Hubbard, Oregon -- A Walking Tour

Hubbard, Oregon -- A Walking Tour

Hubbard is a small community in the Willamette Valley, and if you didn't know it was there, you might miss it driving along Highway 99E. However, it has an interesting history and has been a premier agricultural region since its establishment. The town was named for Charles Hubbard, a Kentucky native, who crossed the plains to Oregon by ox team in 1847. Soon after the Charles Hubbard family arrived in Oregon, they rented a squatter's cabin on the ridge between the Pudding River and Ferrier Creek (also called "Deer Creek" and now known as Mill Creek). That cabin was owned by Thomas Hunt, who left the area on a gold-seeking expedition. He never returned. Subsequently, Charles Hubbard acquired 400 acres of land in and around the present city. The town was named for him because he offered 10 acres of land as an inducement for the Oregon-California railroad, which was under construction from 1868-78. The railroad accepted the offer and was built through Hubbard in late 1871 right after the first store was built in 1870 by Aaron B. Gleason. The Oregon Legislature voted to grant Hubbard a charter and the right to incorporate in February, 1891. As with many towns, the arrival of the railroad spurred development, and Hubbard grew to a population of 500 by 1910.

Old Hubbard Train Depot, early 1900s

Beaver State News 11/9/1911

Several of the original community buildings in Hubbard no longer remain, including the Assembly Hall, community bandstand, "Commercial House" Boarding House, Southern Pacific Railroad Train Depot, and others. The community bandstand was located on the commons in front of the railroad depot. A brass band was organized in 1882 and another assembled in 1911. Although most commercial structures are gone, many homes built by the town's founders remain and have been beautifully restored and maintained. This walking tour is a work in progress and will be updated as additional information becomes available. Dates on the homes require verification.

1. Hubbard Pharmacy Building (1890/95): The focal point of the town is the Hubbard Drug Store Building located at 3569 3rd Street.  Originally opened and operated as the Calvert & Scholl Drug Store, it was later renamed Hubbard Drug Store. Joseph Calvert  eventually sold the building when he became the vice-president of the adjacent State Bank of Hubbard. 

3rd Street in 1965 and 2015

Beaver State News 4/6/1911

Beaver State News 12/8/1910

At the turn of the century, Hubbard was a thriving commmunity with two saloons and a large number of businesses, including a bakery, operated by A.O. Griswell and his daughter, a boarding house, confectionery, hotel, photography studio, meat market, shoe shop, furniture store, millnery, and of course many businesses meeting the needs of local farmers.

Another local attraction was the nearby Wolfer's Mineral Springs owned by George Wolfer. The waters were said to be an aid for arthritis. The mineral spring is located to the West of Hubbard on the east bank of Mill Creek.

From The Sunday Oregonian, November 24, 1912

The Sunday Oregonian November 24, 1912

2. Dr. Edward Schoor House (1920):  The son of Dr. Jacob Schoor of Germany, Edward Schoor (1871-1952) came to Hubbard around the turn of the century after graduating from medical school in Kansas City. He practiced with his father in Kansas City for nine years and maintained an office there for twenty-two years. He relocated to Portland, Oregon, spending six months in that city while passing the state board examination and working as a house doctor for the Hoyt Hotel. After he successfully passed the exam, he moved to Hubbard and married his second wife, a nurse, in 1913. Tragically, she was killed in an automobile accident at a railroad crossing in 1920. Dr. Schoor was seriously injured. He remarried in 1922 and had one daughter. His 11- bed hospital was on G Street between 3rd and 4th Streets.

3. John Scholl House (1890): John Scholl was born in Bethel, Missouri in 1847 and accompanied his parents to Oregon in 1881. He was a carpenter and farmer who moved to Hubbard in 1898 where he purchased an interest in the hardware store of his brother-in-law, George Fry in 1903. He served as a member of the city council and as school director for 12 years. He had four sons, Henry F., George F., Lawrence M. and David J. 

4. Bahne Paulsen House (1917): B. Paulsen (1870-1954) was born in Germany in 1869, and came to the United States in 1870. He lived in Wisconsin for 20 years, in Nebraska for 22 years, and moved to Hubbard around 1911. He was the son of Ebe Christopher Paulsen and Anna (Hilgen) Paulsen originally of Germany. Bahne was President of the Hubbard State Bank, and owned a store called B. Paulsen & Son.

5. George W. Knight House (1905):  In partnership with Peter Susbauer, G.W. Knight (1874- ) operated a department store in Hubbard, Knight and Susbauer. Besides groceries and dry goods, they kept flour, feed, clothing and furniture. G.W. Knight was born in Canby, Oregon to Dr. Charles Knight, a Canby physician who emigrated from Missouri to Oregon in 1871. George was employed for a time in his father's drug store and at age 18 accepted employment with Carlton & Rosecrans, Clackamas County's largest department store. He moved to Hubbard in 1899 and bought out the general merchandise business of George H. Beebe.

6. Lawrence M. Scholl House (1908): L.M. Scholl (1875-1963) was born in Aurora, Oregon. His parents and grandparents were members of the Keil party from Bethel, MO. His father, John Scholl, was a carpenter and farmer who relocated to Hubbard from Aurora in 1898. In 1903, John purchased part interest in George M. Fry's general merchandise business with his elder son George F Scholl. Lawrence Scholl attended Portland Business College, graduating in 1898, and was appointed assistant postmaster in 1900 under J.L. Calvert. This house was built entirely of lumber from the nearby sawmill at Scotts Mills, which was freighted on the railroad to Hubbard. 

7. George W. Dimick (1913): G.W. Dimick (1837-1918)  was the son of one of the oldest pioneer farmers of the Willamette valley, Augustus R. Dimick, who had been a big factor in the growth of the agricultural and livestock industries in Hubbard. He brought his family across the plains to Oregon in 1847. Augustus Dimick is noted for bringing potato seeds for “early or shaker blue” potatoes from Michigan and planting them throughout Northern Marion County.  They were nicknamed “Dimick Potatoes.” George Washington Dimick and brother J.B. Dimick had, by 1878, taken over the ownership of much of the original land claim of their father, Augustus. George W. owned and managed an apple orchard, grain, and livestock farm of over a thousand acres near Hubbard. He was a stock breeder Short-horn and Aberdeen cattle. He was also active in politics and was an organizer of Oregon's Prohibition party. He eventually retired from farming and moved to Oregon City. 

8. J.L. Calvert House (1895):  The Daily Capital Journal (April 13, 1910) referred to Calvert as being "almost the father of the town." He was born in Clackamas County in 1856 and moved to Marion County with his family around 1863. They settled on a farm between Woodburn and Gervais. In 1877 he became employed in Gervais as a clerk in a drug store. He opened his own drug store in Hubbard in 1881 and operated it for almost 30 years. He sold the business in 1910 and, as one of the organizers of the adjacent Hubbard State Bank, worked as a cashier and director there until 1915. He held several official positions from postmaster, county recorder, justice of the peace, and road supervisor to representative in the state legislature.

9. George M. Fry House (1908):  Prior to their deaths in 1849 and 1854, George Fry's parents had moved their eight children from Pennsylvania to Bethel, Missouri where they joined William Keil's Christian communal society. An orphan at age 12, George (1842-1917) migrated to Aurora, Oregon in 1863 along with Keil's followers. George remained a member of the colony becoming a jeweler's apprentice. Once he learned the trade, he relocated to nearby Hubbard in 1887 and established a jewelry store there. In 1890, he acquired a general merchandise store in partnership with Harvey A. Hinkle. The business was operated under the name of  Fry & Hinkle, until Mr. Hinkle sold Fry his interest in 1893. Once established and profitable, Fry sold the business to H.A. Beebe in 1896 and opened a hardware store in partnership with John Scholl, selling his interests to George Scholl after three years. He built a warehouse which he operated until 1911 when he retired owning 200 acres and several residential blocks of Hubbard. G.M. Fry was also involved in handling his sister's (Elizabeth Fry Proebstel [1833-1911]) 800-acre estate. Ms. Proebstel was a wealthy widow of land owner Wendell Proebstel. She is said to have built a pretentious home in Hubbard on the corner of 4th and A Streets in 1880, which was later remodeled into an apartment house. That structure no longer remains. The G.M. Fry family included wife, Caroline, son Frank W. and daughter Sarah A, wife of George's former business partner Harvey A. Hinkle.  

George M. Fry and Family

10. Winfield Scott Zachary Buchanan House (1887): W.S. Buchanan (1847-1919) was a pioneer from Henderson County, Illinois who traveled to the Washington Territory by ox-team in 1854 with his father, George Washington Buchanan, and family. They settled in Lewis, Washington for many years. He relocated to Marion County and built this home with his wife, Susan M.

11. Dr. Samuel W. Weaver House (1895): Dr. Weaver came to Hubbard in 1886 to practice medicine. He was a physician and surgeon and received his training in Pennsylvania. He was born in 1853 and received his education in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, graduating in the class of 1882. He began his practice in Washington County, PA where he remained for two years. He then practiced in Paradise Valley, Nevada for two years before moving to Hubbard in 1886. He was also an accomplished violinist and made several violins. He married Alice Grim, daughter of Judge J.W. and Frances E Grim. They had two children, Frances E and Guy G.

The Weaver House in 1965 (Historic Images of Oregon)

12. The Armory Building (1892): In the late 1880s a group of investors constructed the Hubbard Armory for Company E, Second Regiment of the Oregon National Guard, which disbanded after the war in the Philippines.  The major stock holder was G.W. Dimick, who sold the building to the city a few years later. It became the city hall and community center hosting various public events such as ice cream socials, poultry shows, funerals, Hubbard High School performances, and city council meetings. 





References:

1. The Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912 by Joseph Gaston. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago (1912).
2. Daily Capital Journal (various)
3. USGenWeb and Ancestry.com
4. Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Oregon, Chapman Publishing Company (1903) 
5. The Bulletin. Volume IX, Number 39, September 24, 1980, Molalla, OR.
6. Woodburn Independent, June 30, 1976.
7. The Beaver State News and Hubbard Herald (various dates between 1907 and 1912).

San Diego and Imperial Counties, California

Anza-Borrego Desert Tour

Any other year, a trip to San Diego in mid-March would be welcome relief from the clouds of Portland. But this year, Portland weather has been exceptionally warm, dry and sunny. Like many Oregonians, we planned ahead for a trip to a sunny location during the rainy season. We may have saved this one for later if we had known the weather would be so good this year. But, it was still very nice (and hot!) to see the area and sample some of the craft beers. The map below shows our general route through and around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

We first took a tour of some historical sites within the city of San Diego, including the Old Town Historical District and Mission San Diego de Alaca. The Mission San Diego de Alaca was the first of 21 Spanish missions in California and was built in 1769 on what is known as Presidio Hill. The mission was later moved to its present location at 10818 San Diego Mission Rd, six miles east of Presidio Hill. An earthquake damaged the structure in 1803 and by 1931, the building had deteriorated so badly that only the facade remained. It was restored in 1931 and is supposedly exact in every detail to the original.

Mission San Diego de Alaca. This site was restored in 1931.

Mission San Diego de Alaca exterior

Mission San Diego de Alaca padres' quarters

Mission San Diego de Alaca now and in early 1900s (public domain)

Our second stop was in Old Town, San Diego. Old Town sits at the foot of Presidio Hill. A presidio is a fortified square, which is typical feature of Spanish colonies. All of the buildings in Old Town have been restored and the site became a state historic park in 1968. One of the prominent homes in the town is the adobe Casa de Jose Maria de Estudillo on the main plaza. It was built by Captain Jose Maria de Estudillo, a commander of the presidio. It was passed down to his son who lived there with his wife and 12 children until 1887. It was restored in 1910.

One of the rooms inside the adobe home of Captain Jose Maria Estudillo

The Cosmopolitan Hotel was originally a home built by Juan and Jose Bandini. In 1846, they permitted the residence to become the headquarters of Navy Commodore Robert F. Stockton and provided supplies to his troops. Stockton was the main driving force in the taking of Alta California during the Mexican-American War. Later, the structure was purchased by Albert Seeley who added second story in the 1860s and converted it to a hotel.

Juan Bandini house / Cosmopolitan Hotel

Old Town is interesting but a bit touristy. Admission is free and it is definitely worth a visit. Another site I really wanted to see was the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve where the rare Torrey Pines can be found. It was so absolutely crawling with people, we aborted the trip. The next day we headed east on I-8 towards Julian, CA. Originally a gold mining town, Julian is now a quiet little agricultural community known for its apple and pear orchards. It is the location of the Julian Hotel, built by former slaves Albert and Margaret Robinson. They ran the hotel until 1921 when it was sold to Martin Jacobs who continued to operate it as a hotel.

Hotel Robinson (Julian Hotel)

Finally, into the interior of Anza-Borrego! We started with the Box Canyon known for the event when in January 1847, the Mormon Battalion (the only religiously based unit in U.S. military history, which served during the Mexican-American war) had to use axes to chisel a wagon road into the solid rock. It is said that the cuts made by the soldiers are still visible but I could not find them.

Possible wagon route

Desert Beauty

There are other sites to see in this region of the park, notably the seasonal village of the Kumeyaay people with a panel of their rock art. There are over 50 Native American rock art sites in Anza-Borrego. This site was used seasonally by the Kumeyaay for around 1,000 years. Large morteros are still visible where women used rock pestles to grind nuts and seeds.

Morteros

Kumeyaay Rock Art

More desert blooms

We camped at the base of a calcite mine located on the far east site of the park towards Salton Sea. Unless you have off-road driving experience and a reliable four-wheel drive vehicle, it's better to hike into this mining site. It's about a two mile hike each way. Several of the old trenches from the mining operations are still visible. There are beautiful views of the park from this location.

Sunrise

We left the park and headed further east toward the Salton Sea. Camping and fishing are permitted here, but be advised, it stinks. The briny sea was created in 1905 when a high spring flood broke through canal gates built to feed water to the Imperial Valley. The breach was not stopped until 1907 and by that time, a massive lake had formed. An attempt was made to turn the area into a resort in the 1940s and 50s. Most of the water now comes from agricultural sources and is polluted. Agricultural inflow to the lake is also being reduced due to the severe water shortage in southwest. Now, many of the birds that use the area are in danger as it is now a main stop on their migration route along the Pacific Flyway. It is anticipated to reach a critical point by 2018 if conservation measures are not implemented.

Salton Sea

Salton Seashore

El Centro/Calexico began as a tent city of the Imperial Land Company, a subsidiary of the California Development Company. It lies in the Imperial Valley, one of the largest agricultural area in California with fertile alluvial deposits from the Colorado River floodplain. It is well known for salad vegetables, carrots, onions, peppers, cantaloupes and more.

Los Angeles Herald, Volume 33, Number 201, 29 July 1906:

The Imperial Land Company --A wonderful work of development has been in course of progress for the past five years or more in that great section of land lying in the southeast corner of our great California. Prior to 1900 this valley was a portion of the great Colorado desert, which covered the delta, of the Colorado river. This delta, was a desert only because of the lack of rain or water for irrigation purposes. Work on a canal system was commenced in 1900, and the first water was delivered to the ranchers of the southern portion of the valley near the town of Calexico in June 1901. Since then the work has gone forward rapidly, and what was once a desert waste is now a flowering rich, productive country. During four years 218,000 acres of land were filed on and supplied with water stock, and about 2000 families have been permanently located in this great Imperial Valley, now having a population of 10,000 people. Six towns, ranging in population from 100 to 1200 people, have been located at suitable points, more than fifty-seven miles of standard gauge railroad have been built and 800 miles of distributing canals and ditches have been constructed. A conservative estimate of the value of property in the Imperial valley at the present time would place the figure at $25,000,000. This wealth has accumulated at the rate of $6,000,000 a year. The policy of the Imperial Land company is to build up this valley along legitimate lines, and great success has thus far rewarded their enterprise. The offices of the company are located at 121 Merchants Trust building, Los Angeles.

There are a couple of historical sites in Calexico including the Old Customs Building constructed in 1933.

Old Customs Building (1933), Calexico, CA

There is a Desert View Tower located in Imperial County. To get to the tower take the In-Ko-Pah exit from I-8, and travel east along the northern side of the highway for about half a mile. The tower was built in 1922-23 by Bert Vaughn of Jacumba to commemorate the road and railroad builders and pioneers who opened the area up to travel. Adjacent to the tower is an area with animal figures carved into the rocks. These carvings were completed during the Great Depression by W.T. Ratcliffe, an unemployed engineer. More information about Vaughn and the tower can be found here.

Desert View Tower, Imperial County, CA

You can also do some alien watching nearby...

Aliens

On the way back, we had hoped to do some bird watching in the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge just outside of San Diego. We were disappointed that there is no off road access via hiking trails by which we could see the park and look for birds. This is understandable, though, given its proximity to the city. I'm sure the area would be trashed if any access was permitted. In fact, some monster truck skidded around a blind corner and almost hit us as we passed through on the only dirt road. Stupid people ruin everything.

Overall it was a nice trip, but definitely has a different mindset from Oregon. SD has some good craft beers (my favorites - Stone and Green Flash), but I couldn't find much vegan food at all, and they do very little vegetarian. What vegetarian they do, they don't do very well. Sorry guys, just being honest. It's too bad given that California is ground zero for some of the most awesome vegetables on the planet.