Salem in 1950

World Events

• US military under General MacArthur land at Inchon to aid South Korea after North Korean forces invade, but retreat after defeat by Chinese at Yalu River. MacArthur threatens to use nuclear weapons in Korea. Senator McCarthy accuses State Department employees of being Communists.
• President Truman sends U.S. military "advisors" to Vietnam to aid French colonial forces against Vietnamese Communist nationalists. 
• After Russia detonates an atomic bomb, Truman authorizes development of the more powerful hydrogen bomb. Klaus Fuchs is convicted in London as a spy for Russia, having revealed top secret atomic bomb data.
• Chiang Kai-shek moves his Chinese government to Taipei, Taiwan.
• Ralph Bunche is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for (in part) his 1948 mediation during the partition of land between Palestine and Israel.
• Florence Chadwick swims the English Channel. The first 500-mile NASCAR race is held at Darlington Raceway.
• Diners Club card is first use of a credit card.
• Nat King Cole is popular vocalist. "Peanuts" comics is introduced. Academy Award "All About Eve" (US), The Walls of Malapaga (France, Italy). First National Book Award: Nelson Algren, The Man with the Golden Arm. Pulitzer Prize: The Way West, A. B. Guthrie, Jr.

In Salem
In the late 1940s, Salem's downtown had spaces on the street for automobiles to park in front of stores, but did not have parking lots to accommodate the increase in personal cars since the end of the war. One innovative proposal was to demolish the Holman Building (top photograph above) and make room for parking above a new auto maintenance and repair shop. Those residents who were concerned by the loss of Salem's heritage which this building represented, formed the Marion County Historical Society with the mission of preserving it and, more widely, interpreting the city and county's cultural resources. Its first president, David Duniway, led the fight to preserve the historic Holman Building, reminding the public that for the first years of Oregon statehood (1859-1876), the legislature meet here and most of our basic laws were debated on this site. But he was not successful, the building was demolished and the Marion Car Rental and Park (lower photograph) was built this year.

When you visit
The Marion Car Rental and Park is located on the northwest corner of Ferry and Commercial Streets, a busy intersection for traffic entering Front Street going west from Ferry, or continuing south on Commercial. It is diagonally across the street from the Conference Center. To learn more about the Holman Building and the other historic buildings that were once on this important corner of the new city, read the interpretive panel on the stair landing inside the Conference Center.
This structure is located at the southern extent of the Downtown Historic District and is considered to be a property that contributes to the history of the district. It is now recognized for the integrity of the mid-20th century design and its importance in offering convenience to downtown shoppers 60 years ago when suburban developments were making many downtown business centers obsolete. In 2014 the facility is empty.

Other Events

• The city's population has reached 43,140.
• Our second Municipal Judge, Peery T. Buren, is elected.
• Salem replaces San Jose, California as the largest canning area in the world.
• The ground floor facade of the Capitol National Bank is renovated: two columns of polished Scotch granite are replaced when James Payne, the architect, attempts to retain the "dignity and architectural beauty of the original design while at the same time achieving adequate and efficient quarters for the work of the association on the ground floor." Placing the modern front onto the building required holding up the stone top stories, consisting of over 100 tons of stone, with steel beams to allow the introduction of a large picture window and double doors to provide more light. See this unique building on the SHINE Historic Downtown Walking Tour.
• The Cherry Festival is recorded for the last time.
• A building that houses the Rainbow Inn Cafe at 163 S. Commercial Street collapses, revealing a staircase not in use, according to A. N. Bush, since the 1860s.
• The pre-1871 Werner Breyman house had been moved from State Street (present site of the Micah Building) around the corner on Cottage Street in 1924. By 1950 it had a third floor added and been renovated into an apartment house of 20 units, the building much different in appearance from the original Victorian residence. It will later be demolished for a Willamette University building.

• The Deaconess Hospital became Salem Memorial Hospital in 1947. An early 1950s photograph shows this Winter Street four story, white building which was torn down in the 1960s. The Salem hospital (Salem Health) continues to grow and is now the second largest employer in town ~ next to the state establishment. A fine, 58 foot mural illustrates the hospital's history: look for it inside the Winter Street entrance of the B Building.
• One of Salem's most popular vocalists, Hallie Parrish Hinges, known as the "The Oregon Nightingdale", died this year at the age of 82. Granddaughter of Josiah Parrish, a Salem Methodist missionary pioneer, she sang for three visiting presidents as well as numerous local celebrations. Her childhood home has survived two moves that were due to a series of North Capitol Mall constructions. It is now it 1075 Capitol Street, NE.
• Willamette University builds McCullough Stadium on Bush's Pasture property purchased from the Bush family in 1946.  The facility replaces Sweetland Field. This acreage, the lowland south of Mission and east of the hill on which Bush House stands, was purchased by the university when the city balked at the price of the entire Bush estate. It is a convenient venue for the university and fits in well with the sports fields, Soup Box Derby lanes and the woodlands to the east at Pringle Creek.
• South of city, the Independence Bridge is built spanning the Willamette. Governor Douglas McKay dedicates this bridge on December 18. During the dedication ceremonies Verd Hill, age 74, dies suddenly of heart failure.
• From the Capitol Journal: The Rev. Wesley Turner, pastor of Leslie Methodist Church (since demolished) summoned members of civic and reform organizations to discuss possible action against presentation of the movie "Stromboli" at local theaters. The film was the result of a famous letter from Ingrid Bergman to Roberto Rossellini, in which she wrote she admired his work, and she wanted to make a movie with him. However, the film is best remembered for the affair between Rossellini and Bergman that occurred during this time, as well as the resultant child out of wedlock.  (See Ben Maxwell's Salem, Oregon, edited by Scott McArthur, 2006)

Salem in 1904

World Events

• A surprise attack at Port Arthur in Manchuria by Japanese navy destroys Russian fleet and begins war with Japan. (Co-incidentally,"Madame Butterfly" opera debuts at La Scala in Milan this year.)
• Theodore Roosevelt is elected as President. He proclaims U. S. will intervene if any Latin American government  proves "unstable or incapable".  (Prize-winning Roosevelt biography: Mornings on Horseback, David McCulloch, 2007)
• US Army engineers renew work begun by France on the Panama Canal.
• Fires destroy Alesund, Norway, 1500 buildings in Baltimore, and much of downtown in Toronto, Canada.
• Louisiana Purchase Exhibition World Fair is open all year in St. Louis, Missouri.
• The Ford Model A is replaced by the Model C, but autos continue to be built in their original location, Ford Mack Avenue Plant in Detroit: price for two-seater "runabout" is $800.
• Longacre Square in New York City is renamed Times Square ( for New York Times newspaper) and the first New Year's celebration is held there on Dec. 31.
• Best New American Books: The Sea-Wolf, Jack London; Cabbages and Kings, O. Henry; The Golden Bowl, Henry James. Scottish writer, James M. Barrie creates Peter Pan as play for the London stage.

In Salem
The Breyman Brothers Fountain is erected on Cottage Street at the western edge of Willson Park. The cast-iron statue and fountain were designed as a memorial to the soldiers of Spanish-American War. Because of its practical function in its early years, it became widely known as the "Breyman Horse Trough" (there is also a lower basin for dogs on the opposite side). From the Breyman brothers' residences, both near Cottage on State and Court Streets, they could see the fountain from their front porches. Their sister Louisa Waite, from her residence at the Winter and State Street corner, could admire it as well.

When you visit

The State House of this photograph burned in 1935 and was replaced with the present Capitol, facing north and in a different architectural style. At the fountain, you will notice the statue and lamps, originally bolted to the top, have been lost: a descendant of the family thinks this section fell off and then was melted down for the World War II scrap metal effort. The Breyman Brothers Fountain was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Werner Breyman's residence was to the south, at the corner of Cottage and State Streets ~ the Micah Building is there now. Eugene Breyman's residence was to the north at the corner of Court and State Street ~ that, too, is gone. The area between their homes was at the rear of the old Post Office and they could see each other's house across the expanse of lawn.

Other events

• Frank W. Waters becomes mayor. In November of this year, the mayor persuaded the Salem City Council to grant the Salem Woman's Club the use of the east end of the city council chamber for a library, "provided it should not cost the council anything."
• Chinatown, on the east side of Liberty between Court and State Street, is razed after having been condemned by the city because of concerns for health and safety. The community continues for another twenty years along the west side of High Street between State and Ferry Streets.
• A house is built on Chemeketa Street family property for Elizabeth Watt, daughter of Joseph. After her death in 1925, the house was involved in the lawsuit to restore it to her heirs. This NEN neighborhood property still contains Garland Hollowell's greenhouse, built for his beautiful garden of 31 years (1936-67).
• On Garden Road (now Market Street), the Harris family builds a residence using the plan of a house the family had in Idaho. The home site had been a part of the John Baker Donation Land Claim and a later purchase by the Harrises increased their farm to 20 acres extending to the fairgrounds. Mr. Harris was one of the first farmers to raise Angora goats in Salem. After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Harris, the house became the home of their daughter, Minnie, and her husband Emil Graber. Mrs. Graber continued to live in the house into the 1950s. This NEN neighborhood house is now a Local Landmark.

Alford-Bartleson House

• A turn-of-the-century farmhouse, now almost downtown, is the Alford/Bertleson house on Leffelle Street in the SCAN neighborhood. This rural frame residence was built by Michael Alford, and then became the home of John Bertleson and Jessie from 1922 to 1934. He was a well-known local printer. Of note are the stone chimney, veranda porch and multilevel, steeply pitched gable roofs. It is a Local Landmark.
• Across from the Eyre residence, a home now only known as "Grandmother's House" is built on 21st. Street. Many of the most prominent Salem families lived in this area of Salem at this time, but the owners during the first thirty years in the life of this house are unknown. By 1958 Fannie G. Diamit was living here. Her granddaughter remembers the house well. In 1991 a family with three daughters moved here, also enjoying happy memories of this home. Additions have been made to the rear of the house, but the front has remained essentially the same architecturally. Of special interest is the decorative metal frieze lining the roofline of this porch. It is in the SESNA neighborhood.

From the Capitol Journal:

• "Hundreds of Salemites go to the 4:20 Sunday afternoon train to see a friend off. That is Salem's Sunday theater."
• Labor Commissioner O. P. Hoff compiled a list of occupations in Marion County. There were 53 attorneys, one architect, 202 carpenters, 43 doctors, 2,607 farmers and farmhands, 230 merchants, 5 photographers, 55 stage employees, 57 saloon keepers, 6 electricians and 1 peanut roaster.
• A local ad for Made in Salem stated that La Corona cigars were like Republican election returns ~ they leave a good taste and pleasant memories.
• Joseph Meyer & Son, proprietors of the White Corner and "home of good goods" introduced flashing red, white and blue electric lights as a December holiday attraction. This feature had not been seen in Salem.
• George pierce, Salem hardware merchant, was seriously injured at McMinnville by an explosion of gasoline beneath his automobile. A quantity of gasoline was spilled beneath his Stanley Steamer, but appeared to have evaporated. When Pearce lit the automobile's burner, the explosion occurred. [Mr. Pearce survived the accident, dying suddenly in his store in 1912: the victim of a heart attack.]

(See Ben Maxwell's Salem, Oregon, edited by Scott McArthur, 2006)