555 W 7th Street

"Dear Sir:
This new six room bungalow faces south and east on a corner lot 66x160. Furnished with good common oak furniture including a $350 piano for $2,950. Bath, toilet, well worth investigating. No commission, all clear, I own this property myself."

Wilmer S. Frawn
555 W 7th Street
Eugene, Oregon

Phone: Black 4292


Above is the discription written on the back of a post card of this little house which once stood at the North West corner of 7th and Washington streets. While the house faced east it appears for some reason to have been given a 7th St. address and not one on Washington. It is now the the location of the 7th street on-ramp of the Washington/Jefferson Street bridge.

James and Margaret Underwood House

This towered Italianate Villa, once known as Eugene's most beautiful home, stood at 419 Willamette (later 543 Willamette) on the east side of the street between 5th and 6th, approximately in the middle of the block across from the Post office. James Benson Underwood, a native of New York, came to Eugene in 1860 where he studied law and was eventually admitted to the Bar. He also served as the President of the first City Council (Eugene Skinner being Mayor) and as a representative to the state legislator. He later was employed as a U.S. Postal agent for Oregon and Idaho pursuing mail thieves. He evidently made a good living as he was not only able to build this imposing Mansion in 1878 but also employ a Chinese Houseboy named "Wah" and a gardener/coachman/laborer named Nels Hanson. James and Margaret Charles Underwood had at least six children; Mae, Lydia, Matilda, Charles, Anna and Amelia. Sadly Mr. Underwood passed away in 1882 at age 44 due to the effects of "strong drink" having lost much of his fortune. Mrs. Underwood was only able to hold onto the house by turning it into a boarding house for U of O students. Mr. Underwood is buried in the Masonic Cemetery along with his daughter Lydia.

The White Temple ( IOOF Building)

For many years this building which stood on the North West corner of Broadway and Oak (now the site of the Wells Fargo main branch) was the largest commercial structures downtown. Just north of the site can be seen the West Park Block. Out of view to the right was the east Park Block and farther north of that stood the Old County Courthouse until its replacement in 1959 with the current structure. The Park Blocks have for many years been the site of Saturday Market.

New Eugene City Hall (1965)

Here is an aeriel view looking north east toward the Coburg Hills of the 1964 Eugene City Hall which replaced the 1915 City Hall featured in the prior post. It is an interesting shot as it shows the 5th Street Market area (upper left) when it was still a warehouse district. Most of the small structures surrounding the City Hall have now been replaced with large office buildings.

Old Eugene City Hall

Here is a view of the Old Eugene High School of 1906 which stood on the south west corner of 11th and Willamette Streets. (See the first post in this blog) In 1915 the building was turned into the Eugene City Hall with the addition of a large wing to the rear and an entrance portico on the front facing Willamette Street. The building continued to house the city offices until the construction of the current City Hall in 1964. The building was razed soon after and replaced with the current bank building that has occupied the site ever since. At the far left of the photo can be seen part of the old Eugene Hospital and Clinic which is now the Peace Health Willamette Street complex..

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.