DAY 38 - PENDLETON, OREGON

JUNE 20 , 2014

Today is starting out great.  All blue skies and in the temperature is in the mid 70's.  And best of all we got to sleep in.  At 9:45 am we started our tag-along to the town of Pendleton, Oregon.  Our first stop was the Historic Underground.  

We first watched a video about Duff Severe. He was a saddle maker here in Pendleton. As a leather crafter, I can say that his carving was fantastic.

There are 4 of these featured in the Smithsonian Institution and
National Geographic Magazine and documentaries.

In the 1860s, there was a large Chinese population left here after the construction of the railroad. Pendleton had a Sundown Law which says that all Chinese had to be off the streets by sundown. As a result they lived in basements and a series of tunnels under the city. Today, we visited those basements and tunnels to see what the life was like underground.

The walls were stone and the floor was dirt
 there was no consideration of comfort 

Several men had to share the same room

They had their own jail (Law enforcement did not want to be bothered by the Chinese).

Any criminal action in the underground was handled by their own people

One of the items found was a Chinese rain coat made out of reeds.

Chinese rain coat

They had their own water well underground.

Underground water system

Hop Sing provided a laundry service to the Whites and he also provided baths starting at 10 cents and going down as the water got colder and dirtier throughout the day. You didn’t want to take the last bath of the day even if it only cost a penny.

Laundry Service to all people willing to pay for the service

10 cent for the first person to bathe,
 and down to 1 penny after several men had used the same water

The Chinese also had an Opium Den. Opium pipes and opium boxes were recovered in the tunnels.

Opium Den

Opium pipes and opium boxes 

In 1880, the Pendleton City Council did away with the Sundown Law. The Chinese could now live above ground and a China Town was established near where they used to live underground.

The undergrounders installed sky lights in the sidewalks to provide light for the tunnels. The population started to use the tunnels for commerce; some legal and some illegal. 

Glass in the sidewalks was installed overhead
to bring light to the underground

This is where/how the light was installed on the sidewalk

And of course this brought in gambling and liquor businesses.

Gambling was extremely popular

Liquor Bar

In addition they had a candy store and a ice cream store which had a large refrigerator that was run by an ammonia compressor.

Pendleton Candy shop

Our guide showing us the Ice cream Parlor 

Ammonia Compressor to keep the refrigerator cold

   We also saw the Empire Meat Market. The store was above ground but the butcher shop was below ground. The cash register and the scale you see were actually used in the store in the early 1900s.

Empire Meat Market

The meat was kept fresh by freezing water
 in the three white container on the left

After we left the tunnels, we visited one of Pendleton's 18 Bordellos; the famous Cozy Rooms.

Entrance to the Cozy Room

   You see our group as our guide explains what went on here. We walked up what was called, “The Thirty-one Steps to Heaven.” 

Or should we say "Stair way to Someone's Heaven"

   You see the Madam, Stella Darby, when she was young and later when she was in her 50s.

Madam, Stella Darby started her business
in her early 20's, as a way to help the girls. 

She was never
 a working girl, she was always there for others.

You see one of four working rooms. Stella was very generous in that she gave her girls 50% of their earnings when other Madams gave their girls only 20%.  The girls lived well. They had their own bedrooms and a kitchen where they spent much of their time.

One of the girls guest/playroom

   

Required sign so as not to be disturbed

One of the Girls' room

Kitchen and a place for the girls to spend their spare time.

 After lunch we went to the Pendleton Woolen Mill. In 1909, C. P. Bishop and his sons founded Pendleton Woolen Mills using local wool.

Pendleton Woolen Mill - 1909

 Today, they use local wool as well as wool from Australia and Argentina. The Pendleton Woolen Mill has been under the control of the Bishop family up to the present day.

   Today, this plant produces mostly blankets. The first looms were controlled by punch cards. The later looms were controlled by computers. With all of the technology, they still have to check the quality of their work by hand.

Computer controlled looms

Template/punched card controlled

This is great quality controlled

Another Great day.

#12 Larry