Oregon Commercial Company Building
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Commercial Company Building, in Huntington
, Baker County
, Oregon
, United States
, was built in 1890.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992.
The building now houses Howell's Cafe and the Streamliner Lounge.
, including farm machinery
, vehicles, miner's supplies
, lumber
and building material of all descriptions. A representative of the Democrat was shown through their main store and found it equal to the department store
s of a large eastern city, both in the amount of stock carried and the manner of displaying it. Every line is apparently a store by itself, each in charge of a responsible head, securing the same attention to each department as if it were a distinct store under different ownership, with this difference in favor of the O. C. Co., their clientage of customers is large and expense of doing business less. They do business strictly upon eastern principles, believing in a large volume and small profits, and with this idea have been alive to the proposition of selling goods at figures that would enable them to handle more merchandise until today they are recognized as being the heaviest buyers in Oregon
outside of Portland
. In 1897 they handled over two hundred cars of general merchandise, and are the only firm to ship a solid train load of groceries to any point of the northwest, as the shippers have found out on investigation. We present a cut of it, consisting as it did of fourteen cars of groceries and two of hardware. They also do an extensive forwarding business for interior points in Harney
, Malheur
, Baker
and Union
Counties, occupying a fireproof warehouse on the track
, with a floor space of 8000 square feet (743.2 m²).
Huntington, Oregon
Huntington is a city in Baker County, on the eastern border of Oregon, United States. It is located on the Snake River and along Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. The population was 515 at the 2000 census.- History:...
, Baker County
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was built in 1890.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992.
The building now houses Howell's Cafe and the Streamliner Lounge.
History
The foundation of this firm was laid in 1884, by R. M. Steel, D. P. Thompson and others, who were the contractors that constructed the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company to this point. It was known as the Oregon Construction Company, and ran along in that manner until January, 1894 when R. M. Steel, G. A. Steel and J. H. Aitkin became the incorporators and directors of the present institution. They carry a general line of merchandiseGeneral line of merchandise
General line of merchandise or general merchandise is a term used in retail and wholesale business in reference to merchandise not limited to some particular category...
, including farm machinery
Agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery is machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm.-Hand tools:The first person to turn from the hunting and gathering lifestyle to farming probably did so by using his bare hands, and perhaps some sticks or stones. Tools such as knives, scythes, and wooden...
, vehicles, miner's supplies
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, lumber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and building material of all descriptions. A representative of the Democrat was shown through their main store and found it equal to the department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s of a large eastern city, both in the amount of stock carried and the manner of displaying it. Every line is apparently a store by itself, each in charge of a responsible head, securing the same attention to each department as if it were a distinct store under different ownership, with this difference in favor of the O. C. Co., their clientage of customers is large and expense of doing business less. They do business strictly upon eastern principles, believing in a large volume and small profits, and with this idea have been alive to the proposition of selling goods at figures that would enable them to handle more merchandise until today they are recognized as being the heaviest buyers in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
outside of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. In 1897 they handled over two hundred cars of general merchandise, and are the only firm to ship a solid train load of groceries to any point of the northwest, as the shippers have found out on investigation. We present a cut of it, consisting as it did of fourteen cars of groceries and two of hardware. They also do an extensive forwarding business for interior points in Harney
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
, Malheur
Malheur County, Oregon
Malheur County is a county located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon. Most of the county observes the Mountain Time Zone, although the southern quarter of the county observes the Pacific Time Zone along with the...
, Baker
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
and Union
Union County, Oregon
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County...
Counties, occupying a fireproof warehouse on the track
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, with a floor space of 8000 square feet (743.2 m²).