden Home School. Note the boys with rolled up dungarees, the fashion in the 1940s was to never wash your dungarees.