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By Phyllis Badgley
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Red Badgley |
A well-remembered business in Baker
during the 1920s and 30s was Red’s Delivery Service. My
father, C. H. “Red” May, began delivering groceries and
meats in a rig that sported a cab with a built-in box on
the back of it. This was a step up from the sidecar
motorcycle he had traded in on it. Because of his
auburn colored hair, my father was know as “Red” and
many people didn’t know him by any other name.
He signed agreements to deliver orders for Baker’s local
grocers and meat markets. It was of utmost importance
that the meat orders be delivered first so the lady
residents could begin preparation of the noon meal. The
delivery districts were divided into zones, and three
pickup trucks delivered the orders accordingly. |
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Baker Packing Company (where Anderson
Photo is now located), Smith Packing Company (directly
east across Main Street from Baker Packing) and Harry
Bunker’s meat market in the 1700 block of Main Street.
These establishments took telephone orders as well as
serving walk in customers.
It was my privilege as a youth on Saturdays to stand on
the running board of one of the delivery rigs and ride
into alley locations so the meat packages could be
delivered to the back doors of the homes.
If the housewife didn’t answer the knock, I was
instructed to hang the meat package high out of reach of
any dog that might be in close proximity. The meat was
wrapped in white butcher paper and tied with heavy
string, so the parcel could usually be hung over the top
hinge of the screen door. |
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The Business was located at 2300 Resort
Street. Current location of King's Department Store |
Grocery deliveries were
made twice daily. Most grocers closed on Sunday. One
that stayed open late on Saturday night was Piggly-Wiggly,
where the closing time was 8 p.m. The store was located
in the south portion of 2036 Main St., which most
recently has housed Courtesy Furniture.
Over a period of years, Red’s Delivery added heavy-duty
trucks and expanded to include out-of-town transfer
service. Red May acquired an office and truck terminal
building at 2300 Resort St., the present location of
King’s variety store. The large, wooden-fronted building
housed loading docks for shipments to interstate
locations.
Local merchants depended on freight deliveries being
made to customers around the county by truck lines that
terminated at Red’s Transfer. Residents of Halfway
accepted delivery from Todd Crook, while Richland was
served by Bob Coble, McKinney from Medical Springs,
Thurston from Huntington and a connection with Blue
Mountain Stages in John Day.
Because Red’s Delivery and Transfer building was located
immediately across Resort Street from the Clarick
Theater, the wooden building was in danger when the 1937
fire consumed the Clarick.
Flames leapt high and cinders floated, settling on the
front of Red’s building. Intense heat caused putty to
pop from the windows of the Transfer building.
Garden hoses were employed to prevent destruction of the
business. The home of Dr. Ragle, the local veterinarian,
which was immediately north of the terminal building,
was also spared.
After a successful business operation of 14 years, Red’s
Delivery and Transfer was sold in 1838 to Curtis Smith.
The location eventually housed a Safeway store. It also
served an interim as a church prior to King’s occupancy. |
Printed here with the permission of
Baker City Herald
Remembrance Page
Baker
County |
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