Salem in 1998

World Events

• Lunar Prospector, in orbit around the moon, finds evidence of frozen water.
• In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, linking Kobe to to Honshu, opens as the longest suspension structure in the world, replacing dangerous ferry transportation.
• President Clinton impeached by House, trial to be in Senate.
• US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya.
• Nicholas II and family reburied in St. Petersburg 80 years after their assassinations.
• Kip Kinkel murders his parents and students bringing media attention to Springfield, OR.
• Academy Awards:"Shakespare in Love" (US),"Life Is Beautiful (Italy). Prize-winning Books: Charming Billy, Alice McDermott and American Pastoral, Phillip Roth.

In Salem
 After many years of effort by community supporters, Riverfront Park was established this year. The aerial views above, published by the Salem Urban Development Department, shows the "before and after" contrast.
For a resident or visitor who did not experience the downtown in previous years, it is hard to imagine the pollution of the air and water before the plants along the river closed.
The park became the front lawn of our city, creating pedestrian contact between the downtown business enterprises and the beautiful river. In 1998, the park is bordered on the south (to the left in illustrations) by the Boise Cascade industrial complex, covering Pringle Creek. On the north (at the right), a parking lot led to Water Street which passed under two vehicle bridge ramps to reach several historic structures at Marion Street owned by the city: this year these will become A. C. Gilbert Discovery Village. One block further is the unused Union Street railroad bridge. The park, as handsome as it was, was a pocket of greenery in an area ready for urban revitalization.

When you visit

In the years that have followed, several projects have made the park more attractive for resident recreation and local heritage appreciation. In 2001, a Carousel was constructed and in 2003, the Eco Ball was completed. In 2005, a new boat dock was constructed. The local Rotary Clubs financed a Pavilion at the north end of the park in 2006. A statue of Governor McCall was placed along the entrance to the dock in 2008. A splash fountain for children was completed in 2009.
In 2012, adjacent to the park on the south, the Boise Cascade plant is being demolished for future mixed-use development. The orange towers seen in the background of the photograph have disappeared as Pringle Creek is "daylighted" to offer a trail from Civic Center Park (near the fire station and east of Commercial Street) to the river and connecting to Riverfront Park. A bridge from this park to Minto Brown Island is also planned for the future. To the north, A. C. Gilbert Discovery Village occupies historic residences owned by the city and provides educational play activities for families. At Union Street the former railroad bridge is now an award-winning pedestrian walkway to Wallace Park in West Salem.

Other events

• The Hallie Ford Museum of Art opens as a feature of Willamette University. Prior to the creation of the Hallie Ford Museum, Willamette University previously collected various pieces of art donated to the university, housing them first in a museum located in Waller Hall, then on the second floor of the gymnasium (now the Theatre Playhouse). At that time the museum's collection included birds, various documents, minerals, wood specimens, shells, plant specimens, and Native American artifacts, among others. In 1990, the school received a donation of around 250 pieces of European and Asian art from the Sponenburgh family. In 1994 Roger Hull made a presentation to the school’s trustees to push for the creation of an art museum. Over the next two years plans were developed and donations were made that led to the purchase of the 1965 Pacific Northwest Bell building designed by local architect James Payne. One large donation came from Hallie Ford and the Ford Family Foundation that allowed the purchase and remodel to move forward. The museum officially opened with over 3,000 pieces of art, and was the second largest art museum in the state at that time. The museum offers interactive educational tours for a wide range of audiences from preschool age to adult, designed to arouse curiosity, inspire creativity and develop critical thinking. This outstanding cultural resource is open everyday except Monday and is free on Tuesdays. Its location at 700 State Street is near both the State Capitol and Willamette University. It is only a short walk from either downtown or the Willamette Heritage Center.

• A. C. Gilbert Discovery Village, opening this year, is an interactive children's museum named in honor of this Salem native and inventor of the Erector set educational toy. In fact, the Village is home to the world's largest Erector Set tower at 52 feet. The museum is housed in several historic buildings, including the Andrew T. Gilbert House, the Rockenfield/Bean House, the Parrish House, and a 1998 replica of the Wilson-Durbin House, destroyed by fire in 1990. Each of these structures housed influential, early Salem families. Plaques near the entrances give information about their histories.
• The former Little Gem Grocery Store on Chemeketa Street, threatened with destruction due to the owner's remodeling of his residence, is moved to a neighbor's back yard. It will become another feature of Water Street and A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village.
• Marion County Historical Society publishes Marion County History, Vol XV, compiled and edited by Sybil Westenhouse, Adale Egan and David Weiss. In these 198 pages are found photographs and stories about local native people, business, entertainment, transportation and politics. This is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Salem's heritage. Copies can be found in the Salem Public Library and may be bought at Willamette Heritage Center.
• Jackie Winters is elected to the Oregon State Legislature as the state's first African-American Republican. She was re-elected to this office in 2000. In 2002, 2006 and again in 2010, she was elected as State Senator for District 10. Jackie has lived in Salem for over 40 years. She was married in 1971 to Marc "Ted" Winters who passed away in 2008. She has served on numerous boards and commissions, winning awards and recognitions including being listed on the International Women's Who's Who.

Salem in 1996

World Events

• Iraq's known biological warfare resources are destroyed as part of the UNSCOM supervision, but many sites are not opened for inspection.
• Palestinian and Israeli governments recognize the existence of each.
• President Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban at the UN and the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments.
• After 35 people are killed in Port Arthur, Australia, the government bans private possession of automatic and semi-automatic rifles, offering a buy-back program. ( No Australian mass killing for 20+ years.)
• In Montana, the "Unabomber" who engaged in mail bombing for nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23 others, is arrested.  At Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, a bombing kills 1 and injures 111.
• An E Coli strain of infection kills 6,000 people in Japan.
• Amber Hagerman, 9 -year old murder victim, becomes the namesake of the Amber Alert System. 6-year old JonBenet Ramsay is found murdered: a case that remains unsolved.
• In Chicago, after a 3 year-old boy falls into a deep gorilla enclosure, a female gorilla, Binti Jua, sits with the injured boy until his rescue.
• "Toy Story" is first computer animated, feature film. Academy Awards:"The English Patient" (US) "Kolya" (Czech Republic). Prize-winning Books: Ship Fever and Other Stories, Andrea Barrett and Independence Day, Richard Ford.

•  

In Salem
This year the residents adopted a new Charter. The charter establishes a form of city government and functions much like the Constitution. The Territorial Legislature of Oregon granted Salem's first charter in 1957 and the Oregon State Legislature granted the city's charter under statehood in 1860, after a three-year political struggle. One of the most vocal opponents was Asahel Bush, publisher of the Salem's Oregon Statesman newspaper. The Legislative charter was amended many times over the next 136 years. Meanwhile, the citizens adopted the "Home Rule" amendment to the state constitution, making it possible for local voters to charter their own city.amen to state made it possible for a city to obtain a Home Rule Charter that could be adopted by the voters of the community. Salem finally adopted a Home Rule charter in 1996. The charter, however, did not fundamentally alter the city's form of government. The elected Mayor and Council, who serve without pay, appoint the City Manager. The City Manager hires (and can discharge) the other salaried staff members.
Our city government meets in the Council Chamber of the Civic Center, seen above. The large screen, which can be rolled up, is used for Power Point presentations by speakers who stand at the podium to the left foreground (or one out of sight to the right). In the front of the chamber are three seats. From left: the City Attorney, to make sure the legal provisions of the Charter are followed; the Mayor who conducts the meeting, is a Council member-at-large; and the City Manager who is responsible for carrying out the decisions of the Council. To each side sit the Councilors, the legislators, one from each of our eight Wards. The row of seats in the foreground of the photograph is for those Department staff representatives present to give information on an item being considered. During the Budget Sessions, those 9 committee members sit here. Where the photographer is standing there is a podium for the Recorder, who keeps an electronic tape of the proceedings, and spaces for media representatives. Seats along each side are for residents and visitors.

When you visit
One of the interesting features of the Chamber is the wall of proclamations, testimonials and gifts to the city. The Chamber meetings are always open to the public and residents are invited to attend. If one wishes to speak on a subject being discussed, there is a sign-up sheet by each entrance and copies of the agenda. Testimony is limited to three minutes, but councilors may ask questions, giving an opportunity to extend the conversation as needed. The meetings are conducted in a friendly, congenial manner and everyone is welcome. They are held at 6:30 on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. The meetings are also broadcast on CCTV.

Other events

• Mike Swaim is elected as Mayor and will hold the office until 2002. Asked about his goals for Salem, he replied: "What would I wish for our community, if I can motivate both the people and our elected representatives? It would be nothing less than what drew me, and probably you, to Salem to begin with: a community where open space is in abundance; where there is plenty of clean water for both people and industry; where history is valued; where crime is managed within tolerable limits; where the quality of life in each of our neighborhoods is elevated above expediency; where youth are supported; and where every member in the community is valued on the basis of the content of their character."
• A flood this year brought the Willamette River to a height of 35.9 feet, causing water damage to structures along the shoreline, and especially to residences in Keizer. Previous high water measurements were in 1964 (37.7'), 1880 (43.3'), 1890 (45.1') and both 1891 and 1861 (47.') High water in Mill Creek created major erosion n the North Santiam River that affected Salem's water supply for several months. Volunteers saved the new West Salem Branch Library by hastily boxing up books and equipment, and loading them into two large moving vans that moved to higher ground. The flood waters temporarily reached as much as three feet above the floor level of the library.
• The first phase of Riverfront Park opened on 23 acres in the Riverfront Downtown Urban Renewal Area along the east side of the Willamette River (not during the flood, fortunately). This was former industrial property owned by Boise Cascade.
• Salem's roots in the lumber and textile industries gradually gave way to high technology. In 1989, Siltec, a computer chip manufacturer, established a facility. By 1996, the facility had grown to more than one million square feet of manufacturing and had been renamed Mitsubishi Silicon America.
• Salem residents had their first opportunity to vote-by-mail for federal elections.
• During the 1996-97 school year a second courtyard at Waldo Middle School continued an earlier transformation in landscaping. Wes Niemela and a group of students and staff had worked for two years to collect plants from the forests around Salem and from Mr. Niemela’s garden. The courtyard garden is still a centerpiece of the school. This year, science teacher Mike Weddle and the Roots and Shoots/Leo Club are responsible for creating a second native Oregon species courtyard complete with a pond, waterfall, native Oregon trees, plants, and animals.

Salem in 1956

World Events

• Gamal Abdul Nassar nationalizes the British and French controlled Suez Canal, hoping to use tolls to pay for dam on the Nile. Israel invaded Egypt, but due to international pressure the Israeli forces left in March, 1957. The Canal reopened under Egyptian control.
• The Hungarians revolt against the Warsaw Pact. Soviet forces agreed to negotiate, but then moved to crush the rebellion resulting in mass executions and arrests. 200,000 refugees fled the country.
• Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon re-elected as President and Vice President for second terms.
• Negroes in Montgomery with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a leader, begin boycott after Rosa Parks is arrested for sitting in the front section of a city bus.
• The Andrea Doria sinks off Nantucket Island.
• Interstate Highways approved as important to national defense.
• "Rock and Roll" takes over popular music with Elvis Presley becoming a star attraction.
• "Around the World in Eighty Days" was this year's film that won the Academy Award (1957). National Book Award (Fiction): Ten North Frederick, John O'Hara.

In Salem

Paul Wallace leaves 24 acres of prime riverfront land in a bequest to the citizens of Salem. Subsequent purchases and gifts have increased the size of Wallace Marine Park to 68 acres. Although it quickly became a popular place for riverfront recreation during the basic development of the park, it was not designed or constructed to resist the high waters of the Willamette River: the Christmas flood of 1964 swept away the two boat launching ramps, roadways and picnic facilities that had been developed. New facilities were constructed in 1967.

When you visit
Many recreational opportunities are available in our largest park with softball tournaments especially popular and well attended. There is a boat launching dock, places for individuals who like to fish, picnic benches and walking trails. In 2009, the Union Street Railroad Bridge and Trestle was renovated as a pedestrian and bicycle path, connecting our two parks, Waterfront Park on the east side of the Willamette River and Wallace Marine Park on the west side. New sidewalks, including one leading to a river-viewing platform, have been constructed by the city in 2012. New paved walk/biking trails are completed around the sports fields and between the Union Street Trestle and Glen Creek Road are completed in 2014.
In 1969, a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was established. Anyone interested in the development of Salem public parks and playgrounds is invited to apply. All residents are invited to become volunteers: The Salem Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote, develop, facilitate, and sustain stewardship dedicated to the enhancement of the parks of our city. It is also affiliated with the Oregon Cultural Trust. Their public meetings are 1st Thursdays, 6 p.m., Parks Operation Building #14, on 22nd. Street.

Other events

• His political supporters convinced Douglas McKay to leave his appointment as US Secretary of the Interior to run against Wayne Morse for the United States Senate. This was the first election McKay lost. He then served President Eisenhower on the International Waterways Commission.
• A five year effort by the YMCA is completed. In 1951, the Nelson property on Court Street, adjoining the Y had been purchased, and a Capital Fund drive organized. By 1954, funds were raised and the new Youth Wing was completed in 1956.
• St. Timothy's Episcopal Church is established with temporary locations. It would be twelve years before their sanctuary on Ladd Avenue would be completed.
• Business events include the opening of the American Can Company and the closing of Hunt Brothers cannery with their location acquired by the Keith Brown Lumber Company.

• The Chamber of Commerce moves into new headquarters on Cottage Street. This Colonial style residence had been the home of George Rodgers, a former mayor and president of the Salem Paper Company. The property, on the northeast corner of Cottage and Court Streets, had originally been the location of the property of Joseph Holman, outstanding pioneer merchant at the founding of the city. The Chamber occupied this building until 1995 when it moved and the YMCA bought the property. The building burned in 1997.
• The 1952 Turner Reservoir is in full operation this year when J. L. Fransen retires as our first City Manager. The reservoir is named for him. Kent Mathewson receives an enhanced salary of $14,000 a year, compared to Fransen's $11,500.
• A photograph taken at the entrance of Lipman, Wolfe and Company store in downtown Salem shows mature ladies in dresses, most also in hats. Another catches a younger woman in full "poodle" skirt. Trousers on females would have been very unusual. The men appear to be dressed informally much as they are today.
• During the winter of 1956, the Capitol and the Elsinore operate only at night, except for Saturday and Sunday afternoon matinees. The Hollywood remains open as usual. A general lack of patronage, due to the popularity of TV home entertainment is the reason for closure.
• The L. H. McMahon home at 891 Front Street is still a charming cottage in 1956. Built by David McCully in 1864, it will continue to survive into the present (2010), although in a new location at 1365 John Street. The residence was purchased by Judge Leonard H. McMahan and his wife (the former Bertha Byrd) in 1919. After his death, she continued to live there until the house was severely damaged by a falling tree during the windstorm of 1962. The house was moved and became the residence of David Duniway. Mr. Duniway, Oregon State Archivist, was prominent in the promotion of Salem historic properties.

Salem in 1930

World Events

• A worldwide economic Depression begins which will last for ten years.
• Constantinople's name is changed to Istanbul in the new nation of Turkey.
• Mahatma Gandhi, practicing "civil disobedience", starts a 200-mile protest march to the sea with 78 followers to protest British control of salt. In Allahabad, a speech introduces the possibility of a new nation, Pakistan for Indian Muslims.
• The Smoot-Hawley Tariff raised taxes on 20,000 products imported into the U.S., cutting trade and deepening the Depression.
• The planet Pluto is discovered.
• 3M markets Scotch Tape, Birdseye begins sale of frozen foods and Hostess Twinkies are in the grocery store. Toll House cookie invented.
• Blondie and Dagwood is a popular comic  in the newspaper. Academy Award goes to "Cimarron". The Pulitzer Prize goes to Years of Grace by Margaret Ann Barnes.

Along our downtown Willamette River shoreline before the creation of Riverfront Park

In Salem
In 1930 the misery of Salem citizens continues to increase from cinders and soot produced in wood-burning boilers in these downtown factories along the Willamette River. The council had passed Salem’s first anti-smoke ordinance in 1923, but enforcement lagged – cinder, ash, and soot continued to fall. In 1929 the Council, acting on the advice of its Smoke Committee, hired an engineer to test to air. His tests showed "the soot-fall" over downtown Salem to average 1,400 tons per square mile annually, only Pittsburgh, PA, ranked worse. Spaulding Lumber Company and Oregon Pulp (seen in the 1950s photograph above) were found to be violating Salem’s 1923 smoke ordinance. A series of photograph taken from a Goodyear blimp in 1947 shows how the problem persisted.
Cinders and soot were not the Salem Council’s only problem as the depression began. The city council began developing a municipal water service to replace the Oregon-Washington Water Services Corp., which was delivering not only water but also "vegetable growth" to the citizens. The Council ordered livestock – especially goats and chickens – ousted from the City unless neighbors agreed to the farm animals’ presence. (This information from SalemHistory.)

When you visit

The National Clean Air Act of 1963 finally cleared the air in Salem. Downtown shoppers only had to worry about drops of rain, not ashes. The industrial area along the river was transformed in the late 1990s into our Riverfront Park. At the northern edge of the park, the recently renovated Union Street Railroad Bridge and Trestle leads pedestrians across the river to West Salem and Wallace Marine Park. South of the bridge on Water Street, there is now the Gilbert House Children's Museum. Continuing south, the park features a statue of former Governor McCall, as a fisherman, a Picnic Pavilion, play fountain for children, a Carousel, a shallow amphitheater for celebrations and community gatherings and spacious open lawns. The park ends at the Eco Ball where Pringle Creek entrance into the river. New development of the former Boise Cascade property here will daylight the creek and provide additional walking trails. A bridge from the park across to the Willamette Slough to Minto Brown Park is anticipated. A self-guided walking tour of Riverfront Park is on SHINE.

Other Events

• The census shows Salem's population is 26,266.
• P. M. Gregory was elected mayor, heading a Mountain Water Party that captures the majority of City Council seats. They promised to develop a water source on the North Santiam River. Salem's water has such a bad reputation that visiting legislators insisted on spring water at the State House. (A Capitol Journal news item of the year before confirms this: "Secretary of state Hoss, because of the complaints about Salem's obnoxious drinking water, arranged to bring Bull Run water to Salem for legislators at a cost of $2 a day for transportation. Salem's water was held objectionable because of its taste, color, and odor.") However, negotiations dragged on through the following municipal administrations and it would be 1937 before clean water from Stayton Island was delivered to Salem residents.

Methodist Parsonage in original 1841 location

• This year the Methodist Parsonage is photographed in its original location near the Kay Woolen Mill water tower. In 1958 it will be moved to Mission Mill Museum property. The Jason Lee House is still located at 960 Broadway. In 1965 it will also be moved to Mission Mill property, now Willamette Heritage Center.
• Busick's Market on North Commercial Street at Marion had these specials: 100 pound sack of table carrots, 53 cents; 100 pounds of sacked onions, 65 cents; 100 pounds of potatoes, $1.15 and three pounds of blended coffee, 69 cents.

• The Capitol Journal reported that Gov. Julius Meier had selected an apartment on the fifth floor of the Royal Court as his Salem residence during his term of governor. Meanwhile, the remodeling of his office in the statehouse would partition off a space six feet wide for a cloakroom and lavatory at a cost of $1,500. The Royal Court (built in 1927) was also the temporary home of Gov. Hatfield and was host to President Nixon when he visited Salem. The handsome apartment house, still well maintained, is seen at the intersection of Chemeketa and Capitol Streets.

• The Johnson House is built on Lincoln Street. Otto and Modjesta Johnson, original owners of this Colonial Revival house, were the owners Women's Furnishings and Goods. Owners of the house in 1949 were Robert and Hulda Elfstrom. Mr. Elfstrom was mayor of the city of Salem from 1947 to 1950; he served in the Oregon State House of Representatives during the 1950s; in 1963 he was elected to the Oregon State Senate where he served until 1971. This Local Landmark in the SCAN neighborhood is now the residence of the President of Willamette University.

Salem on the Willamette ~ the historic view

This is a copy of a Statesman Journal photograph showing how the Salem industrial riverfront appeared before our beautiful Riverfront Park was created in the 1990s. The triangular Fry warehouse shows clearly in the upper center. More news of this historic structure appears below.