Seems like old times Your guide to Historic Albany, Oregon P.O.Box 965 250 Broadalbin St., SW, #110 Albany, OR 97321 (541) 928-0911 or 800-526-2256 www.albanyvisitors.com Cover: Courtesy of The Albany Regional Museum from a publication by the Albany Commercial Club, 1909. “The Albany Commercial Club in presenting this booklet desires merely to set forth the truth re- garding this section of the greatest of all Pacific Coast valleys.” “An invitation and welcome is Contents extended to all honest, industrious, intelligent citi- zens of other states who desire to participate in the building of the greatest industrial and agricultural Albany History .................................3 empire the world has ever known.” Airport Timeline...............................4 Right: Photo Courtesy of the Albany Regional Mu- Aviation District History ..................5 seum, from the Robert Potts Collection, Remem- Downtown District History ..............6 bering When Vol I #71. Albany has been known throughout the years as The Hub of the Willamette Architectural Details ........................7 Valley. The car shown here was an entry in an early city parade sporting a sign “Welcome to Albany Downtown District Tour ..................8 The Hub City.” ..Albany was once referred to as Architectural Styles ........................10 the Hub City, because of its central location on the Willamette and Calapooia rivers, the railroads and Hackleman District History ...........12 Highways 99 and 20. Hackleman District Tour ................14 Monteith District History ...............16 Monteith District Tour ...................17 Welcome to beautiful historic Albany. I hope you will enjoy this publication, which walks you through the Covered Bridge Tour ......................20 fantastic restored historic homes and commercial buildings in Albany’s historic districts. Historic Organizations ...................21 Albany Museums ...........................22 The people of Albany care about our city and are proud of our history. Albany was in the past considered Area Events ....................................23 the industrial hub of the Willamette Valley. Today we are the center of a green environment in the mid- Willamette Valley, which is revitalized and home to a wealth of history. Credits Albany is well known for its historic districts, the Downtown,Monteith and Hackleman. These districts are filled with unique homes, which have been for years transformed back to their original character. All This publication was designed using information exterior historic renovations have to comply with city design standards to assure the character is preserved in from a previous version by the following:Written and designed by Pam Kuri, Diane Eubank and a historic building. Karen Paine: with technical assistance from Rob- ert Badertscher and Rich Bergeman. Historical Consultants: Robert Potts, Lee Rohrbough, and Albany’s historic districts border the Willamette River. In the past century, the riverfront was filled with Floyd Mullen. Historical Researchers: Pam Kuri, a variety of industrial buildings. When I was a child in our fair city, our downtown was the center of shop Rosalind Clark-Keeney, Richard Liebaert, and ping with small and major retailers as the thriving businesses downtown. The seventies changed that trend Dorothy Hagerty. Architectural Style Sketch- - es by Tonner Hayes. Additional support from and as time progressed the downtown character changed even more. the Landmarks Advisory Commission, Albany Downtown Association, Monteith Historical So- ciety, Albany Regional Museum, Linn-Benton This century, the city formed an urban renewal district. We are proud of how this district has revitalized Community College and Betty Pongracz of the our downtown core area. The buildings are gorgeous in their architectural features and beautiful colors, Albany Planning Department. Special Thanks to the following for assistance which have transformed the streetscape any community would be proud to display. The urban renewal in corrections, proofing and historic accuracy: district has provided the opportunities for unique street level restaurants, upper and lower level retail busi Robert Dortignacq, Rosalind Keeney, Gerald Brenneman, Glenn Harrison, Oscar Hult, Eugene nesses and offices, and upper floor housing. The unique shops and restaurants bring new energy to the core- Mroczko, Lise Grato, Linda Ellsworth, Anne Cat- area. Industrial areas are being redeveloped with housing and retail along the riverfront with walking trails lin & Jimmie Lucht, Bernadette Niederer, Emily Killin. Photos: Many of the photos here in are that connect to public parks, recreation and open spaces. from the Robert Potts collection, housed at the Albany Regional Museum. The photos are also Albany has so much to provide visitors and there is always more to come. The downtown is constantly published in Remembering When a five-volume publication available for sale at the Albany Re- changing as it was in the “olde times”. gional Museum. Published by the Albany Visitors Association 250 Broadalbin St., SW, #110 Sharon Konopa Albany, Oregon 97321 Mayor 541-928-0911 or 1-800-526-2256 www.albanyvisitors.com 2010/5000 Seems Like Old Times • Albany Visitors Association • Page 3 AlbAny History Above: Albany post card courtesy Monteith Historical Society “Oregon Fever” broke out around 1840, when Smith, who became one of Oregon’s first U.S. close as stagecoaches and steamboats gave way trains of covered wagons moved westward. Senators. The newspaper is known today as to the railroad. The world’s longest wooden The offer of free land brought many settlers. the Albany Democrat-Herald. railroad drawbridge was built in 1888 for the Between 1850-1855, the Donation Land Claim Albany-Corvallis run. By 1910, 28 passenger Act granted each white male citizen over the Agriculture was Albany’s first industry. In trains departed daily from Albany going in five age of eighteen 320 acres of land if he was 1850 Linn County’s white population num- different directions. Five hundred Chinese la- single and 640 acres of land if he was married. bered 994 people, belonging to 172 families borers had been brought to the valley to build The first settlers to the Albany “Prarie” [sic] living on 138 farms. A total of 6,041 acres of the railroad and dig the Santiam Canal, which were farmers who came in the 1840s. In 1848 land had been cleared and planted for crops. brought water, water power and transportation Walter and Thomas Monteith arrived on the For more than four decades, 1845 to 1885, to the city. It was completed in 1874. In 1875, future site of Albany and purchased the Hiram wheat was the principal crop in Linn County. 15 manufacturing plants such as sawmills, Smead claim for $400. Town lots were laid The California Stage Company, one of the flour mills and a twine mill were powered by out on that portion of land and a new town was first major stages in the west, began operating water power. In 1887 electricity was first gen- founded, on the east bank of the Willamette in Oregon in 1860 with stages leaving daily erated by waterpower from the canal. Albany River, just below the mouth of the Calapooia from Portland to Sacramento. The first stage became the manufacturing and transportation River. The city was named Albany, after the from Portland arrived in Sacramento six days hub of the Willamette Valley. The city grew Monteiths home state capital, Albany, New and five hours later. The 710-mile route was and prospered at a slow and steady pace. Each York. the longest in the nation. Albany was a stop- year, houses and commercial buildings were over in Linn County. Fares from Portland to built in styles fashionable at the time. New in- In about 1849 the Monteiths built the first Albany were $10. The first steamboat, the dustry moved to the outskirts, the main high- frame house which still stands at 518 Second “Multnomah,” arrived in Albany in 1851. It way bypassed the downtown and post-World Avenue S.W. In 1850 Abram Hackleman, son had been built in New York City, shipped in War II housing developed outside the original of Abner Hackleman, laid out 70 acres on the pieces around Cape Horn, and reassembled in core of the city, leaving the old downtown and east side of Albany for future development. Oregon City. In 1870 a person could travel to residential neighborhoods almost intact. On January 8, 1850, Albany’s first post office Portland by steamboat for one dollar. Another was established. The same year the Method- early industry was the Magnolia Flouring Mill Today historians and architects credit Al- ist church was founded. The Methodists were built in 1852 and located on the Calapooia bany with having the most varied collection the first church group to be established in Linn River at the west end of First Avenue. It was of historic buildings in Oregon. This collec- County. By 1851 Albany was designated as the owned by Walter and Thomas Monteith, I. tion includes styles from the 1850s through county seat and all court meetings were held Briggs, Sam Hill and Sam Althouse. the 1920s and is concentrated within an area here. The first courthouse was built in 1852. of approximately one hundred square blocks. Albany’s first school was established in 1851 In 1871 the first locomotive whistle was heard Four Albany Historic Districts are listed in the by R.C. Hill, the town’s first physician. The in Albany. The arrival of the first train was cel- National Register of Historic Places. You can first building erected specifically for use as a ebrated as the greatest event in Albany’s his- explore Albany’s Historic Districts by foot, school, however, wasn’t built until 1855 and tory. Albany businessmen raised $50,000 to bicycle, automobile, or organized tours. As stood at the corner of Fourth and Broadalbin ensure that the rails would come through their you do, try to imagine the slower, quieter pace streets. The Oregon Democrat was Albany’s city, instead of bypassing it a few miles east- of days gone by.