Your Salem Through the Years

This week on Your Salem Through the Years, Jim and Virginia discuss Salem in 1881. In 1881 Willamette University purchased the Willson home and moved it to the campus to become Lausanne Hall, the Women's College. It was named after the ship that brought "the Great Reinforcement" of Methodist missionaries to Oregon in 1840. It was torn down in 1919 and replaced by a new Lausanne Hall that still stands today.

Our show this week is on Salem in 1923. That was the year that our President died suddenly of heart failure. Just before his death in San Francisco he passed through Salem on the train. Learn more about it by listening to this week's show.

This week on Your Salem Through the Years, Jim visits the Forest History Center on State Street and gets a guided tour from museum volunteer Alan Maul. The Museum is located in an historic building that once was the headquarters of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Oregon.

This week Virginia and Jim discuss Salem in 1870 when Salem got its first train depot -- way, way east of town. Actually, right where it is today. Here is the view of it back then, looking towards the west. There is a passenger depot and a freight depot. The road would be 12th St. today. You can't even see the town. The railroad was willing to build a spur into town, but Salemites didn't want to pay for it.

Who was this dapper Salem gentleman who was appointed to the U.S. Senate from Oregon in 1917 — the subject of our show this week? He was also the only Oregonian ever to run for Vice-President of the United States, on the Republican ticket in 1940. There is a high school in Keizer named for him, and for good reason.

This week it's Salem in 1897. In 1897, believe it or not, Salem had a great electric streetcar network. You could get from downtown all the way to the State Hospital and from the State Fairgrounds all the way to the Morningside area of South Salem on a streetcar. Jim and Virginia lament the passing of the Salem streetcars on our show.

This week on Your Salem Through the Years, Virginia and Jim take a fall walk through Riverfront Park and recall the important history that was made there. What was once the most blighted former industrial area of the city has been transformed into what Virgina calls "Salem's front lawn." How did this wonderful transformation take place? Listen to our show to find out.

This week Jim and Virginia discuss Salem in 1930 when our riverfront industries were pumping out smoke and soot that rivaled that of Pittsburgh. That's right — a study showed that "soot-fall" in Salem was 1,400 tons per square mile, second worst in the country after Steeltown. The city smelled bad too. Today you'd never know it.

On Your Salem Through the Years we continue our celebration this week of the 75th anniversary of our State Capitol with Frankie Bell. Frankie managed visitor services in the Capitol for over 30 years and knows more about the building and its history than nearly anyone. This week we begin in the House Chamber and end with a tour of the Capitol grounds.

This week on Your Salem Through the Years we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Oregon State Capitol building with a walk through the Capitol with Frankie Bell. There's no better guide to our state capitol than Frankie, who was in charge of visitor services at the Capitol for over 30 years. This is Part 1 of a two part show. Come along with Virginia and Jim as we get an insider's look at our Capitol