Salem in 1980

World Events

• President Carter's attempt to rescue our embassy hostages in Iran fails. However, six American diplomats disguised as Canadians, escape.
•  Lech Walesa leads successful workers' strikes at Gdansk Shipyards. An agreement provides for the first free trade union in the communist bloc.
• In Winter Olympics, the "Miracle on Ice" brings hockey victory to U.S. team. The summer games in Moscow are boycotted by 50 nations because of Russia's invasion of Afghanistan.
• Republican Ronald Reagan is elected president with the support of the Conservative "Religious Right". Democrats and Moderate Republicans acknowledge that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), passed by both houses of Congress and ratified by 35 states by 1979 will not receive the necessary 3 more state ratifications due to Conservative opposition.
• Mt. St. Helens volcano in Washington State erupts creating a  transformation of the landscape, killing 57 and causing 3 billion dollars in damage.
• Voters in Quebec reject a proposal to seek independence from Canada.
• John Lennon is shot and killed outside his New York City apartment.
• Academy Awards:" Ordinary People" (US). "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" (USSR). Prize-winning books: Sophie's Choice, William Styron and The Executioner's Song, Norman Mailer.

In Salem
The character of downtown has now developed from local street-front merchants to commercial malls, enclosed areas filled with franchises of name-brand enterprises where the entrance is often through a parking structure. Nordstrom Mall is completed, bringing another nationally recognized name into the local business market. New competition is developing as large national retailers such as Costco, Shopko, Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot recognized Salem's market potential and open outlets in suburban Salem. The state buildings are rising ever northward from the Capitol as the Employment and Agriculture buildings are built north of Union Street and future major state construction is planned for the Mill Creek area bounded by Capitol, Summer, Winter and D Streets.

Residences just outside the traditional core of the city, the older neighborhoods of the 1920s-1930s, are being by-passed by newer residential developments, especially those further south. Fifteen of our nineteen neighborhoods have organized into associations; two more will be established this year. The photograph above is a home in one of these, Croisan-Illahe.
This romantic French Normandy style home is nestled among large oak trees, Croisan Creek running through the front yard of the home. It was built on the original Donation Land Claim of Henry Croisan who joined a wagon train for Oregon in 1846 and established a homestead here, three miles southwest of Salem. After a successful 1849 search for gold in California, he returned to farm on the original claim. The Croisans sold parcels over the years and in 1930 sold almost an acre to Earl S. Sandifer. This home, which he planned with his wife, was completed by new owners, Nels and Olga Tonning. Among the guests in their more than thirty years of hospitality were John Croisan and his wife who had lived in the old homestead on the back of the property. The property changed hands once again in May of 1969 when current owners purchased the property. This property has recently been designated by the City as a Local Landmark.

When you visit
This is a private residence, so enjoy the view from Croisan Creek Road.
The neighborhood covers 2,504 acres in the South Salem hills and has about 700 residents. Its borders are Kuebler Road, Croisan Creek Road and South River Road. The Association area is almost universally residential. Within the boundaries is one developed City Park, Nelson Park, and City owned land for a second park adjacent to the Bailey Ridge subdivision on S. River Road for future development. The Croisan-Illahe area offers easy access to Minto Brown Island Park, downtown Salem, as well as the multitude of resources throughout South Salem.

Other events

• Population reaches 98,830.
• South Salem neighborhood is also established this year. (It merged with Croison-Illahe to become SWAN.) Pioneer Cemetery is located here as well as the historic Salem Heights properties. Notable family residences are historically associated with the names Calaba, Thompson, Taylor, Nohlgren and Falk. The original owners of Buttercup Hill on Sunnyside Road are yet to be discovered. These have already been described in earlier years of this series.

• One of the aeration ponds of Windsor Island is photographed this year. The towers and buildings of the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant are mirrored on the water's surface. Since 1976, the facility has been improved with a larger capacity and a significant reduction in discharged pollutants into the Willamette River.
• Two local newspapers, the afternoon Capitol Journal and the morning Oregon Statesman, having already merged into the Gannet Company in 1974, now unite into one publication, a morning newspaper named the Statesman Journal.
• From the Oregon Historical Society comes Thomas Cronise ~ The Art Perfected, a book illustrating many of that local photographer's sensitive portraits taken in his studio on the second floor of the Bush-Brey Building on Commercial Street during the years between 1902 and 1927. An Oregon Historical Society article of this year describes the studio and equipment: The reception salon of the studio was haphazardly decorated with photographs. In the rear was the camera room where the usual array of photographic equipment, backdrops and props were located. A skylight allowed diffused north light to enter the camera room providing the soft, natural illumination so essential to fine portraiture. Cronise used a 11X14 inch studio portrait camera made of mahogany with brass fittings, which sat on a table specifically designed for raising and lowering the camera. Always accommodating and sociable to his clients, a brass birdie was supplemented by a "Jocko" hand puppet for holding children's attention.
• Another important book about local history published this year is Elizabeth McLagan's A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940, published in Portland by The Georgian Press. This has been an important resource in learning about Salem's African American cultural heritage and has been one of the starting points for the further research and publication by the Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers.
• At Willamette University, an $18 million fund raising drive begins. This project will sponsor the renovation of several major academic buildings, campus grounds will be improved and the Mark O. Hatfield Library built.
• Mount St. Helens, fifty miles northeast of Portland, erupts on May 18 causing the deaths of fifty-seven people and the loss of homes, bridges and railroad tracks in addition to severe highway traffic disruption. The fall-out was apparent here in Salem and caused a new awareness of the west coast potential for geologic disaster in the future.

Salem in 1967

World Events

• Canada begins a year-long celebration of British North American Act, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. DeGaulle proclaims "Long Live Free Quebec" to English displeasure.
• In the Six-Day war with the Arab nations, Israel gains land and unifies Jerusalem, but increases regional enmity and causes many refugees.
• Major American combat in Vietnam: Large anti-war demonstrations are held in American cities including 70.000 protestors at the Lincoln Memorial. Secretary of Defense resigns following President Johnson's rejection of freezing troop levels, stop bombing of North Vietnam, and handing over ground fighting to Vietnamese.
• 25th Amendment provides for transfer of power if President of U.S. incapacitated or unable to perform  duties.
• In Loving v. Virginia, Supreme Court declares laws prohibiting inter-racial marriage unconstitutional.  ("Loving" film, 2016)
• Academy Awards: "In the Heat of the Night" (US Sidney Poitier also starred in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" ), "Closely Watched Trains (Czechoslovakia). Prize-wining Book: The Fixer, Bernard Malmud.

In Salem
By 1967 our McNary Airfield had a new building, housing an attractive restaurant seen above.
The struggle to maintain a local airport was already forty years old. On May 1, 1929, the City had issued a bond for property acquisition and construction, acquiring 91 acres: the airport was dedicated that year. A complete history of our airport can be found on the City of Salem website.
Important developments included airmail service in 1941, US Air Force taking over in 1942 and United Airlines Freight Services starting in 1946. In July of 1949, the lease was signed giving the Navy the use of the hangar and other facilities on the east of the field. A $40,000 Airport Administration Building was dedicated on Sunday, August 7, 1950. Our first control tower was closed in 1953 due to budget cuts and dismantled in 1956 due to vandalism.
But conditions were improving by 1966 when the Salem Fire Department completed construction on the airport fire station and the restaurant was a pleasant place to dine while watching the flights.

When you visit
The current Airport Control Tower was built in 1973. United Airlines has operated out of the Airport Administration Building along with the U.S. Weather Service, a car rental service and a limousine service that provided bus rides to and from Portland Airport in 1977. Unfortunately, Horizon Airlines discontinued service in April 1993.
Our airport is still operated by the City of Salem and offers on-demand air taxi service, cargo shipping, the restaurant, rental cars and shuttle services. It is used by a number of area businesses, their suppliers, and parent companies as an alternative to driving. The airport is frequented by numerous companies, located in the area surrounding the city, when they conduct business in Salem. State legislators also fly into the airport during the legislative session. The ODOT-Aeronautics Section's primary office, as well the State's fleet of aircraft is located at the airport.
In addition to business flights, there are a significant number of less obvious activities that take place at the airport that contribute to the well being of the region. The airport provides FBO services, training flights, aircraft restoration, aerial photography, forest fire fighting, traffic and news reporting, shipping of "just in time" goods, law enforcement and prisoner transport, aerial advertising, real estate tours and search and rescue activities. The Army National Guard is also based at the airport. There is an on-airport industrial park that is home to several businesses that contribute to the aviation industry. We had a commercial service contract for a few months in 2008 and another in 2011, but neither was successful enough for the companies. In 2012, the federal administrators questioned whether our tower was viable.
The Airport Advisory Commission began the year of 1967. Information and application forms for any resident who wishes to be a member are on the City website.

Other events

• Less than a month before the fair was due to open, a major fire hit the Fairgrounds. Two buildings were total losses: the 63,000-square-foot Commercial Building and the 47,188-square-foot Natural Resources Building that had been built in 1891. Forty percent of the commercial exhibit space was lost.
  

Salemtowne as it appeared at 1967 opening.

Former Wallace home at Salemtowne

• Salemtowne opens in West Salem on the grounds of the former Wallace family summer home. The retirement community administration has retained the major part of the home for use of the residents. Informal, period decor gives a hint of what it looked like for the family when they spent summers there in the midst of their farmland.

Stone plaque at Walton Hall identifies site of the Oregon Institute

• Willamette University adds the Collins Law Center and Walton Hall. A plaque in front of Walton Hall identifies the site where the Oregon Institute, the academic foundation of Willamette University, stood from 1844 to 1872 when it was destroyed by fire. Its construction at this site by the Methodist missionaries truly determined where the city would be located after their mission ended.
• A new wing of Salem Hospital, built along Oak Street, dwarfs the old facility. Formerly a residential area known as the University Annex, because of its proximity to Willamette University, Oak Street had many homes of prominent early families. Two of these are the 1890 West-Klein house, home of the parents of Governor West, now relocated to 2983 D Street, and the home of Dr. Carleton Smith, physician and state legislator, relocated to 1335 Cannon Street. Dr. Smith's former home has been designated as a Local landmark.
• The Willow Lake Sewage Treatment Plant opens, contributing to the health of Salem citizens.
• Ben Maxwell, faithful photographic chronicler of Salem, dies. Many of his photographs were left to the Salem Public Library and have been cataloged for online use through the Oregon Historic Photograph Collections. His biography is found on the Salemhistory website and in Ben Maxwell's Salem, Oregon: Nuggets of History from the Salem Capital Journal by Scott McArthur.