In this edition: Help us celebrate the History Project’s 10th anniversary. Where was the Garden Home Railroad Station? Find your neighborhood in our annotated 1936, 1954 and 1957 aerial photos. The future of historic artifacts previously housed in the Garden Home Market Place, and more.
May 2020 Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Due to the current public health recommendations in response to the COVID-19 virus, we will not have slide programs until the Rec Center re-opens. Our Board will meet April 13 in group or by email. We have interesting programs planned for the future. Take good care of yourselves.
Garden Home History Project 10th Anniversary
Thank you for your interest, participation, and support over the past ten years. We’ll be looking back at some of our favorite stories and photos during this anniversary year. Please send your stories, photos and memories of Garden Home to GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com!
For some great stories about early Garden Home, we recommend you enjoy:
- Vlasta Becvar Barber – Lots of great photos and stories about growing up in Garden Home in the 1930s.
- The Newton Boys – Full of great stories, including how the local cobbler, Cecil, would startle unknowing children by stabbing his wooden leg.
- Clark Stephens – Read about the Great Depression hobo camp near the train station.
New Stories
The Garden Home Junction of the Oregon Electric Railway
We’ve collected various photos of the Garden Home station of the Oregon Electric Railway and finally put to rest the exact location of the station.
1936 Army Corps of Engineers aerial photo – Garden Home Railroad Station detail
1936 aerial photos of Garden Home area by Army Corps of Engineers – Update
We’ve updated our collection of six 1936 aerial photographs of the Garden Home area taken by the US Army Corps of Engineers to include detailed annotations of landmarks and road names. The annotated versions of the photos make it easier to get your bearings when viewing the 1936 photos.
SW Garden Home intersection and train station – 1936 Army Corps of Engineers aerial photo (annotated)
View the collection of 1936 aerial photographs
Colin Lamb and the history of Lamb’s Garden Home Thriftway – Update
We’ve added some additional vintage photographs and news updates to Colin Lamb’s history of Lamb’s Garden Home Thriftway.
Hunt Club Childhood of Mike Norris, M.D.
Dr. Mike Norris recalls his childhood growing up in the Hunt Club area and attending Garden Home School. He also shares stories about Shirley Bernard, Elouise Risley, Warren Hull, and Ambrose Cronin.
Recent News
Closure of the Garden Home Marketplace grocery store
The Garden Home Marketplace grocery store (formerly Lamb’s Thriftway) closed in October, 2019. Colin Lamb has given us seven of the large colorized early Garden Home photos that hung on the wall of the store, in addition to the three very large train reliefs that also hung near the deli counter. We are working to place all of these historical artifacts in the Garden Home Recreation Center, the Garden Home Community Library, and the Old Market Pub & Brewery.
With Colin Lamb’s approval, the historic church bell, bronze plaques, and vintage post office safe remain in place inside the now closed grocery store. The Old Market Pub & Brewery has tentatively agreed to host the historic post office safe.
We want to acknowlege Colin Lamb’s long-term support of the Garden Home community and of the Garden Home History Project. Read more about Colin Lamb and the history of the grocery store.
We do not yet know the future of the liquor store or other businesses previously located inside the Market Place. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more developments.
Watch for the spring blooms, thanks to the Garden Home Gardeners
Garden Home Gardeners daffodils, March 2020
We thank the Garden Home Gardeners for the beautiful daffodils (and more) blooming along SW Oleson Road. Join them on their next work party!
New display cabinet in the Garden Home Community Library
Garden Home Cooks! See our history display in the Garden Home Community Library: Garden Home recipe books by the Garden Home School’s Parent Faculty group, two recipe books from the Methodist Church, Isolda Steele and Shirley Bernard’s wonderful recipe books. The vintage kitchen appliances include the coffee grinder, churn, toaster, chopper and more!
Hallway bulletin board display inside the Garden Home Recreation Center
The Garden Home History Project maintains a display board in the hallway outside the Garden Home Library, inside the Garden Home Recreation Center. Thanks to Stan and Susan Houseman for the wonderful current display.
October 5th ringing of the historic church bell
We rang the historic 100-year old church bell hanging in the bell tower of the Garden Home Marketplace (formerly Lamb’s Thriftway) on October 5, 2019. This event was bittersweet as it coincides with the imminent closing of the grocery store. We are working with Colin Lamb, the owner of the building, with the hope that the bell will be able to remain where it hangs when a new tenant takes over the space.
Thanks to Store Manager Mike Babbitt and all of the store staff for withstanding two hours of bell ringing.
Leslie Bennett is the artist who put up these wonderful Thank You boards for the closing of Bales Market Place. Leslie’s business: LillyPillyProductions.com. The memories and the kind words have been an excellent way for the community to share their appreciation to the grocery store staff, to Manager Mike Babbitt and to Colin Lamb for the Lamb’s participation in our community for over 60 years. Our thanks to all!
View over 100 photos of the bell ringing event.
Share Your Memories of Garden Home
Steve Tennent, 1st Air Cav, US Army, Pleiku, South Vietnam (via email Barbara Tennent)
Steve Tennent, Garden Home Veteran
Barbara Tennent has sent us a photo of her veteran brother, Steve Tennent, in Vietnam. He grew up on SW Hickman Lane, off of Oleson Rd. He graduated from Garden Home Elementary School in 1961 and Beaverton High School in 1965. He lettered in golf and football at Beaverton High before his military service shipped him to Fort Ord, Fort Knox, and then on to South Vietnam, where he served in the US Army 1st Air Cavalry. He had his 21st birthday in South Vietnam. After he returned from Vietnam, he married his high school sweetheart 51 years ago (as of 2019), had two children, and 4 grandchildren. He became the president of a lumber company. As his sister says, “All around great guy who should be on the wall at Garden Home.”
Read about other Garden Home Veterans.
Get Involved
Historic Garden Home street sign
Historic Garden Home street signs: We currently have about 35 of the Historic Garden Home street sign toppers in our community. Each sign was purchased by a friend or family member to honor their loved one. Click here to view photos of the signs and for information about sponsoring a sign.
Our generous donors permit us to print and mail this newsletter ($140) for our non-e-mail people and for the Garden Home Recreation Center. We also replace the Historic Garden Home street signs once for signs that disappear, current cost for each sign, $60. With our latest order, we’ll have about 35 signs out in our neighborhoods. We also have website costs, printing, paper, plaques and many other costs of an organization. Donor names are listed on our History Bulletin Board at the Recreation Center. Thank you to all of our donors and to all of our volunteers for their time and skills.
Garden Home History Project 