Toledo





	Rudy Thompson, 101, grew up in Toledo and shares some of his memories.

This early view of Toledo is from 1910. “I could walk up to the railroad depot to look in the window to see the telegraph operator and hear the clicking as telegraph messages were sent and received. On the left was Van Cleve's little variety store, also on the left, out of sight, was Fredrick's Grocery where my Dad traded potatoes for grocery staples. Beside that was a ramp leading down to a float where rowboats which I greatly admired were tied up.”

“A lot of people came to town from up and down the Yaquina and Depot Slough with the tides for easier rowing. I remember that the Romtvedt farm was at the head of tidewater so they did that also, which Fred Romtvedt tells about in his "Life and Loves of Fred Romtvedt."

“A little story on the side: When I was in Toledo High School up on the hill, for football practice we walked down and along the track to the football field (which was the County Fairgrounds at that time). On the way down the hill, we often passed through a little apple orchard where I picked up a chicken egg, obviously well past fresh. I carried it along in my hand, thinking what to do with it. About where the railroad passenger cars are in the picture, as we football players were strung out along the track I impulsively threw it up ahead. (Rotten eggs are meant for throwing and not much else, right?) It landed squarely on my good friend George Henderson’s bare head! When I told him I threw it, he never did believe me. Whether he didn't think I could throw that accurately or was covering for some one, I never knew.”

This birds-eye view of Toledo in 1912 was taken from the top of a high hill to the west of Toledo. To the right you can see the the Fisher-Story Sawmill with smoke rising from it. There is the old high school ("that stands on a hill, like castles in brave days of old...") as in the school song.

In this view from 1909, you can see a harness shop, a barber shop and a hotel on the left. On the right is a view of Main Street.

Five years later, in 1914, the view hadn’t changed much. On the left, the sign for the hotel is visible and on the right, is Main Street.


	Thanks to Rudy Thompson, Jan Hofmann and Richard Thompson for contributing to this tribute to old Toledo.


	Last updated 10-27-16


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