Cogswell-Miller House

This house in the Rural Gothic style, mentioned in last Fridays post, was built in early 1884 by John Cogswell for his daughter DeEtta on the corner of 3rd and Pearl at the foot of Skinners Butte, next to the Dr. Thomas Shelton property. DeEtta became ill and died in early 1885 at age 25. Her sister and brother-in-law, Lischen and George M. Miller, purchased the house in August, 1885. George was a brother of Joaquin Miller, famous "Poet of the Sierras". Educated as a lawyer, George also became a real estate developer who became known as the "Prophet of Lane County" He advocated a trans-continental highway from New York to Florence, Oregon; designed a flying machine in 1892; platted the town of Fairmont; and laid out the road to and founded the coastal towns of Acme and Florence. The house was moved by horses, on log rollers in 1909 to its current location, at 246 East 3rd Ave., where it has been beautifully restored, decorated and maintained.

A Now Impossible View

It seems that most of the photos taken from the top of Skinners Butte looked out due south over downtown and few early shots included the growing University of Oregon campus to the south-east. Starting at left is the bend of the Willamette River with Villard and Deady Hall in the upper center of the photo. Just below center is the Midgely Mill complex approximately at the far western reaches of the current E.W.E.B. site. In the extreme lower left is the rear of the Cogswell-Miller house of 1884. This house was moved in 1909 to its current location at 246 E. 3rd. In the extreme lower right is the back of the Shelton-McMurphy house. This view would now be impossible as the Ya Po Ha Terrace (along with a heavy stand of huge firs all over the butte) now looms up on the left about where the old Shelton carriage house stood.

Electric Streetcar 1910

Portland, Eugene and Eastern streetcar for the Fairmount Street run, parked at the beginning of the line near the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on the north end of Willamette Street. This is just prior to the construction of the Oregon Electric Station on the N.E. corner of this intersection. Two crew members pose in foreground. The tower of Shelton-McMurphey residence on a now forested Skinners Butte can be seen in background. The small cast concrete building on the right still stands, though enlarged with a second floor and rear extension it now houses the Jackalope Lounge after being a Chinese Restaurant for many years.

Astronomical Observatory

Similar to Villard Hall in its detailing, the observatory was built in 1889 atop Skinners Butte by local builder W. H. Abrams from a design by Portland Architect Warren H. Williams (Who also designed Villard Hall, the second building on the U of O campus). The Observatory cost the University $4782.78. Part of this coast was the $1,000 paid to Dr. T.W. Shelton who originally owned the property the observatory was built on. (A side note: Dr. Shelton at first did not want to sell but changed his mind in September 1888. Perhaps as he needed funds to rebuild his not yet completed mansion on the south side of the Butte after it had been burned nearly to the ground by a disgruntled worker.) Subject to vandalism and handicapped by its distance from the University, the building was abandoned by June 1898. In the early morning hours of May 12, 1905, the Observatory was covertly demolished with several charges of dynamite as it had become a serious liability to the University. If you walk to the view point at the east end of the parking lot atop the butte you can still the foundation of the structure.

Shelton-McMurphy-Johnson House, circa 1895

In a previous post I mentioned the old University of Oregon Observatory that once stood on top of Skinners Butte. This photo of the Shelton-McMurphy-Johnson house from about 1895 shows the observatory perched on the east side of the hill top. Western Oregon with so many cloudy nights was not a good place for an astronomy class so after only a few years, use by the University was discontinued. It was soon thought of as a liability and was finally dynamited early one Sunday morning in 1905. I should note that the staircase seen in this photo leading from the front of the house down to the lower terrace is currently being restored by the City of Eugene. Unlike the original staircase which was off set to the west the new stairs will lead straight down from the original front steps to the porch and extend all the way to the street. Hopefully they will accommodate the remaining grade for the old carriage drive that once passed along the front of the property.

Broadway and Oak looking North 1924

In the November 10th post I posted a view of Broadway at Oak St. looking east. Today's post is a view of the same intersection in 1924 looking north down Oak St. The building on the left is the IOOF (White Temple) Building. Beyond that is the Park blocks, the 1898 Courthouse and finally Skinners Butte.

1915 View of the Ferry Street Bridge

This view was most likely taken from the east side of Skinners Butte looking west toward the south approach of the second incarnation of the Ferry street Bridge. The large field in the left foreground is stacked with cord wood! One would think this would have supplied Eugene with fuel all winter. The only recognizable structure is the bungalow on the far right second from the bottom. It now sits on the edge of the cut made in the 1950's for the west entrance to the current bridge. Notice the north side of the Willamette is still undeveloped when this shot was taken.

Early Aerial View of Skinners Butte and Downtown Eugene

This circa 1915 aerial view shows a very tree-less and unfamiliar view of Skinners Butte. It is hard to realize that the Butte was bare up until about 100 years ago. On the south side can be seen the Eugene "E" and the University of Oregon "O". Also visible atop the Butte are the remnants of the old University of Oregon observatory which was demolished in 1902 (some of the foundation still exists to the east of the parking area). To the east is the resevior which has not yet been covered. On the lower flank of the Butte is the familiar Shelton McMurphy house with its now mature landscaping already surprisingly well established (notice the grounds extended to the east where the Yapooha Terrace now stands). The family had an unfortunate view of a string of warehouse situated just north of the tracks. The park like grounds surrounding the Southern Pacific Depot were still intact when this shot was taken.

View Northwest from Skinners Butte circa 1910

This is a less common view from the top of Skinners Butte. While most views of Eugene were taken of downtown from the south side of the Butte, this is taken from the west side looking northwest. The Washington-Jefferson Bridge now cuts across the farm land in the foreground while Valley River Center occupies the open land on the other side of the Willamette River. Not many years after this photo was taken The River Road/Santa Clara area would begin to grow up in the open fields just below the horizon.

Ever Popular Shot of Eugene from Skinners Butte circa 1910

This view was taken pre 1914 as the Oregon Electric Station building has not yet been built. Some surviving structures are the Shelton-McMurphy-Johnson house in the lower left, the Palace Hotel building, the Southern Pacific Depot and the brick retail building on the S.E. corner of 5th and Willamette. The old Post office stands in the shadow of the Palace Hotel thus out of view in this image.