The Bakery Building is located on the Esther and Amos Short donation land claim. Esther and Amos Short, and their children, were one of many families who made their way to the Pacific Northwest in the 1840s. First arriving in Oregon Country, the Short family crossed the Columbia River into British-controlled land that would later join the U.S. as Washington State in 1889.1 The area on which the City of Vancouver now sits was home to decades-long court battles over early land claims made by families like the Shorts, as well as the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), the St. James Catholic Mission, and U.S. Military. These competing declarations eventually found resolutions after the turn of the 20th century.
HBC, the British fur-trading monolith, arrived at the vibrant trading post on the banks of the Columbia River in 1825.2 After receiving a charter from King Charles II in the 1600s, HBC extended its area from London to Canada and the Pacific Northwest, as well as international trade networks extending to South America and Asia. After its establishment at Fort Vancouver, HBC grew to accommodate its employees, trappers, and trade partners.3 In 1838, the Bishop of Quebec sent two Roman Catholic priests to the bustling fort to be of service to the numerous French-Canadian employees, many of whom likely had a Roman Catholic background. Six years later, HBC donated land near the fort for the construction of a Catholic mission.4
However, lingering questions of land ownership remained. Despite HBC's evacuation of the area, the Catholic mission remained on the grounds now controlled by the U. S. Military. The Bishop of Nesqually, the diocese under whose jurisdiction the St. James Mission fell, filed a land claim for 640 acres with the Surveyor General of Oregon on May 16, 1853.5 According to Howard Burnham's "Early Land Titles in Vancouver, Washington," the Bishop of Nesqually filed amendments later that same year in which he modified the boundaries of the mission's claim. Burnham noted that no surveys of the area in question had been made during the HBC-controlled period, "so no action was taken on the Mission Claim until 1859."6 This touched off a decades-long court battle between the Catholic Church, the U. S., and the Short family over the land.7 Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U. S. Government in 1889, reducing the size of the Catholic Church's claim from 640-acres to about 1.5-acres.8
Another conflict engulfed the Short family, though they seemingly played a peripheral role in comparison to the two international powers. While the U. S. and Great Britain jockeyed for control of Fort Vancouver and, more broadly, the Pacific Northwest, many American families emigrated into the Oregon Territory. Some encroached into British-controlled land on the north side of the Columbia River, increasing the influence of the United States in the Pacific Northwest. Amos and Esther Short, and their children, were one of the families making this journey in the 1840s. First arriving in Oregon Country, the Short family crossed the Columbia River into what would later become Washington State. The family purportedly had several conflicts with HBC employees. Most notable were Esther Short's run-ins with the fur-trading behemoth which were mythologized in Clark County historian Glenn Ranck's "Esther Short and the Red Coats," a retelling published at the turn of the 20th century.9
Within the story, Ranck described Amos Short as an "intrepid settler," and characterized Esther Short as his "faithful wife," who were "true types of the pioneer yeomanry of the Northwest."10 According to Ranck, upon their arrival in what would later become Southwest Washington, the Shorts faced not only the HBC withholding supplies, but active resistance to their presence:
…a party of the company's employees placed Mrs. Short and her children upon a batteau [sic] which they then pushed adrift into the current of the Columbia with but a single oar on board. It was only by the utmost skill and exertion that the poor mother was enabled to paddle the cumbersome craft to the shore and save herself and children from their perilous position.11
Additional confrontations between the family and HBC occurred, leading Esther Short to become "indignant as did the Boston schoolboys…Like those free-spirited lads, she felt that she had suffered from British cruelty long enough."12
Despite their melees with HBC, the Short family made their way in the burgeoning town site. In 1850, Amos Short assumed the position of probate judge. He held this title until his untimely drowning while on a return trip from San Francisco, California, in 1853.13 Prior to his death, Amos Short neglected filing a land claim, compelling Esther to begin the process in the 1850s.14 She filed a notification of a land claim to 640 acres for herself and "and the heirs of Amos M. Short" on October 4, 1853.15 The Shorts' claim "extended West from Main Street between the present 26th Street and the Columbia River."16 The Short family received their land patent in 1877, 15 years after Esther Short's death in 1862.17
A year after her husband's death, Esther Short opened the Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, one of a few early businesses in the area. Around that same time, Short began selling off parcels of land from the family's land claim. In July 1858, she sold one of the parcels in the growing town site to Hiram Cochran, a master carpenter and postmaster in early Vancouver.18
Hiram Cochran held onto the property for about 25 years before selling it to William H. Delay on August 11, 1883.19 Originally from the Midwest, Delay worked as a farmer once he and his family relocated to Clark County in the 1870s.20 On March 23, 1882, Delay sold the property to Joseph Delay. About eight months later, on October 23, 1882, William Delay purchased the property back.21
On November 13, 1883, Delay sold a portion of the Washington Street property to William and Georgianna Wollenweber for $800 dollars.22 Originally born in Germany, Wollenweber worked as a blacksmith in Vancouver after arriving in the growing town in the early 1880s.23 On the same day they obtained the property, the Wollenwebers conveyed the property to Conrad Sliderberg, Georgianna's grandfather.24 Available records indicate William Wollenweber left Vancouver not long after his divorce from Georgianna in 1891. The business continued operating, though it is unclear who oversaw it. Local newspaper articles suggest Frank Suhl likely managed the business by the late 1890s.25 For example, Suhl added a reel and plug for a fire hose to his shop in 1898.26 Later, William and Georgiana Wollenweber's son, Gay, took possession of the property.27 On August 27, 1907, he sold it to Frank Suhl.28
On January 20, 1911, Suhl sold the property, building, and all the blacksmithing equipment to Linna and Henry Heusner, proprietor and manager, respectively, of the Royal Baking Company (RBC).29 The baking company was already operating in Vancouver in the early 1900s. After the Heusners took over, they helped grow the company over the next 20 years. On August 27, 1925, The Columbian reported RBC would suspend business and close.30 The property went into judicial foreclosure and the local sheriff held a sale on December 31, 1927. The State Savings and Loan Association (SSLA) purchased the property.31 A year later, the local lender sold the property to Portland's Charles T. and Frieda Haas for $10.00.32
The Haas held onto the property for three years. After their marriage ended, Frieda Haas sold her share to her ex-husband on May 16, 1930.33 Charles Haas held onto the property for nearly 15 years before selling it James and Vera Borin on July 15, 1944.34
The Borins then sold the property to the DuBois family, well-known for their involvement in the local lumber and automotive industries, in 1945.35 In 1971, Robert DuBois and Charles J. Mulligan, a representative of the Hannah Motor Company (HMC), entered a real estate contract. This contract stated that Hannah would purchase the building and property.36 Five years later, after the death of Robert H. DuBois, his heirs finalized the contract with Richard Hannah and the Hannah Motor Company.37 The addition of this property to Hannah's already robust property holdings expanded the footprint of the HMC.38
In 1993, Hannah sold the property to Cascade Leasing Company (CLC). John "Jack" Foley of Foley Chevrolet served as president of CLC.39 Two years later, the building changed hands again. Foley would not part with 506 Washington alone — the four adjoining Washington Street buildings had to go as a package. The Brislawn family enlisted family friend Dean Irvin to take the other three, and Matt Brislawn's uncle, real estate agent Michael W. Walling, brokered the arrangement: Walling purchased all four properties, then conveyed the three neighboring buildings to Irvin and 506 Washington to Mark P. Brislawn.40 In April 1995, Matt Brislawn began renting the storefront at 506 Washington directly from Foley, completing build-out improvements and security before opening Briz Loan and Guitar that summer — the first loan was written on July 11, 1995. A portion of the main floor had previously served as storage for a hot-tub company. In November 1995, the Walling-Foley transaction closed and 506 Washington passed to Mark P. Brislawn, and a year later Mark sold the building to his son, securing the shop's permanent home in the historic structure.40,41
Architecturally, the building has undergone significant changes over the course of its storied history and variety of building owners and tenants. Though difficult to discern all the changes and at what stage of the building's life they occurred, many clues to the building's history are still visible today.
The Bakery Building is a 2-story, early-20th-century Commercial-style structure built as a part of a commercial block of downtown Vancouver. The building is part of a row of commercial buildings of similar style and period. It's flanked by a parking lot on the north side, the main entry on the east, and shares a wall with an adjacent building on the south and west sides. The building is located in the central business district of downtown Vancouver, along a very busy streetscape, highly trafficked by cars and pedestrians. The building fronts an avenue lined with trees, street-side parking, and multiple mid-rise, multi-family residential structures.
The two walls that are not shared with adjacent buildings are primarily of brick construction. One wall, facing east toward the street and pedestrian walkway, is the main entry to the building. This façade is characterized by a combination of original brick with a triangular sculptural relief pattern at the second story, and stucco or EIFS on the lower story surrounding the entry, complete with large lettering spelling out "Briz Loan & Guitar." Aluminum storefront windows span along the length of the façade, interrupted by two separate entry doors and a large overhead service door. The interior of the building reflects multiple periods of significance that differ substantially between each of the three levels (basement included), reflecting the many owners and tenants that occupied the building over its lifetime.
The building is rectangular in plan, spanning approximately 40 ft. in width and 100 ft. in length. The original building, built entirely of brick construction, was only one story, with a basement below. The second story was added at a later date, and it is unknown as to when this occurred. The basement of the building appears to be closer to its original construction and condition than the rest of the building. The foundation appears to be concrete slab on grade, with full-height, concrete-foundation walls. Original elements of the Bakery Building are still visible. At the vaults underneath the sidewalks, original glass blocks can be seen, along with service hatches used to load "provisions" directly into the basement. Original wood columns on concrete pedestals support the wood floor above. Multiple additions/renovations of the wood floor above are evident with sections of the floor exhibiting different heights/depths of structure, different orientation of floor joists, etc. This likely indicates changing uses and layouts of the spaces above. Some original structural terra-cotta walls remain, housing a storage space originally utilized for storing coal for the bakery. A small coal shoot is still visible on the North wall of the building. Implements for hanging signage are attached to the bottom of wood floor joists, remaining from the period in which the building was occupied by a signage company. A few modern elements and additions to the basement are evident with small, framed storage spaces constructed by Briz Loan & Guitar.
The main floor of the building is bisected into two primary spaces (east and west), the main store at the east side, and a large storage space on the west. A small portion of the store side is sectioned off to create a service entry, with a large sectional overhead door at the east end. This space is not original, but the date at which it was constructed is unknown. The rest of the main store space has been updated within the last two to three decades to have more modern finishes including suspended acoustic ceiling and recessed light fixtures, aluminum storefront windows, wall racks for guitar storage, display cases and fixtures, and new paint. The original wood floors are in excellent condition nearly throughout store space. The large storage space on the west side contains far fewer changes or updates to the finishes, compared to the store. The original brick wall construction is visible on all sides. A combination of timber and steel structure was used to support the addition of the second floor above. The full height of the storage space is visible. The ceiling of the space appears to be lath and plaster, likely original to the addition of the second floor. An ungrouted CMU masonry wall was constructed at the back of the storage space and serves as a portion of the parti wall with the adjacent building. A few small contemporary wood-framed partitions appear to be the only major changes in the space made after the second-floor addition.
The second floor of the Bakery Building, though not original to the initial construction, appears to have been constructed very soon thereafter. The history of the second floor's construction, and its various tenants are not well documented. The limited information found in historical documents indicates that the second floor, like the rest of the building, experienced a wide variety of uses. Sanborn maps mention uses in the 1920's including a tailor and art shop. Anecdotally, the current owner of the Bakery Building has indicated the second floor being used as a Business School for an unknown period. Architecturally, the second floor shows some evidence of the spaces being used for commercial offices. In the central hallway of the upper floor, one of the existing doors still shows vintage lettering spelling out "Office." Additionally, many of the existing doors and interior windows appear to be original, some with original hardware and glazing still intact. Prior to renovating the space, the current owner also indicated that the existing restrooms were labeled "Men" & "Women." This would seem to indicate the spaces were likely used commercially, possibly to accommodate staff or students. The second floor, in its current condition, seems to maintain much of its primary circulation, with the main hallway still intact. The secondary spaces show evidence of the removal of some original walls that used to separate a now large apartment unit. Much of the upper floor is naturally lit by large original double-sloped (gabled) skylights throughout. Many of the skylights appear to have safety wire applied to the existing plate glass, as well as additional horizontal glazing added below. Original maple wood flooring is still visible throughout, and well preserved. The wall finishes on the second floor appear to be original wood, including board and batten, tongue and groove, and lath and plaster in some areas. Updates to the finishes appear to be minimal, primarily including surface treatments like new coats of paint. Generally, the second floor has only experienced changes to the secondary spaces to accommodate new uses. The preservation of the primary circulation and original finishes have helped maintain much of the building's original character in the upper floor.
The north façade of the building faces an open lot, which is currently being utilized as parking. The façade exhibits a large colorful mural that spans the entire length of the building. Much like some of the other spaces inside the building, many of the changes to the building's use are still visible. A delineation between the original single-story building and the second-story addition is readily visible. The upper portion of the exterior wall appears to be structural terra-cotta blocks, rather than brick, like the east façade. A visual history of changes to the openings are present as well. An arched doorway or window opening at the ground level has been filled in near the midpoint of the building. The similarity in size and color to the original brick indicates it was done early on during the building's lifetime. On the upper level two window openings are present, one of them filled in with the same terra-cotta block. The other has been preserved, with the original wood frame and new vinyl sashes. A pair of smaller wood "clerestory" windows are located just below the upper windows and appear to be in their original form.
Listed under Clark County Heritage Register criteria 1 and 5 (events and persons significant in local history). Areas of significance: Art, Business, Commerce, Science, Technology. Period of significance: 1911–1929. Significant dates: 1913, 1929, 1953, 1960. Significant persons: Harry and Linna Heusner, William Cole, Dean Weber, Stanley Garrett, and Max Theobald.
Working-class histories often live in the liminal spaces of the historical record, as the narratives of the powerful often supplant the names, stories, and vital contributions of everyday workers whose labor helped grow and shape the cities in which they lived. Many of these workers served as craftspeople whose specialized skillsets provided artisan, hand-made goods to the local community. The history of crafts is complex, as competing pressures affected these myriad practices' ability to sustain. The United States functioned as predominately preindustrial in the first half of the nineteenth century.42 While factories popped up, largely in Northeast and Southern states, some Americans questioned the "place of manufacturing in American society," as it countered the Jeffersonian ideal of a democratic farmer Republic.43 In the early nineteenth century, most residents controlled their own labor, working in a self-employed capacity.44 Manufacturing done outside of the home was performed by artisans in small shops. They used hand tools to make products, typically performing work alone, sometimes with the assistance of a business partner or a helper.45 The possession of specialized skills provided craftspeople with "varying degrees of independence, mobility, and status."46 After the incorporation of the city of Vancouver in 1857, Southwest Washington continued to grow as newly arrived populations demanded services from skilled laborers, such as shoemakers, barbers, bricklayers, and blacksmiths.47
From the 1840s to the 1890s, America shifted from a pre-industrial to a major industrial society.48 Technological changes, such as the transition to the use of steam power and automation of tasks once done by hand, led to changes in the structure of the labor force.49 Across industries, machines replaced highly skilled craftspeople. While this lowered manufacturing costs and reduced prices on finished goods, it also resulted in the divisions of labor into repetitive tasks and a deskilling of the labor force.50
With the expansion of industrial employment, millions immigrated to America. Many migrated to work in Washington state's numerous trades, such as agriculture, fishing, mining, and timber. Between 1880 and 1890, the number of manufacturing workers in the state rose from 1,147 to 20,366, surpassing national trends. Vancouver's population tripled between 1900 and 1910, growing from 3,126 to 9,300.51
Hard-working people created and sustained Clark County's local economy through the development and maintenance of businesses focused on trade and crafts. The building at 506 Washington, and the many individuals who worked out of the Bakery Building, housed artisans and craftspeople whose labor helped the city grow from its inception to today. However, unlike broader national trends, many of the Bakery Building businesses reflected the continued importance of artisans and craftspeople within the Clark County community.
From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the Bakery Building was home to a well-regarded blacksmith and machinist shop. Blacksmiths functioned as important tradespeople. These skilled artisans made metal goods, from pots and pans to metal wagon parts, for the entire town. Machine production led to factories specializing in products and product categories, such as agricultural implements. The larger-scale operations produced goods more quickly than artisan blacksmiths, forcing the latter to shift their focus.52 Many blacksmiths began to focus on repair, rather than producing new goods. By the end of the 19th century, "blacksmith" no longer appeared as a category on the U. S. manufacturing census.53 The blacksmithing business opened by William Wollenweber and his partner with the last name Zeek at 506 Washington adhered to this trend. Opened in the early 1880s, Wollenweber's shop quickly grew and expanded its services in subsequent years, including repairs. By the following decade, family members took over. The shop's reputation within the community, and its contracts to provide services for the city, allowed it to continue operating for another 20 years.
In 1911, the Royal Baking Company (RBC) took over the Bakery Building after the blacksmith shop and began expanding its footprint to encompass multiple parcels on Washington Street shortly thereafter. Bread was one of the last products to be industrialized due to the difficulties that came with controlling "living yeast and other microorganisms."54 Despite the complexities, early innovations gestured towards future mechanization. With the first commercial yeast readily available in 1868, the process of bread making became a bit easier.55 After the turn of the century, the introduction of the at-home electric mixer and electric oven continued to modernize the baking process.56 The largest shift in industrialized bread making occurred in the late 1800s, as large-scale baking facilities supplanted the extant small, individually owned bakeries. Technological innovations in milling and factory baking, as well as greater marketing of store-bought bread, shifted consumers to store-bought products.57 Women baked 90 percent of bread at home in the 1890s. By the 1930s, factories baked 90 percent of bread that was then shipped to stores.58 RBC's extensive baking facility provided baked goods throughout the Southwest Washington region, as well as Vancouver grocery stores.
In the 1920s and 1950s, two neon sign companies occupied the Bakery Building. These businesses designed, created, and installed important artistic pieces that reflected aesthetic trends and technological innovations realized by local crafts people. The Vancouver Sign Company (VSC), established in 1923, became a commercial neon sign company later that decade. Neon signs had only been in the United States since the early 1920s. France's Georges Claude is one of the first originators of neon technology. In 1910, he displayed one of the earliest commercial luminous tube signs at the Grande Palais in Paris. Four years later, a neon plant was in operation. In 1915, Claude received a patent for part of the process in electrifying signs. With the construction of Claude Neon sign for the Paris Opera in 1919, the new illumination method for advertising captured the world's imagination.59
Companies in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco used "liquid fire," a term employed for the newfangled technology, to illuminate billboards.60 "Murky origins" surround the actual location and company responsible for the first neon sign in the U. S, however.61 VSC and Garrett Sign, two neon sign companies that operated out of the Bakery Building at various points in their respective histories, are still in operation and headquartered in Clark County.
During the tumultuous period of the 1970s, much of the city center experienced an economic downturn as residents and businesses moved towards the newly built suburbs. Despite the economic shift, a leather-goods store opened at 506 Washington. Called Kuchera and Son, the shop started as a family-run business in the Tacoma area in 1900. Before the turn of the century, leather tanning served as a localized industry in which the craftsperson produced goods for personal or local consumption. With the onset of the new century, the adoption of modern technologies allowed firms to produce goods for national and international markets.62 Bequeathed to long-time employee Max Theobald by a son of the business' founder, Kuchera and Son relocated to Vancouver in the 1960s. In the latter half of the twentieth century, leather manufacturing dropped significantly. In 1954, leather manufacturers made up 2.6 percent of all manufacturing. Just over 20 years later, that share dropped to 0.5 percent.63
In the ensuing decades, Theobald's business survived the ups-and-downs of the Disco age and went on to serve the community until the early 1990s.
As Vancouver's downtown core bounced back in the 1990s, exhibited in the reinvigoration and reinvestment in the area, new businesses opened in the city. In 1995, Matt Brislawn opened Briz Loan and Guitar. The music instrument-focused pawn shop, which continues to operate and serve the Vancouver community, reflects Clark County's rich and vibrant creative subcultures. Pawnbroking in the United States dates to the colonial period, functioning as part of the informal economy.64 Similar to how those involved in the business describe its function in the moder period, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it served as "an essential way to obtain ready cash for everyone but the privileged few, and was therefore a mainstream economic activity."65
The land and structure situated at 506 Washington represent more than a century of stories dedicated to the work of building up the Clark County community. From early craftspeople and makers who made everyday goods for the town and region, to artisans whose handcrafted creations adorned the region for the next eight decades. The following section chronicles the lives and stories of the people and businesses that occupied this space from the mid-1800s to today.
William Wollenweber was born in Hanover, Germany around 1855.66 It is likely that he was in the Clark County area by the 1880s. Wollenweber worked in the blacksmithing trade alongside a machinist with the last name Zeek at a shop on the corner of 5th and B Street by June 1883. The shop sported both business partners' names: Wollenweber and Zeek.67 Around the same time, they improved and expanded their services: "Wollenweber & Zeek are now ready to repair machinery and wagons, having added to their blacksmith shop a small lathe and wood-work shop."68 By August 1883, Wollenweber became the sole proprietor of the blacksmith and machinist shop.69 It is unclear how the partnership between Wollenweber and Zeek dissolved or what came of the latter business person.
While building up his business, Wollenweber married Georgianna Sliderburg on August 18, 1883.70 Georgianna Sliderburg was born around 1861 in Missouri to George and Anna Sliderburg.71 The family likely made their way to the Pacific Northwest by the 1880s.72 George Sliderburg worked as a farmer while Anna kept house. The historical record holds little information about the Sliderburg family.
In 1885, Wollenweber received a mentioned in a local newspaper for repairing "Steffan's wood sawing engine."73 The article went on to note "Billy can mend anything from a horse shoe to a locomotive."74 A year later, Georgianna and William Wollenweber lived between 5th and 6th streets in Vancouver. In January 1886, William Wollenweber placed a notice in the Vancouver Independent alerting anyone indebted to him "to come and settle their accounts by cash or approved note," or the debt would "be left in the Hands of an officer for collection."75 William Wollenweber continued to own and operate a blacksmith and machinist shop in Vancouver. This shop appeared in ads as "City Iron and Machine Works" in 1886.76 A year later, William Wollenweber closed his blacksmith shop and went to his "Cowlitz county ranch."77 In March 1888, Wollenweber "re-opened his shop for businesses, and shows that while in the woods he lost none of the vigor necessary to swing the blacksmith's hammer." 78 While Wollenweber was sojourning at his ranch, he became a naturalized citizen on November 23, 1887.79
The Wollenwebers had three children. The couple's first child, Fred, was born on December 3, 1884. After a few short days with their new son, they faced an unfortunate tragedy when he passed away.80 Two years later, the couple welcomed another son, Gay. In 1888, a daughter, Ethel, rounded out the family.81 Information about the family's life during this period is limited. However, Wollenweber continued to operate his business until the 1890s.
On April 17, 1891, Georgianna Wollenweber filed for divorce from her husband in superior court.82 She filed for a dissolution of marriage shortly after the passage of updated divorce laws which the Washington State Legislature approved, alongside the state's new constitution, in 1889.83 The updated provisions shifted the venue for divorces from the territorial legislature to the superior court. The new law created requirements for absolute divorce, which included adultery, abandonment, cruelty, impotency, and other grounds.84 It is unclear under what cause, or combination of causes, Georgianna Wollenweber filed for divorce. After their divorce, there is little available information about William Wollenweber. William Wollenweber is buried in Old City Cemetery, though no death date is listed. Georgianna Suhl is buried next to him. She passed away on May 29, 1905.85
Frank Suhl was born in Illinois on January 23, 1863, to Henry Suhl and Margaret Stauffenburg Suhl.86 He briefly lived in Missouri before making his way to the Northwest around the turn of the century.87 He purportedly first arrived in Portland. An article from The Columbian printed an interesting travel tale onto the machinist: "Mr. Suhl walked to Vancouver from Portland through brush and woods, crossed the ferry, bought the property, and went to work on it where he has been ever since."88 By 1891, he was working as a blacksmith in Wollenweber's shop in Vancouver.89
During their time working together, an intriguing event purportedly occurred between Suhl and Wollenweber. Reported in The Columbian decades after the fact, "one of Vancouver's old citizens" recounted an episode in which "Frank Suhl [threw] old Wollenweber out of the Washington street blacksmith shop on his ear."90 The circumstances surrounding the event are unclear.
Not long after his arrival in Vancouver, Suhl became known as "one of the best blacksmiths that ever struck an anvil" in the county by the local community.91 By 1894, the Vancouver City Council contracted with the well-regarded blacksmith for repair work, reflecting his growing professional stature within the community.92
Frank Suhl and Georgianna Wollenweber married on October 30, 1892.93 Three years later, a newspaper article spoke to the role Suhl held in the lives of the Wollenweber children. While three-year-old Ethel Wollenweber was on the sidewalk in front of the blacksmith and machinist shop on the corner of 5th and B Streets, a bicycle ran over the toddler. Seemingly a common occurrence as bicycles began to grow in popularity during this period, the young Wollenweber's accident was "not the first time [this] happened at this corner."94 In reporting the incident, the newspaper referred to the youngest Wollenweber as "Frank Suhl's little girl."95
Frank Suhl became the owner of the blacksmith and machinist shop in 1907.96 He continued operating the business for another five years before selling the business to Henry and Linna Heusner, the manager and proprietor of the Royal Baking Company, respectively.97
After working as a blacksmith and machinist in Vancouver 22 years, Suhl sold the lot as well as "all the machinery in the machine shop." 98 Upon his retirement, Suhl left Vancouver for a year and traveled around the United States, visiting "many points of interest."99 Notably, he made his way to Ithaca, New York, to visit his stepson, Gay Wollenweber, who was attending Cornell University.100
Frank Suhl passed away at the age of 80 on August 14, 1943, in Vancouver.101
By the time Henry and Linna Heusner, and son Irving, moved to Clark County and purchased Frank Suhl's property and building in 1911, Royal Baking Company (RBC) was already a well-established bakery in Vancouver.102 Prior to the move, the Heusners worked in New York's baking industry. Born in Germany around 1869, Henry Heusner immigrated to New York in the 1870s, making a home in New York by the turn of the century.103 He married Madeline "Linna" Gerber around 1896.104 She was born in New York around 1862 to August and Elizabeth Gerber.105 While living in New York City, Henry and Linna Heusner both worked in the baking industry. 106 The Heusners established the Heusner Baking Company in New York around 1905, officially incorporating it about four years later. Their bakery had "a large plant and factory property" valued around $50,000 at the time of incorporation.107 About a year later, the Heusners' company filed for bankruptcy.108
In 1909, the Vancouver-based baking company, owned by Masemayer and Meiser at the time, purchased F. H. Fox & Co.'s Spa Confectionery store on Main Street.109 RBC planned to remodel the shop into a retail storefront to sell cakes, pies, and other sweets made by the bakery. 110 The following year, the former Spa Confectionery owners purchased the sweetshop back from RBC.111 Reverting to its original name, the Spa Confectionery sold bread, pies, and cakes made by RBC, but added candy and ice cream, made in-house, to the growing downtown population.112 The same year RBC initially purchased the confectionery, it also invested in the Snow Flake Bakery, located at 508 Washington Street. The newly purchased bakery would be where RBC would "prepare and bake their goods," with an oven expected to have a daily capacity of 5,000 loaves.113
When the Heusners' took over 506 Washington, RBC expanded its operations on Washington Street. Just a month after opening, the Heusners received permits to raise new buildings on their new property.114 The renovations began shortly thereafter, including the construction of two large ovens placed at the rear of the building. The new, white enameled ovens cost $2,000 and could purportedly bake 100 loaves of bread each!115
During construction, RBC continued to supply baked goods to area grocery stores. Of note for the local bakery was its "Big 'R' Bread," with each loaf using the "best obtainable" materials and tipping the scales at a "full 16 ounces before it goes into the oven."116
RBC likely completed its expanded operation by April, as its advertisements began listing the bakery's address as 506-508 Washington.117 In May 1911, the company participated in a city-wide celebration of the local Elks Club by decorating the "arches in front of the door with purple and white bunting."118 With renovations complete, business continued apace for the bakery.
On the early morning of July 23, 1912, a fire broke out in the baking company's rear buildings. The fire department extinguished the blaze, limiting the damage to the rest of the facility.119 Despite the blaze, RBC pressed forward with its expansion plans. The bakery owners announced their intention to construct a new structure on June 3, 1913. With modern ovens already in place behind the site, "the new building will provide for a salesroom in the front and store room behind."120 The one-story brick building with a basement, and "large plate glass windows" was "modern in every respect."121 In celebration of its grand opening, RBC invited shoppers to tour the new construction on August 16, 1913. At its grand opening, the bakery encouraged purchases through a "souvenir day" promotion: anyone who purchased something from the bake house would receive a "handsome" gift.122
The growth of the community reflected the bakery's need for continued expansion. In 1918, RBC began the process of installing "two large patent baking ovens" to supplement those already in use. The two-story bakery had a daily capacity of 16,000 loaves and used its second floor to produce "various kinds of cakes and pastry."123 RBC had a robust shipping department, with five trucks that took bread and other baked goods to Portland, OR; Camas, WA; and as far as Fall Bridge, WA, and Goldendale, WA. The company distributed its baked goods using the railway, taking their loaves as far north as Napavine, WA.124
In 1920, RBC reincorporated under a new name: the Heusner Baking Company (HBC).125 The following year, a fire gutted the bakery, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage to the facility.126 HBC received a permit to repair the damage caused by the fire.127 The new bakery and the updated facility, which cost the company about $200,000, was able to produce between 25,000 and 30,000 loaves a day, as well as over 3,000 dozen Butter Krust cookies per week.128 The company sold their baked goods throughout Washington, Portland, and "small towns of Oregon as far east as Pendleton."129
In 1924, the company reincorporated again, changing its name to the Union Baking Company.130 A year later, another fire broke out in the bakery. Caused by a broken gas line and ignited by the heat of the ovens, the conflagration caused losses estimated to be around $600. Despite the loss, the damage did not prevent the bakery from continuing operations, though only for a brief period. 131 About a month after the fire, an announcement appeared in The Columbian that the bakery would close.132
In August 1926, the State Savings and Loan Association (SSLA) sued Henry Heusner and his business partner, H. Irving Heusner, for an unpaid promissory note and interest on said sum, amounting to $53,193.133 Three months later, the SSLA foreclosed on the Heusners and their baking company in the Superior Court of Washington State.134 Previous reporting suggested that the Heusners had already made their way to New York earlier in the year.135 The dust finally settled right before the end of the year, when the SSLA acquired the property at a sheriff's auction.136
Despite the kerfuffle in Vancouver, Henry Heusner continued working in the baking business upon his return to New York. He worked as a supervisor for the Krug Baking Company in South Ozone Park in Queens.137
Already in business, the Vancouver Sign Company (VSC) moved to 506 Washington in 1929.138 VSC started as a billboard and wooden sign shop at 107 West Eighth Street in 1923. By the mid-1920s, Clarence A. Estell owned the company.139 Five years later, Estell sold the company to Bill Cole. The deal struck between the two included all VSC's stock, including paint, oil, and varnish, as well as "all sign painting equipment…and all other stock and equipment used in connection with" VSC.140
Around the time he took over VSC, Cole also purchased a neon firm, successfully turning his new sign business into a fully commercial electric sign shop.141 Neon signs had only been in the United States since the early 1920s. Companies in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco used "liquid fire," a term used for the newfangled technology, to illuminate billboards.142 "Murky origins" surround the actual location and company responsible for the first neon sign.143
William Andrew Cole was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 20, 1909.144 His father, Samuel William Andrew Cole, was born in Ballabay, Ireland. Nettie Martin, his mother, was born in Kentucky.145 Cole came to the Vancouver area around 1922.146 He graduated from Vancouver High School in 1926. After high school, he "engaged in business in Portland and San Francisco," and attended art school in the latter city.147
Upon returning to Vancouver, Cole noted the "growth of the city and the outlook for future growth," prompting him to invest in Estell's sign shop.148 He began extensive remodeling of the original shop location on West Eighth, "increasing and enlarging his business steadily."149 Cole also expanded VSC with the purchase of the neon business. Unlike other similar businesses, he sold the signs to local merchants instead of leasing, which allowed VSC to give "'merchants a much better price and one that will be in accordance with their means and the benefit the sign will do them.'"150
The growth and expansion of the business outpaced the footprint of the current building, requiring VSC to move into 506 Washington Street in 1929. At its new location, the business continued to expand its offerings, adding auto painting and six employees: V. B. Laymen, Sidney Baton, R. J. White, W. W. Whetstine, James Hayes, and Lucille Krause.151
VSC took on all types of projects at the local, regional, and even international level. On March 23, 1931, a car painted by the neon sign company made its way across the globe for its owner: an Australian postal worker. A Portland-based automotive company had modified the Durant automobile to conform to the country's left-handed system, but VSC decorated it.152 In November 1940, VSC received a contract to build two of the largest neon signs in Southwest Washington, both for Camas' Crown Willamette Paper Company's bag factory. VSC fabricated over six hundred and fifty feet of florescent neon tubing in its own glass plant for the sign. Additionally, the job required 16 15,000-volt transformers and over three-and-one-half tons of steel.153
With the onset of WWII, Cole joined the U. S. Navy and served three years of active duty.154 After returning from his years of service, Cole married Rachel Rodman on May 1, 1948, in Portland.155 Rachel Elaine Rodman was born on July 16, 1914, in Cook County, Illinois, to Arthur and May Rodman.156 Tragedy struck the family three years after Rachel's birth. Arthur Rodman passed away on December 29, 1916, at the age of 51.157 Rodman, the president of the Bankers' Engineering Company of Chicago, succumbed to a stomach illness after only a few days.158 The family remained in Illinois before moving to Ohio in 1925.159 By 1930, the Rodmans were living in Mount Vernon, New York.160 Available records indicate the family lived in New York until the mid-1940s.161 While her family was in the Northeast, Rachel Rodman attended the University of Nebraska.162 After graduating, she worked in the executive offices of Portland's Standard Oil Company.163
Outside of operating VSC, Cole had a considerable influence in the burgeoning sign industry. Early in his career, he was a leader in local sign associations, councils, and rulemaking committees. These groups helped shape the local signage landscape for future generations. Cole was also part of the very first Sign Apprenticeship Council for Southwest Washington, as well as a founding member of the World Sign Association, of which VSC is still a member.164
VSC has been a part of many of the iconic signs in Southwest Washington, such as the "Welcome to Vancouver" billboard that once adorned the side of I-5, the first Columbian newspaper sign, and the iconic Kiggins Theater sign.165 VSC operated out of the Bakery Building on Washington Street until 1946, when the firm moved to a larger location on Columbia.166 The company continues to operate, producing signs for businesses in Clark County, the Pacific Northwest, and the West Coast.167
In the 1940s, 506 Washington hosted another business that continued the sign-making legacy of VSC. Dean Weber Displays, which initially sold art supplies and later operated as a sign-making business, moved into the building in the late 1940s.168
Dean S. Weber was born on October 16, 1917, to Harry Weber and Letha Alberta Wingfield.169 For the first years of his life, Weber and his family lived on a farm in Ridgefield before moving to Vancouver.170 He attended Vancouver High School and was an active member of the golf team and involved in many artistic enterprises.171 In 1935, he won the American Legion Auxiliary's annual poster and essay prize.172 The following year, he entered a contest sponsored by the Propeller Club of the United States.173 Unfortunately, there is no indication as to how Weber faired in the competition. Weber graduated in 1936.174 After high school, Weber went on to attend art school in Portland, as well as taking extension art courses from the University of Oregon.175
Weber married Marie Kilpatrick in a lawn ceremony at her family's Clark County home on June 15, 1939.176 Marie Elizabeth Kilpatrick was born on September 10, 1919, in Iowa to George and Oril Kilpatrick.177 A decade later, the Kilpatrick family was living in Clark County. George Kilpatrick worked in a lumberyard as a foreman.178 In 1934, Marie Kilpatrick participated in her high school band's concert, held at Esther Short Park. She played trombone and performed "a program of popular and semi-classical selections" along with her fellow band mates.179 After graduating from high school, she took a position as secretary at Arnada School.180
During World War II, Dean Weber made a name for himself in the arts while employed in the local defense industry. In 1943, he worked as an electrician at Vancouver's Alcoa plant, helping "in the production of aluminum to build planes."181 After his full eight-hour shift, Weber spent his free time creating colorful posters to "remind his fellow workers that Alcoa production" helped the war effort.182 The posters were hung throughout the factory and were purportedly "awaited with eager interest by the men in the plant who want to see the message that is carried by each new creation."183
At the culmination of the worldwide conflict, Weber parlayed his creative talents into a new business. In 1945, he opened Dean Weber Displays, an art supply store located in the Arts Building on Main Street.184 The historical record provides little information as to what sort of business Weber had at this time. However, his involvement in Vancouver's art scene was clear. In 1947, Weber presented a step-by-step demonstration of the silkscreen process at the meeting of the Washington Artists Association held at the arts center of the Memorial Building. Alongside the demonstration were a collection of serigraphs loaned by Mrs. Donald Stewart featuring "modern American artists."185 Weber served as the president of the Vancouver Branch of the Washington Artists Association for a period. He retired from the position in 1956.186
In 1946, Weber joined forces with Stanley E. Garrett.187 The two entrepreneurs opened "Garrett and Weber Signs" at 205 E 10th Street.188 The new company designed and fabricated signs for businesses in Southwest Washington, with both Garrett and Weber working as sign writers, painting and handwriting signs.189 By 1953, Garrett and Weber Signs were operating out of the Bakery Building at 506 Washington.190 Though they worked well together for a while, the two sign painters' company dissolved after about a year of operating together.191 According to the current owner of Garrett Sign Company, the falling out between the business partners occurred after a customer placed an order that was significantly bigger. Garrett completed the order, and upon receiving payment, Weber wanted to spend his portion of the profits on contemporary furniture. Garrett wanted to use the larger-than-normal commission to expand their business. The difference in approach, according to the story, is what led to the Garrett and Weber parting ways.192
Stanley Garrett continued in sign making, while Dean Weber continued with the art-supply business. He operated Dean Weber Displays out of the Bakery Building, selling art supplies to the community, for the next two years. During this time, Weber hosted art shows. In 1954, Dean Weber Art Supply welcomed students and recent graduates of the Museum Art School in Portland to show their work in his gallery space. The Columbian noted it was the "only commercial gallery in Vancouver."193
In 1956, Weber moved the business to a larger space on 9th and Washington. This new location offered Weber twice the square footage to sell "the only complete line of supplies for amateur and professional artists in Vancouver." Outside of supplies, the new shop had a picture gallery that would "be available for the use of all local artists shows and shows of the Washington Art Association Local art groups." 194
Outside of work, both Dean and Marie Weber were active on the links. Dean was a charter member of the Royal Oaks Country Club and served as its president in 1962.195 He went on to claim double victories at his home course in 1963 and 1969.196 Marie was one of 11 women named to represent the club in the Southwest Washington sweepstakes in Longview, WA, held the last week of July 1948. During the qualifying match, she tied for first place with Mrs. Charles Young and Mrs. Clinton Fleet. Ultimately, Kilpatrick took second place, along with Fleet, in a one-hole play-off.197 The Weber's continued their respective golf careers throughout their time in Vancouver, playing in tournaments and supporting the Royal Oaks Country Club in various capacities.
Marie Weber also championed the local community through her involvement in local issues and continued focus on children's education. In 1952, Weber joined a group of concerned citizens in the Brookside neighborhood who were concerned about the sewage being pumped into Burnt Bridge Creek. 198 The neighborhood residents joined together to inform the local health department about their concerns, namely the proximity of the sewage pump to areas where children played. The group spoke of a little boy who fell ill with typhoid fever who might have gotten the illness from playing near the pump house.199 Two years later, Weber spoke in front of the city council about a proposal for construction of sanitary sewers in the Brookside addition. At the meeting, she suggested the city pay the cost of the pumping station, estimated at $9,700, which would allow local property owners to pay for the proposed Low Impact Development or LID. City Attorney David C. Hutchinson said, "an expenditure for a pumping station could be justified out of the general fund, but that no money is available for that purpose."200 In 1953, she opened a summer activity nursery school for children ages 4 to 6. Open Monday to Friday, the cost of institute was $5 a week, with all materials furnished for the littler learners.201
Available evidence suggests that Dean Weber retired around 1975.202 About a decade later, he relocated to California. Dean Weber passed away at the age of 66 in 1984.203
After dissolving "Garrett & Weber Signs," Stanley Garrett continued with sign making as Vancouver grew in the mid-century. In January 1954, Garrett filed for a certificate of firm name with the County Clerk's office, stating he was operating a business as Garrett Sign Company (GSC).204 This moved signified the final split in the partnership, which officially occurred about a month later.205
Stanley E. Garrett was born on June 18, 1919, in British Columbia to Ambrose and Ruth Garrett.206 The family lived in Canada for about a year before moving to Winchester, Idaho, where Ira and Ruth owned a cemetery.207 By 1930, the family was living in Chehalis, Washington.208 By the following decade, Garrett was living in Clark County. He was working as an engineer in the marine pipe department at the Kaiser Shipyards.209 He enlisted in the U. S. military on March 9, 1944.210 Later that year, Garrett graduated from the Air Force training command aircraft radio mechanic's school located at Truax Field in Wisconsin. During his instruction, he learned the "fundamentals of servicing radio equipment on bombers and fighter planes flying with the AAF throughout the world."211 He was discharged from the Air Force about a year later.212
Garrett married Nancy Pelton on January 1, 1943.213 Born on September 2, 1921, in Portland, Oregon, to Charles and Ruth Pelton, the family moved to the Vancouver area by 1930.214 Five years after arriving in the new town, she achieved some early fame. At a hobby show sponsored by the Shumway Junior High School's girls' service club, folks brought their collections "out of their hiding places," including stamps, match folders, pets, and even weapons. Despite the showing of all sorts of unique collections, Pelton's glass animals won the sweepstakes prize.215 Outside of idiosyncratic hobbies, Pelton was also involved in community-focused causes. In July 1940, Garrett and her mother hosted an evening knitting party for the American Red Cross. Her mother led the knitting division of the Red Cross sewing project for Clark County.216
After her marriage, Nancy Garrett worked as an educator in the Vancouver School District, as well as a bookkeeper for her husband's sign company.217 While teaching at Lincoln Elementary School, she had a few headline-grabbing events occur in her classroom. In December 1942, Garrett's class of prolific fundraisers amassed $99.02 per child for the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary.218 Later that year, her second-grade classroom, which was located just above a play shed, had an unfortunate incident with a skunk. Second-grader Melissa Stewart witnessed the event and relayed the harrowing events: "all the kids were afraid of the skunk but Harry…Harry was brave so he kicked the skunk. Then he went home."219
A talented and mechanically minded individual, Garrett used his background knowledge in building, welding, and making things to grow his company. His experience also helped with the creation of designs, many of which Garrett drew himself.220 After he took off on his own, Garrett expanded the company's footprint throughout Clark County and the Southwest Washington region.221 In October 1955, Garrett submitted a proposal to the Clark County Planning Commission to erect a huge billboard north of the Vancouver city limits to lure business back into downtown Vancouver that was lost after the opening of the freeway. Garrett suggested a "neon billboard measuring 48 feet by 12 feet" be placed on the southbound freeway to attract drivers.222 County engineer Cecil Kinder explained that signs of that size had to go before the county planning commission in a public hearing.223 Despite the push, Garrett never realized his illuminated idea to bring drivers to Vancouver.
In later years, GSC continued to work on large scale projects, many of which utilized neon, the predominant source of illumination at that time.224 The company produced neon signs for the Thunderbird Hotel, Hi-School Pharmacy, and Kiel's Grocery Store. They also worked on the original Burgerville signs.225
In the 1970s, GSC moved to a larger facility on Harney and Eighth Street, where it still operates today. Stanley Garrett maintained ownership of the company until the mid-1980s, at which point his son took over. Current owner, Steve Taylor, joined GSC as a designer and salesperson about a year after Stanley Garrett retired.226 Taylor, whose skills were self-taught, is a second-generation sign maker. He followed in his father's footsteps, a well-regarded metal worker and builder who worked at GSC and VSC. In the early 2000s, Taylor took over GSC. He has continued operating the local company in Vancouver, alongside his three sons, who also work at the company in various capacities.227 GSC maintains the legacy of Stanley Garrett, focusing on high-quality craftsmanship and working with both large and small-scale businesses to produce creative sign designs throughout the Pacific Northwest.
One of the longest running businesses at 506 Washington was Kuchera & Son, a shoe repair business that operated out of the building for 31 years. Opened in Vancouver in 1960, the business already had decades-long roots that led back to the Puget Sound area. Frank Kuchera established Kuchera & Son, a Tacoma, Washington leather wholesaler, in 1900.228 Kuchera's shop was one of many new manufacturers popping up in the South Puget Sound around that time, signifying a spurt of industrial growth in the city that grew to be an industrial hub in the area.229 Not long after developing the business, Frank Kuchera took his own life on November 28, 1907. Reporting from local newspapers suggested a recent diagnosis of Bright's Disease and early retirement might have led the prominent merchant to suicide.230 Despite the tragedy, sons Frank Jr. and Edward continued to operate the family business in Tacoma.
Max Theobald joined Kuchera & Son in the late 1940s. Born on April 20, 1923, in Indiana to Johnie and Martha Theobald, Max Elbert Theobald spent much of his life in the Midwest before moving to Tacoma, Washington.231 Available records indicate Theobald likely came to the Pacific Northwest to serve in the military.232 After the end of his service, he remained in the area.
According to Theobald, Edward Kuchera almost didn't hire him because Kuchera "was still steaming over a friend of [Theobald's] who had just applied and asked for too much money."233 As Theobald was about to leave, he made an about-face, marched back into the office, and told off Kuchera. The brash move not only got Theobald the job but created a lasting bond between the two. Theobald recalled that they "'made an agreement that day that [Theobald would] never quit if [Kuchera would] never fire him.'"234 After Edward Kuchera passed away on February 11, 1954, that initial agreement came to fruition. Kuchera's will specified the 154-year-old company, as well as a portion of his estate, would be left to Max Theobald, and two other employees: John W. Gleason and Waldo Presba.235
Three years later, Theobald became the sole owner of Kuchera & Son Co. when he bought out the other two employees.236 He continued operating in Tacoma, hired staff, and almost bankrupted himself trying to keep the business going. Nearly $35,000 in debt, Theobald moved to Vancouver in 1960 because of the company's large customer base in the area.237
The move, as well as Theobald's dedication to the business, paid off--eventually. For a time, Theobald worked multiple jobs: he ran Kuchera & Son from 8am until 6pm, then worked from 6pm to 12am as an ambulance driver. He rounded out his day by taking on the night manager shift at the Riviera Motel, before returning to Kuchera & Son for a few hours of sleep before opening the shop. After five years, the leather shop was solvent, freeing Theobald from his non-stop schedule, though he still maintained long hours.238
Beyond his commitment to his business, Theobald also dedicated time to the downtown community. Theobald joined the South Main Business Development Association (SMBDA) in 1977, about a year after it started.239 The non-profit organization, comprised of 18 businesses in the downtown core, formed to improve the image of the area and support local businesses.240 SMBDA continued to advocate for small downtown business and worked to transformation opinions of the area until the early 1980s. It is around this time that direct mentions of the organizations cease to appear in the historical record.241
In 1981, in an attempt to "'slow up a little, take a trip, take some time off to go fishing,'" Theobald began selling lottery tickets using an online lottery ticket machine.242 His shoe repair shop was located next to BMart grocery store, "Washington's champion seller of lottery tickets," and cashed in on the overflow of its neighbor's customers and its location "just north of the Interstate 5 bridge."243 Theobald started selling lotto tickets in April 1983, but only received an online ticket machine in 1986 due to the amount of existing machines in downtown Vancouver. He made around $550 on ticket sales commissions.244 Theobald continued to operate Kuchera & Son Co Inc., which had expanded to include UPS shipments, copies, and shoe store supplies, at 506 Washington until about 1991.245
After Kuchera & Son ceased operations, a new business was launched in the Bakery Building. Opened in 1995, Matt Brislawn's Briz Loan and Guitar specializes in all kinds of musical instruments, from guitars and amps, synthesizers and even a full-sized Hammond organ.246 He decided to open the shop in his hometown after frequenting, and even working in, pawn shops and secondhand music equipment stores in the Seattle-Tacoma area in the early 1990s.247 Although he sees his shop more closely aligned with music shops, Brislawn said pawn shops are "definitely a necessity" because they "serve people who live 'check to check.'" 248However, these shops need strong regulations to "'keep everybody honest.'"249
Matthew Brislawn was born on October 30, 1970, at Memorial Hospital in Vancouver, Washington. He grew up in the Vancouver area and went on to attend Columbia River High School (CRHS). While at CRHS, Brislawn participated in media technology, architectural drawing, and technical drawing. The media technology teacher, Ron Saalborn, was "the main reason" Brislawn showed up.250 Their class worked on the school's newscast and put together "goofy videos for the newscast and for [their] own assignments."251 Brislawn also attended the state Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and produced a live news broadcast. In 1987, he made a skateboarding video for the class called "Wild in the Streets" that went on to air on the local cable channel.
Brislawn graduated from CRHS in 1989. Shortly after, he moved to Tacoma to attend Bates Technical College (BTC). While at BTC, Brislawn studied broadcast engineering and received a Society of Broadcast Engineers certification. After graduating, he got a job "doing commercial editing and commercial insertion" for Northwest Cable Advertising in Seattle.252 Brislawn said his job was to add in the local commercials to national broadcasts, or, as he described it: "when you're watching national cable channels and all of a sudden some crappy local commercial pops in that's [the] part I was doing."253 It was in Seattle that he "fell into the music shops pawn shops thing."254
Although well-known for his extensive career in music, Brislawn did not have an immediate connection to it. During his time at St. Joseph's, he recalled the school's attempt to "get a little music program going."255 Dale Beacock visited the school and "let kids try all these different instruments."256 Brislawn remembers trying out the trumpet and clarinet—to unsuccessful results. He "completely bailed on music" until he was 17 and picked up a bass guitar at the prodding of a Red Lion co-worker who wanted to start a band.257 His co-worker and future band mate loaned him a bass, then took him to Cameo Loans near Smith Tower, where Brislawn bought a bass amp and Moog synthesizer. He had a "complete ball playing bass" and his music career took off from there.258
Once in the Seattle-Tacoma area, anytime Brislawn needed gear, he checked out the local pawn shops. He bought his first effects pedal at Hill-Top Loans in Tacoma. He had a house about five blocks from it. When he moved to the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle, he lived on the same block as the newly opened Capitol Loans. Brislawn visited the shop shortly after it opened and met the owner. The two "just kind of hit it off," and would end up chatting when he went in looking for music gear.259 Eventually, the owner offered Brislawn a job at the rapidly growing pawn shop. At the time, Brislawn still worked at the Northwest Cable Advertising, though he "wasn't enjoying it."260
His band recently released a record on a Twin Tone Records and Restless Records subsidiary called Spanish Fly Records, and, due to seniority, he wasn't able to get time off from his job to "tour to support the record."261 The owner of Capitol Loans offered Brislawn more money, "all the time off" he needed for his gigs, as well as "first dibs at any…music gear."262 For a short time, Brislawn continued working at NCA while shifting over to Capitol Loans.
Brislawn worked in the heart of Seattle during the height of its well-known 1990's music scene. He recalled "everything was blowing up with all the bands and there [were] all sorts of different rock stars that would come in and…it was just a blast."263 Despite the fun, Brislawn wanted to return to Vancouver. He made a one-year goal to get back to Clark County and open a "rock 'n' roll oriented" shop providing used musical equipment to the community, a niche market not yet served.264
In preparation for his move, Brislawn started collecting used music gear. He went to swap meets, ran nickel ads, and browsed sales "just stockpiling as much stuff as" he could.265 He and his father, Mark Brislawn, had already been on the hunt for a space in downtown for the shop. When Matt Brislawn would visit his parents, he would look for places to rent. Finding an affordable place that adhered to the city's pawn shop zoning requirements posed some difficulties. Brislawn recalled a recent change to the zoning ordinance that moved all new pawn shops outside of the downtown area. He started looking in Hazel Dell for places to rent while simultaneously applying for a pawn shop license. When Brislawn received the license, to his surprise, it said "downtown."266 He was handed the last downtown pawnshop license before the new zoning ordinance took effect the following year. Brislawn felt an attachment to downtown Vancouver because he "grew up skatingboarding" there.267 Mark Brislawn found the front shop space at 506 Washington available for rent, from John "Jack" Foley (of Foley Chevrolet), and the business opened in July 1995.
After a year in business, Brislawn found out the building was up for sale. He "panicked," because he sunk all his money into his new business and didn't know what was going to happen.268 He convinced his dad to finance one of his rental houses and buy the building. Mark Brislawn sold it back to his son. Matt Brislawn noted it "couldn't happen without him."269
Outside of his business, Brislawn has been active in the local community. In 2010, Brislawn advocated against the proposed Columbia River Crossing. The plan, which included a multibillion-dollar light rail station and parking structure, would have negatively impacted many small businesses in the downtown area, including Briz Loan and Guitar.270 The plan would have put Brislawn's shop at "ground zero," potentially causing permanent damage to his business by removing all the surrounding parking.271 In February 2012, Brislawn began collecting signatures on a letter to lawmakers asking them to stop the project. In all, he collected 50 signatures, many of whom represented downtown businesses.272 By 2013, the project had been cancelled, saving many downtown businesses from potential negative fallout.273
The following year, Brislawn offered up one of the exterior walls of his building to the Clark County Mural Society for their Summer of Mural.274 David van Overeem painted "Grape Quartet," a whimsical depiction of musical instruments against a blue-and-white checkerboard background, framed by grapevines.275 Brislawn was excited to be part of the event, saying the whole process was "pretty awesome."276
Brislawn also continued his involvement in the local music scene playing drums or bass. He played his first solo electronic show as Brizbomb, an analog experimental ambient noise project, in 2006.277 In 2013, Brislawn played at the Kiggins Theater during CouvFest NW.278 During his performance, he blew the breaker twice. Reflecting on the event, Brislawn recalled it being the "funniest and funnest (sic)" even though it was the "most technically botched, worst set [he] ever did."279
In 2006, Brislawn opened Reverb Rehearsal Studios (RRS). Also inspired by business he encountered in the Tacoma-Seattle area, RRS filled a much-needed gap for Vancouver musicians who wanted practice space. Brislawn built out the spaces with musicians' needs in mind: they have heat, air conditioning, no stairs, a loading bay, and lots of electrical outlets.280
Around the time he opened Reverb Rehearsal Studios, Brislawn began playing music in a little shack located on one of his properties. With many of the band rehearsal studios booked up, Brislawn used the 660 square feet building with "40 years of soot on the floor" and a 100-year-old roof to make his own music.281 Initially using headphones, Brislawn realized no one really cared about noise because of the light industrial businesses and trains nearby. A friend of his urged Brislawn to do a live show in the shack, and an idea was born. Named after the weathered signage on the building, Westside Welding and Machine hosted 211 performances by bands from 16 different states and five different countries. The shows were donation-only, with the proceeds going to the touring musicians. 282 The shack continued to degrade, leading to Westside Welding and Machine shutting down in 2014.283
Despite the closure, Brislawn maintains active involvement in the local music scene. He continues to play shows throughout the Portland-Vancouver area and supports local musicians through his businesses.
History is not always partitioned neatly. The Bakery Building also housed businesses that did not fit within the working-class considerations of the industries mentioned above. However, these individuals and businesses had equally important impacts on the growth of Vancouver. Their stories are chronicled below.
Hiram Jerome Cochran purchased the West Vancouver property from Esther Short on August 6, 1858.284 Cochran was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on August 31, 1833, to Alexander and Margaret Cochran.285 He made his way to the Pacific Northwest in 1852 at the age of 19. 286 Seven years later he married Frances "Fannie" L. Kelly.287 Fannie Kelly was born July 3, 1839, in St. Thomas, Canada, to Mary Ann Louise Wright Kelly and William Kelly, a captain in the U. S. Army's 8th Cavalry.288 The Kelly family immigrated to the United States in the early 1840s. According to an interview with Mary Biles, one of the Kelly's six children, William Kelly enlisted in the Army in 1843, around the time when the Mexican American War broke out.289 Initially enlisting as a private, Kelly quickly moved up to the rank of sergeant.290 He served in numerous conflicts as a cavalry officer, including the Mexican-American War, Civil War, and Indian Wars.291 He ultimately reached the rank of major not long before passing away on December 28, 1871.292
The Kellys came to the Vancouver area by way of an Army transport ship in the early 1850s. The vessel, a U. S. mail steamer named Ohio, carried supplies, civilians, and the Fourth Infantry, of which Sergeant Kelly was a member, around the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco.293 Thirty-eight-year-old Lieutenant U. S. Grant served as quartermaster of the regiment at the time. During their voyage, the passengers experienced an outbreak of highly contagious disease, which Grant wrote about in his personal memoirs: "Meanwhile the cholera has broken out, and men were dying every hour….About one-third of the people with me died, either at Cruces or on the way to Panama."294
The outbreak ultimately claimed the lives of about a third of the people on the Isthmus and nearly a tenth traveling with the regiment.295
During this harrowing journey, 14-year-old Fannie Kelly saved the life of a soldier left for dead. According to her sister's interview, while two soldiers carried the canvas-wrapped body of a fallen comrade to a burial site, the "tender-hearted" Kelly followed behind to act as the sole mourner for the supposedly expired man.296 As the soldiers began to lower the body into the gravesite, Kelly thought she saw the canvas move. When she told the privates, they said it was her imagination, but she insisted. One of the soldiers eventually opened the shroud with his knife. To the surprise of everyone, the young man in the canvas was alive, and "the fresh air revived" him.297 The man, named Thompson, later drove a water wagon at the Vancouver Barracks. From then on, every time he saw Fannie Kelly in Vancouver, he would say, "You are the little girl that I owe my life to; if it hadn't been for you I would be lying in a grave on the Isthmus, where the other soldiers are buried."298
Not long after purchasing the Washington Street property in the late 1850s, Hiram Cochran was appointed postmaster for Clark County, a position he held for eight years. He served during the administrations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.299 Appointed by the Postmaster General of the United States, a position appointed directly by the President, a local postmaster operated postal services for the entire county. Due the patronage system undergirding the appointment of local postmasters, these positions often carried political weight. With the passage of the Pendleton Act in the 1880s, which created a merit-based civil service examination system for the governmental workforce, things began to shift away from the patronage appointment system.300
Cochran continued to be involved in pivotal political moments in Clark County. In 1860, he served as city recorder under Levi Farnsworth, Vancouver's first mayor.301 When the Territorial Convention assembled on May 20, 1861, he sat on the Republican party's Territorial Central Committee. Convened during a period of heightening tensions in the United States as the country careened toward the Civil War, the committee adopted a resolution in support President Lincoln and pledged to maintain the Union, which they sent to Congress. 302 Additionally, he served on the Territorial Legislative Assembly in both the House and the Senate.303 The Cochrans relocated to Oregon City in the 1870s.304 On August 22, 1895, Hiram Cochran "died suddenly of heart failure" in Oregon City.305
In 1913, Frank E. Hodgkin moved his insurance business to "the new Royal Baking Co. building between Fifth and Sixth streets on Washington" from its former location on Main Street.306 Hodgkin had a varied career before moving to Vancouver, including newspaper editor, as well as assistant secretary of state and assistant state treasurer in Oregon.
Frank Edward Hodgkin was born in Tecumseh, Michigan, on March 8, 1846.307 According to his short autobiography which appeared in a book Hodgkin authored on the life stories of Oregon politicians, he was orphaned at an early age and raised by his grandparents, Dr. And Mrs. William Bacon, in Illinois. He received a "common school education" and learned the tinners' trade, which he engaged in before making his way to Oregon in June 1870.308 Upon his arrival in Portland, Hodgkin worked in the post office for a few years. He then moved to Salem and joined the newspaper industry. Initially working as a reporter at a few different area papers, Hodgkin quickly worked his way up to the position of editor at the Daily Statesman.309 While working in the newspaper industry, Hodgkin married Frances Dunbar on September 2, 1874.310 The elite of the capital city attended the wedding, described as a "brilliant affair" by Oregon papers.311 Dunbar was born on July 5, 1852, in Marion County, Oregon, to Rice Dunbar and Jane Miller Brisbin Dunbar.312 Save for "a few years' residence in California and in the city of Portland," Dunbar spent most of her life in Salem.313 Frank and Frances Hodgkin had three children: William, Charles, and Margaret.314
In the late 1870s, the Hodgkin family relocated to Portland when Frank became the city editor of the Portland Telegram, which started publishing on April 17, 1877, not long after he joined. Future Oregon Governor George B. Curry served as editor-in-chief of the paper. In a 1915 article in which he reflected on his time at the Telegram, Hodgkin said the group "got out a rip-roaring sheet. Gun fights and fist fights were about as frequent as wordy wars."315 The tension sometimes spilled over into conflicts between local broadsheets. "Hatred" between the Telegram and its rival, The Daily Bee, became so intense that the manager of the latter paper shot a later city editor of the rival paper "dead on the street."316 The murder occurred after Hodgkin's tenure at the publication.
After working at the newspaper for about a year, Hodgkin accepted a position as assistant secretary of state under R. P. Earhart.317 Hodgkin served in this role for many years. In September 1881, General E. Meyer commissioned Hodgkin to be assistant adjutant general at the rank of major, a "position [Meyer] recently resigned."318 Around 1887, records suggest Hodgkin resigned his positions with the secretary of state as well as General Meyer "to accept a more lucrative situation as special agent of the London & Lancashire Fire Insurance company."319 Available records indicate Hodgkin worked throughout the Pacific Northwest selling insurance. Still based in Salem, a Northwest newspaper described Hodgkin as a "special agent for a number of the best known and most wealthy insurance companies in the country."320 In December 1890, Oregon State Treasurer Phil Metschan appointed Frank Hodgkin assistant state treasurer.321
Two years after Hodgkin's appointment, his wife passed away on June 9, 1892, at the age of 40, after battling consumption.322 Described as "the ornament and the central figure of a happy home circle," Frances Hodgkin's life was devoted to her home, church, and social circle.323 The Hodgkin family remained in Salem for the next two years.
Frank Hodgkin married Adelaide Jennings on November 14, 1894. The event, which was held at the Jennings' home in Oregon City, took place an hour later than initially scheduled due to a delayed steamship from Salem. Despite the scheduling hiccup, the ceremony went on as planned, with "tasteful displays of flowers and evergreens" and the bride "charmingly attired" in a hairstyle that "caused a considerable amount of well-deserved admiration."324 Afterwards, the couple returned to their home in Salem.325 Adelaide Jennings was born on February 6, 1855, in Jennings Lodge, Oregon, to Berryman and Martha Jennings.326 Less than a decade after their marriage, Frank and Adelaide Hodgkin were living in Vancouver, Washington.327 During his early years in the city, Hodgkin worked as a bank clerk at different, well-known local institutions including Vancouver National Bank.328 Records suggest Hodgkin established an insurance service around 1900.329 The first ad for Hodgkin's insurance agency appears in The Columbian in 1913, touting "seven old line companies" represented through his company.330 At that time, the agency was located in the Bakery Building.331 In 1919, Hodgkin moved the insurance business to 512½ Main Street.332 He continued working in the insurance field until his death in October 1928.333
While living in Clark County, the Hodgkins were both actively involved in the community. Frank was appointed an inspector for precinct D for the primary election in 1912 and 1913.334 Adelaide was active in many social organizations, including the Athenaeum Club. She held a meeting for the women's study club at her home in 1910.335 She was also a committed member of the Clark County Fair women's department, a committee that encourage women's involvement in the event.336 Beyond helping organize parts of the fair, Hodgkin also participated. At the 1913 Clark County Fair, she took home first prize for her alligator pear. Less exotic than it sounds, alligator pear was a term used to describe avocados at the time.337 She maintained her involvement with local fairs in the ensuing years, going on to become the supervisor of the women's department at the Columbia River Interstate Fair by 1928.338
The Hodgkin's eldest child, William, continued the family business, eventually taking over for his father after his death. William Hodgkin was born on July 23, 1875, in Salem, Oregon.339 He grew up in the Salem area before moving to California in the late 1800s. While in the Sunshine State, Hodgkin worked for the Mountain Copper Company, located near Keswick, California.340 He married Margaretta Davis on September 15, 1905.341 She was born on October 18, 1882, in New Mexico to James and Mary Davis. James Davis worked as a farmer. 342 By the late 1800s, the Davis family was living in Northern California.343
William and Margaretta Hodgkin lived in California for the next three years before relocating to Vancouver.344 Based on available records, William Hodgkin entered the insurance business around 1914.345 About a decade later, he joined his father's agency.346 Shortly thereafter, the firm became "Hodgkin and Forbes" when Jerry Forbes joined the firm. At the same time, the company added real estate to its repertoire.347 It is around this period that William Hodgkin retired.348 Not long after leaving the family business, Hodgkin passed away at 72 years of age on February 21, 1948.349
Outside of insurance, William Hodgkin was involved in the local community. He became a member of the vestry at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in March 1913.350 A year later, he was elected as secretary of the board of education, a position he held for 14 years.351 He was also a longtime member of Rotary, and later nominated for its board of directors in 1922.352 Hodgkin served as chairman of the USO Counsel during WWII. On the anniversary of the organization's founding, Hodgkin and Chester I. Barnard, president of USO, issued a report emphasizing the need for "work for returning service men."353 The local USO also observed the anniversary with a special broadcast on a radio station and a military dance.354
Robert H. DuBois opened Engineered Heating Co. in the Bakery Building in 1946.355 The company sold furnaces and other heating equipment and services. According to an article in The Columbian, demand for "conversion jobs in which oil burners are installed in existing wood, coal, and sawdust burning furnaces" were on the rise in the postwar period.356 DuBois' business only operated out of the building for about one year.357 However, Robert DuBois and Engineered Heating Co. were connected to an important industrial history for downtown Vancouver.
Along with the heating company, Robert DuBois owned DuBois Motors, located at 500 Washington.358 Initially called Johnson and DuBois when the Chrysler Dealership opened, when it later relocated to the specially built showroom on Washington Street, the dealership was known as DuBois Motors Company.359 It remained on the 500 Block of Washington until the 1980s when well-known local car dealer Dick Hannah opened a Honda dealership out of 506 Washington.360
The automotive industry played a significant role in the development of Vancouver. Clyde Moss and Frank Wilcox were two of the earliest car dealers in the city. Both of their shops were in an area of downtown Vancouver that would become synonymous with automotive dealers: a stretch of Washington Street from roughly 4th Street to 9th Street.361 The dominance of Vancouver's automotive industry can be attributed to the early failure of the streetcar and other forms of mass transit at various times in the city's history.362
Robert Huston DuBois was born on September 29, 1899, in Vancouver to George and Nellie DuBois.363 George DuBois worked for DuBois Lumber Company, the business that gave the DuBois family its initial footing in the area.364 Robert DuBois grew up in the area, and later attended Vancouver High School, where he pursued a college preparatory curriculum, played football, served as student body secretary, and become a member of the glee club.365 He joined the U. S. Army on October 1, 1918, in Vancouver. It is likely DuBois served in the Student Army Training Corp while attending Stanford University. Three months after joining, he received an honorable discharge on demobilization on December 13, 1918.366 While in college, DuBois studied mechanical engineering.367
By the early 1920s, Dubois had graduated from Stanford and was living in Vancouver.368 He worked in the lumber industry as an assistant manager and was also a partner in the DuBois Motor Company.369
Upon returning to his hometown, he married Kathryn Donald on October 12, 1924.370 She was born in California in 1901 to Robert and Elizabeth Donald.371 By the following decade, the family was living in Portland, Oregon.372 Kathryn Donald attended Lincoln High School, graduating in 1918.373 She went on to attend Stanford University, where she received a bachelor's of arts in psychology.374 While in college, Donald was an active member of the local Y. W. C. A.375 Available records indicate that Donald spent time serving as secretary to Lou Henry Hoover, wife of Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover, who would later go on to become president. During her time in the nation's capital, Donald was "also active in the Girl Scout movement," of which Hoover was the honorary president at the time.376
After returning to Vancouver and marrying DuBois, Kathryn maintained active involvement in local charity organizations, community groups, and other neighborhood functions. In the 1920s, DuBois continued participating with the Girl Scout organization, acting as a leader of a Portland troop. At the time, Clark County had yet to form a local troop. DuBois assisted in the formation of the first Girl Scout troops in Clark County, located in Sara, Felida, and Vancouver.377 She continued her involvement in local Girl Scout movement, eventually taking on the role of the Columbia River Girl Scout Council's president.378
In 1926, while a member of the Clark County Tuberculosis League, the organization planned a Christmas health seal sale to benefit the statewide group.379 DuBois was also a member of the Clark County chapter of the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis. She joined the local chapter's first meeting, held at the Evergreen Hotel on March 7, 1940, wherein members heard the first reports from the Clark County ball and March of Dimes drive. The newly formed group raised more than $2,000.380 The following year, DuBois became president of Vancouver's chapter of the American Association of University Women (A. A. U. W). She held this role for three years before stepping down.381 Despite stepping down from a leadership role, DuBois continued her involvement in the group for decades. In 1979, A. A. U. W. awarded her 50-year membership with a special citation during a celebratory luncheon.382
During WWII, DuBois was one of many community members who helped conserve materials for the war effort, a task many cities and towns tackled at the time. DuBois took on "the problem of 'wool clips' for the Clark County chapter of the American Red Cross." To conserve materials, volunteers would collect the trimmed off cuffs from men's trousers and send them to factories to re-weave them for wool material.383
Like his wife, Robert DuBois was active in the Vancouver community. In January 1949, the chamber of commerce selected him to serve as the board chair for the upcoming year.384 The chamber honored his work for the Vancouver community as the senior first citizen in 1955. DuBois' work "in successfully establishing the United Fund" was the major reason for the award. He helped investigation, set-up, and served as the president of the fund.385 Around that same period, DuBois sat on the executive committee of the Citizens Bridge Committee of Clark County in the 1950s. Organized in 1950, the committee worked with the state highway commissions of both Oregon and Washington on legislation for a new bridge across the Columbia.386 In 1969, DuBois was elected chair of the Southwest Branch of the Children's Home Society of Washington.387 The organization was in the midst of a $1.95 million dollar capital campaign.388
After working in the lumber and automotive industries, DuBois moved into realty and development.389 While testifying against a proposed subdivision ordinance at the Clark County Planning Commission, DuBois collapsed. He was rushed to Vancouver Memorial Hospital. Robert DuBois passed away a brief time later.390