Sumpter, Oregon

Sumpter. Granite St. looking west in 1895, oldest photo of Sumpter, a year before the SVRy came. Brooks Hawley notes: the town was platted in 1889 by Charles Rimbol. There were about 200 people living in Sumpter in 1895. In 1898, after the hardrock gold mining boom started, the town was incorporated. By 1903 the town's population had soared to 3,500.

The flagpole in the center of the photo was erected in 1890 in the middle of the intersection of Granite and Center streets. It appears it is attached to an old stump. A sign on about the last building on the right side says "Starr Hotel." That hotel, much bigger in size, burned in the fire of 1917. The tree in this photo was the only tree left in downtown Sumpter. Most of the buildings in photo were replaced by newer buildings. Tree lasted until, but did not survive, the conflagration of August 13, 1917, which wiped out most of the business district. Since mining activity had been declining for a number of years, the town was never rebuilt to its former glory.

The second building on the right is Duckworth's Red Front Store. Charles Duckworth died Feb. 1899, age 40, from tuberculosis. His father, Henry Duckworth, born in Yorshire, England, died at age 62 within a year, January 1900. Henry and his son had a store at McEwen, too. Our ranch is the old Henry Duckworth place. Henry's wife died July 1913, over 80 years old, at McEwen, here over 40 years. Jim Duckworth located the North Pole Mine about 1887. Jim's son, Luther, was well known as recorder for Al Kadar Temple at Portland for many years. John Duckworth has a son, John, who now lives at Wallowa. I went to school with Harry and Pearl. Duckworths crossed the plains and arrived at Auburn in 1870. At Christmass 1899, W. C. Calder, proprietor of the Red Front Store, gave each of his six employees a $5 told piece, according to an item in a newspaper.

Next month, Jan. 1900 Henry Hobson of Willamette Valley bought the Red Front Store. In May 1900 the building burned down, a considerable risk to the new brick First National Bank of Sumpter across the street. It was replaced by a double store building, a brick building, likely the same year or at least by 1901. That was the main location for Father's store. W. R. Hawley ahd the corner and Hobsons had the other half. That brick building shows in several other pictures, even one picture shows it in construction.

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One of oldest photos of Sumpter before the boom. The view looks NW across Mill St. between Auburn St. and Granite St.

Brooks Hawley note: The foreground, the east side of Mill Street, is the area of Sumpter's first sawmill, Young and Rimbol's, with a corner of the mill showing to the extreme right. Notice Tom McEwen's sign on his livery barn. The barn with four sided roof to the right of the sign is also his. From other pictures, the sign says: "Tom McEwen, Bales, Hay & Livery Stable, Grain for Sale". But a picture in a souvenir Morning Democrat of May 20, 1898, shows J. N. Jones replacing Tom McEwen's name. The article says J. N. Jones bought the stables Sept. 1896. The middle square is 40 x 100 feet and can stable 60 horses.
Many of these buildings were replaced by other buildings during the boom of 1899-1900. There were no brick buildings until 1899. Likely this picture was taken after the railroad reached Sumpter Oct. 3, 1896, so it may already show some growth from the previous period but suppose Sumpter was not so much smaller than this in the 1870's and 1880's. I don't know of any pictures of Sumpter before 1895.

Roscoe Doane made these identifications to Hawley in March 1963: Anna Miller's house with picket fence, later Mrs. George Tedrowe, aunt of Roscoe, SW corner of Sumpter and Mill Street, Bergman's brick grocery store later there. Extreme left on negative shows more, as far back as Griffin Hotel, Tom McEwen's feed barn behind (besides the barn at center), Jim Duckworth house, light colored, NW from Miller house, north side of Sumpter Street. Amell house NW corner of Sumpter and Mill streets, two story. Guy Harris house to left of Amell house, his wife was oldest of Amell children. Big building behind Harris house, with darker roof, might be Healey Hall or Arsenault Restaurant, on south side of Granite Street. Charles Duckworth's Red Front Store showing to right of Amell house, north side of Granite Street, NE corner of Granite and Center Street, later brick building there housing W. R. Hawley's store, by 1900 or 1901. Case or Sturgill house may be to right of Red Front Store.

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Beginning of plank street construction at the intersection of Mill and Granite streets. This photo looks south down Mill St. The plank street ran a couple of blocks west (right) down Granite St. from this intersection. Large building at the left is the Ellis Opera House. The photo was taken from the future site of the Sumpter Hotel.

Brooks Hawley note about the Ellis Opera House contained in his Album #1: Not that it was anything plush, but in those days a hall that would do for a traveling vaudeville troop was an opera house. The comedian in the lot would crack jokes that would put Sumpter in the same class with Salt Lake City and San Francisco, while making disparaging remarks about the hick town of McEwen, down the valley. How well I remember that stage curtain, the hole had been poked in the canvas square in the prow of the battleship Oregon so that sometimes an eye would appear, sizing up the audience before the curtain went up. What blissful anticipation. I, about 4 years old, would be perched on the front edge of a wooden folding chair, and they were the sort that needed some weight toward the back to keep them from collapsing, so down I would go with a great clatter of wooden slats. The opera house was really just an enormous empty dance hall with afore mentioned folding chairs that could be piled back against the wall. It has a hollow sound, awful acoustics, even as the Community Center at Baker does to this day. I had always heard of the Sumpter boom, and I used to believe that I had been in the back of the opera house when the boom went off, maybe a little confusion with the sound of a folding chair going back on me. Oh yes, and that stage, there I got my first taste of electricity. There would be missing bulbs in the sockets in the footlights so these were good holes to poke my fingers and get a shock.

Downstairs was Cap Davies Electric Theater, and that was where Sumpter kids beheld the first motion pictures. They had plenty of action. I remember one about a wealthy eccentric. He had a cute little castle in a lake in his lovely garden. When he took his friends to see inside the little castle, he would rush back to the bank and reach inside a tree to pull a lever that would make the castle sink in the lake and drown everyone.

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First National Bank of Sumpter, constructed in 1899. Metropolitan Hotel in backgound right. Oregon Restraurant to the left of bank. Sign says "Hot Tamales, Chili, Lunches, Coffee." Behind the bank is Finley MacDonald's Bank Saloon.

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Ed Steincamp and Mrs. Steincamp in First National Bank, Sumpter, about 1908-1909, when Dr. Steincamp was cashier.

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Sumpter. Panorama. Photo is dated 1898, however that may be a little early. More likely around 1900.

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Granite St. looking east. Transportation of armature to the Fremont Power Station several miles southwest of Granite. The photographer has written on the armature housing "Wt. 16,000."

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Sumpter, Mill St. looking north, ca. 1910. Sumpter Bank is the brick building in the middle of the photo. Further north is the brick Basche store and the white building two doors further north is the Ellis Opera House.

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Beginning of plank street construction at the intersection of Mill and Granite streets. This photo looks west down Granite St. The plank street ran a couple of blocks down Granite St. from this intersection. The Sumpter Hotel would soon be built on the northwest corner of this intersection (right edge of photo).

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Mill St. north end. C. C. Basche Hardware Co. George Johnson and Claude Basche standing in doorway

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Boiler for Red Boy Mine in Depot Square at the intersection of Mill St. in the foreground and Auburn St. running uphill to the Delmonico Hotel (built in 1900) on Columbia St. Sumpter Depot is out of the photo behind the photographer. It faced NE from the SW corner of the intersection. Caleb Roswell's Pioneer Feed Store on SE corner. Hotel Griffin is on the NW corner of the intersection (right end of line of buildings).

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Depot square with pack string at water trough. Del Monico Hotel at top of Auburn Street.

Granite St. between Cracker and Center streets. First National Bank just to the left of drivers. Sumpter school in background to the east at the top of Granite St. One of the freighters is Joe Griffin, who drove for Columbia Mine.

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Granite St. looking east. Note on photo: "Scene in Sumpter, Or. Machinery for Red Boy Mine. Transfered by S. T. Co." Buildings in photo are Starr Hotel, First National Bank (brick) and Columbia Market (big white building). At top of hill (right edge of photo) are the hospital and school (right). Between the bank and market is Hobson Mercantile Co. building under construction in 1900. It replaced the Red Top Store, which had burned that year.

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The title of this photo states "Hotel Sumpter" whild a caption at the Baker County Library cites "Star Hotel". I am unsure of the correct name.

Sumpter Hotel, built 1901, on the NW corner of Granite and Mill streets. To the left is the Columbia Market. On window above front door: "Neil J. Sorensen & Co., Financial Agents." Sign on utility pole: "Long Distance Telephone." The photo is dated Nov. 3, 1903.

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Sumpter Hotel, built 1901. Granite St. runs across the front of the photo. Mill St. is at right edge. Case Furniture Co. is behind the hotel on Mill St. Photo is dated April 20, 1902.

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Sumpter Hotel in winter. Photo is dated March 15, 1904. Dick Neill's clothing store at left. Sign on front of Neill's store advertises "Dr. Schultz, Dentist." Another sign advertises "Alexander Clothing Co."

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Curt Haley at desk in lobby of Sumpter Hotel.

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Sumpter Hotel parlor. Curt Haley, Mrs. Haley (left), and Kate Thompson (housekeeper). Mr. and Mrs. Haley ran the hotel.

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J. N. Jones Livery Stable. "J. N. Jones was born in Independence. Oregon, October 22, 1869, but at an early age moved with his parents to Umatilla County, where they stayed seven years. Moving then to Morrow County, he received his preliminary education in the public schools, and later attended the Willamette University at Salem. Returning home he became engaged in the stock business until May, 1890, when he moved to Sumpter. In September of the same year he bought out the livery, feed and sale stable of Thos. Mc-Ewen, and has made a number of improvements to it. His barn is large and commodious, being 40 x 100, in which he can stable sixty head of horses. He has a number of fine turnouts on hand which he keeps for the benefit of the public, and rents at very reasonable figures. He especially caters to the traveling and mining men, making their trade a feature of his business." Source: p. 29, Souvenir Edition. Morning Democrat, Bowen & Small, Publishers, May 20th, 1898.

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Mill St. north end. Buildings on east side (left to right): Ellis Opera House (white with pointed top), Basche Hardware Co., Bank of Sumpter, Banquet Saloon, and Bakery. The bank and hardware buildings were Sumpter's first brick structures, built in 1898 and 1899. Columbia Market on Granite St. at far left.

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Thomas McEwen's stage office, located on the NW corner of Sumpter and Center streets. Date of construction of this building is unknown. McEwen had barns at this location in 1891 before the boom of the late 1890's. The post office, postmaster Frank Jewett,was located in this building. Sign on building at right edge reads: Sumpter Cigar & News Depot. The Odd Fellow's lodge hall was upstairs. Photo is dated May 31, 1900.

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Capital Hotel on south side of Granite St. between Center and Cracker streets. The fire of August 13, 1917, which destroyed most of the business district, may have started in this hotel. Date of construction, 1897, is on gable of building.

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This evidently is some minor excitement about a fire in A. E. Dagany's Miners Exchange Saloon that is being nipped in the bud." Note estimates date as 1914.

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Mill St. north end. C. C. Basche Hardware Co. George Johnson and Claude Basche standing in doorway

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First Bank of Sumpter, interior, according to info in photo album. But it's probably the Sumpter Bank on Mill Street - Baker County Library, Baker City, Oregon

Brooks Hawley note: Suspect this is when Sumpter Light and Power was first capitalized for $50,000 in April 1900. An item in newspaper in June 1900 tells of a new plant, 150 H. P. Corliss engine, two 150 H. P boilers to run an arc dynamo for 20 street lights and dynamo for 2,000 16-candle power lights. The very first electric light plant was built on the south side of Auburn St. by George W. Sage and was first going for the 4th of July 1897. It was evidently run by a steam engine and did not run during the day. This picture would be of the next electric light plant which was on Magnolia St. west of the river. R. A. Strahorn built it in the summer of 1903 but likely was not finished until the spring of 1904. It was a water powered plant but had auxiliary steam power as this picture is of the steam plant, with the steam engine at the far end of the room. They bragged that this plant furnished day current too. There was evidently a separate circuit for street lights for the early street lights wer arc lights. This was quite an adequate plant for the town with a good wooden building. It however was in the way for dredging for No. 2 dredge, which started upstream from the smelter in October 1915, so the next location was up the Bourne road where the remains of the brick power house still stands (1962). That plant was only water power, but the main line was down from Bourne, as now, to run the dredges, so if they had troubles they could switch to the main line, and so by 1949 they quit the little power plant and stayed on the main line. That plant ran without anyone staying with it. The Rock Creek power plant was also started in 1904 and the Fremont plant started in 1908. The plate on second machine says "Edison Machine Works, Builders, Schenectady, N. Y., 6."

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Club Saloon, Landreth & Campbell jewelry store, and Vienna Cafe on south side of Granite St. between Mill and Center streets. Owners of jewelry store are James Landreth (left) and partner Campbell. Note on back of photo says that Landreth died of a heart attack in the store in 1904. His daughter, La Jean Landreth Correia, 625 Hill St. Yreka, CA 97097, was only a few months old at the time. He is buried in Pocahontas Cemetery. Brooks Hawley's map says that the Club Saloon was owned by Dunphy and Gertridge, later by Harry and Reilly. Earlier the Hotel Van Duyn Saloon or Magnolia was there.

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J. P. Holland Wholesale & Retail Groceries, Hay, Grain, Produce. This warehouse was located on the west side of the end of the Sumpter Valley Railway tracks near the intersection of Sumpter and Cracker streets. The warehouse had previously been owned by C. J. Johns. Just to the east (left) of this warehouse out of the photo were the Basche and Sumpter Forwarding warehouses. This photo is looking west at the SE end of the building, which sits diagonal to the rest of the town.

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Sumpter Forwarding Co. warehouse in railroad yard. Sign on end of roof says: "Hay, Grain, Flour, & Potatoes For Sale." This photo is in the Red Boy Mine folder, because it is pasted to the back of a Red Boy Mine photo.

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The Red Front General Merchandise Co. of Charles Duckworth on NE corner of Granite and Center streets. Photo taken in 1898. The store burned in 1900. Replaced in 1900 by the Hobson Merchantile Co. (later W. R. Hawley's store)

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Sumpter Fire August 13, 1917. Photo taken from school house steps looking west down Granite Street. Ellis Opera House is the large building on the left. Large brick building on the right is the Sumpter Hotel.

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Sumpter in ruins after fire of August 13, 1917. This photo looks southeast at the ruins of the First National Bank (foreground) and the Sumpter Hotel.

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Mint Saloon on SE corner of Sumpter and Center streets. Photo is looking SE with Center St. in the foreground. At the far left may be seen the steeple of the Catholic Church, which was on the south side of Sumpter St. between Center and Mill streets. McEwen Masonic Hall is the stone building at the far right. Notice the street light bulb at top of photo.

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Kahler & Co. General Store. "One of the most progressive firms of Sumpter is that composed of W. E. Kahler and M. C. Foreman, doing business under the style of Kahler & Co. Mr. W. E. Kahler is a native son, having been born in Jackson County, in 1857, receiving his education in the public schools, and at the Ashland Academy and the Agricultural College at Corvallis. He has resided in Eastern Oregon since 1881, having been engaged in the stock business in Grant County for two years, and in the mercantile business in Morrow and Wasco Counties for four years prior to coining here in the fall of 1897. He is an active member of the Odd Fellows and Workmen. In 1891 he married Miss Josie Miles, of Douglas County, and has one child, a boy." Source: p. 28, Souvenir Edition. Morning Democrat, Bowen & Small, Publishers, May 20th, 1898.

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Depot Livery & Feed Stable, Tom Taylor propriator. Located on Auburn St. facing the railroad tracks of Depot Square. A note on photo says the equipment may be the hoist destined to the Columbia Mine six miles north of Sumpter.

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Sumpter in ruins after fire of August 13, 1917. Ruins of McEwen Masonic Lodge located on Center Street between Auburn and Sumpter streets. Photographed by Brooks Hawley in 1926.

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Sumpter in ruins after fire of August 13, 1917. Ruins of First National Bank of Sumpter located on the NW corner of Granite and Center streets. Photographed by Brooks Hawley in 1926.

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Sumpter in ruins after fire of August 13, 1917. Vault in the ruins of First National Bank of Sumpter located on the NW corner of Granite and Center streets. Photographed taken August 2, 1936.

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Sumpter. Keystone of McEwen Masonic Lodge salvaged from ruins of the fire of 8-13-1917. Keystone shows year of construction: 1903.

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Drawn and annotated by Brooks Hawley. The map is an invaluable aid in locating buildings that existed in Sumpter before the fire of August 13, 1917, that destroyed most of the business district. There are two maps attached to this record. Image 1 is the whole annotated map. Image 2 is just the downtown area without annotations.

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Presbyterian Church, built in 1892, burned in fire of 1917, was located on the SW corner of Granite and Columbia streets. It was in the block just south of the Sumpter school.

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Man operating a pump, probably for city water supply.

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Methodist Church being moved. Note on back by Brooks Hawley: "Methodist Church of Sumpter built 1902, burned in fire of 1917. This photo around 1914 was when it was being moved, still on the original site of NE corner of High and Columbia streets, next moved to SW corner of North and Mill streets, former site of the Sumpter Miner newspaper."

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Hospital and school, located on Columbia St. at the east end of Granite St. The school was built in 1897 and the hospital in 1900. The school was torn down in 1954. In 1918 the hospital became the Masonic Hall. Today it is a bed & breakfast lodging.

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Rimbol & (Joe) Young Sawmill probably located on Columbia St. north of Auburn.

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Sign on building at right: "J. T. Parkinson Blacksmithing (above), Parkingson & Grant Blacksmiths (below)." Sign on other building: "Ike Williamson, Livery Feed--Sale Stable." Brooks Hawley's map shows Parkinson & Green blacksmiths on the east side of Cracker St. north of intersection with High St. But the contour of the land does not make that a likely location for this photo.

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Looking SE from Depot Square. The sign in front of the house behind the brick building says: "Hotel Belvedere."

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