Lumber was vital to early settlers of the Grande Ronde Valley. In 1890, Smith and Stanley built a large mill in the small town of Perry, Oregon. Operating the first bandsaw in Union County, the large mill at Perry was producing about 20,000,000 board feet of lumber per year. Trees were cut from the surrounding hills and carried to the mill using the Grande Ronde River and its tributaries.
Grande Ronde Lumber Company
By 1900, the mill changed ownership and was renamed the Grande Ronde Lumber Company. Logging continued after the railroad was extended through the nearby Starkey area in 1906, which allowed for an expanded timber base and more stable employment.
Increasing Road Traffic
At the turn of the century, travel between cities and towns, when not possible by railroad , relied upon stages of private wagons, which soon shared bumpy, corduroy roads with increasing numbers of horseless carriages.
Staking a Place Along the Highway
As automobile and truck use gained popularity, the first state highway plan - "Get Oregon Out of the Mud" campaign - was adopted in 1914. One of Oregon's primary highways was US 30 that extended from Ontario to Seaside, through northeast Oregon and the Columbia River
Gorge. US 30 was a vital link of the movement of goods from Oregon ports, mills, and farms - to and from points east. Businesses and property owners considered locations along the highway as an advantage and requirement for their success. The route also served tourists wishing to visit Oregon's scenic coast, forests, mountains and Columbia River.
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