EUGENE
April 3, 1929: "Establishment near Eugene of a tourist apartment hotel of pretentious features, with a revolving airplane beacon and a large automobile service station, became assured yesterday with the closing of negotiations for a site on the Pacific Highway seven miles north of this city. In the transaction, the Highway Community Corporation of Los Angeles, a division of the Richfield Oil company, acquires five acres of the old Spencer place on the west side of the highway, about two and one-half miles north of Santa Clara. This property has been owned by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Barbre and Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Lockey, and the Los Angeles corporation held a 30 day option on it while the deal was pending. This option expired yesterday and the deal was closed, according to an announcement by F.M. Cashman and John Baird, of the Berger Realty company, who handled the transaction. The property provides the community corporation a frontage of 450 feet on the highway, a stipulation which was required by representatives of the concern when they were here more than two months ago looking over prospective sites. An engineer of the corporation will be on the ground next week to make preliminary surveys and other preparations looking toward erection of the hotel and service station, according to Mr. Cashman. The local realty man was shown architect's drawings of the plans for the establishment, and understands that the company expects to spend about $250,000 in the development project.
The hotel will be an attractive Spanish type, such as predominates in Southern California. It will be built in a horseshoe shape, the hotel itself standing about the 150 foot revolving beacon light. Automobiles driven in from the highway, will make a loop about this tower. The plans call for shops of various types to be provided in the hotel building, the whole establishment making up a community center for the higher class of automobile tourists. It is reported that the project contemplates eventual development of an airport in addition to the automobile service facilities. These establishments are being located by the Richfield people at various points along the highway. The next one south of Eugene, it is understood, will be at Grants Pass, and the next out of Portland will be at Hood River." (Eugene Register)(SITE ACQUIRED FOR BIG HIGHWAY HOTEL)
The hotel will be an attractive Spanish type, such as predominates in Southern California. It will be built in a horseshoe shape, the hotel itself standing about the 150 foot revolving beacon light. Automobiles driven in from the highway, will make a loop about this tower. The plans call for shops of various types to be provided in the hotel building, the whole establishment making up a community center for the higher class of automobile tourists. It is reported that the project contemplates eventual development of an airport in addition to the automobile service facilities. These establishments are being located by the Richfield people at various points along the highway. The next one south of Eugene, it is understood, will be at Grants Pass, and the next out of Portland will be at Hood River." (Eugene Register)(SITE ACQUIRED FOR BIG HIGHWAY HOTEL)
April 3, 1929: "The site for a tourist hotel and airplane beacon contemplated for several months by the Richfield Oil company, near Eugene was announced today. Five acres seven miles north of the city on the Pacific highway has been bought from Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Barbre and Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Kuckey. Improvements to the extent of $250,000 are to be made." (The Morning Oregonian)
April 8, 1929: "The Highway Community corporation, a division of the Richfield Oil company, which opened negotiations some time ago for the five acre tract known as the old Spencer place two and a half miles north of Santa Clara, has closed the deal and will erect a service station and tourist hotel, to cost approximately 250,000 on the site.
The property, which was acquired from Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Farbre and Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Luckey, will afford a 450-foot frontage on the side side of the highway. A Spanish type of architecture will be used in construction work, which is to follow surveys to be made by an engineer of the company who will arrive here shortly. A beacon light will be a feature of the new building, as a guide to automobiles, and possible later to airplanes, as the ultimate plans call for a landing field near the hotel.
Similar hotels are planned for Grants Pass and Hood River. The deal here was made by FM. Cashman and John Baird of the Berger Realty company." (The Eugene Guard)(DEAL CLOSES HERE ON SITE FOR HOTEL NEAR SANTA CLARA)
May 3, 1929: Work of developing a highway hotel and service station on the Pacific highway north of Eugene by the Highway Communities corporation of Los Angeles, a branch of Richfield Oil company, is expected to start within the next six weeks, it was learned yesterday.
The company's engineers are expected to survey the property recently acquired in a short time, and make preparations for the construction work. A revolving airplane beacon, such as the Richfield people have erected near their large service stations at intervals along California highways, is to be put up at the station here. (Eugene Register)(WORK WILL SOON START)
May 16, 1929: "Construction commenced Tuesday on the tower for the airplane beacon which the Richfield Oil company will erect on the company's three acre plot of ground seven miles north of Eugene on the highway. A 125-foot tower which will support a revolving light to have a radius of 70 miles will be built.
The base of the tower is to be 19 feet square, and is of concrete. The light will have a candle power of 11,000,000. Dennis Lovelace, local contractor. is doing the work. The entire job will take about two weeks, he said." (Eugene Register)(TOWER WORK STARTED)
October 1, 1929: Certification of private lights: "Eugene, Oreg.---The Richfield Oil Co. of California is operating a 24-inch beacon, 8,000,000 candlepower, six revolutions per minute (on SF-S airway), elevation of main beam above horizon 1 degree, located 7 miles north of Eugene post office, latitude 44 degree 09' 00", longitude 123 degree 09' 00", altitude 360 feet. This beacon is mounted on top of a 125-foot tower with red neon signs 115 feet long, with the word "Richfield" on two sides of the tower, the third side having initials "EG" in neon 15-foot letters. A 24-inch directional projector, 8,000,000 candlepower, elevation 1 degree above horizon, points to Eugene Airport, 5 miles away, which will be lighted for night flying." (Air Commerce Bulletin, Vol.1, No. 7)
December 7, 1929: "C.L. Cluster of Rice Creek is shingling the Richfield service station at Eugene, for which he has the contract. This is the third service station Mr. Cluster has shingled for the Richfield people." (The News-Review)
March 8, 1930: "The $35,000 Richfield air beacon and service station, located seven miles north of Eugene on the Pacific highway, was completed Saturday by the contractors, the J.W. Feak Construction company of Tacoma, Washington.
This is the fifth unit of a string of beacons and service stations operated by the Richfield company between the borders of Mexico and Canada, according to H.R. Lohrer, general manager of the Feak Construction company. All materials were bought in Eugene and the labor was hired here, said Mr. Lohrer.
The beacon tower is equipped with two 4,000,000 candle power lights. One shines steadily, pointing in the direction of the Eugene airport, and the other light revolves, halting momentarily when pointing in the direction of the landing field and again when the light beam is pointing the way north from Eugene.
The service station is of Norman design and was erected directly behind the beacon tower within a paved circle of 150 feet. The circle will be edged with shrubs." (Eugene Guard)(BEACON, SERVICE STATION FINISHED)
March 8, 1930: "The $35,000 Neon-lighted air beacon and service station seven miles north of Eugene on the Pacific highway is now completed and the opening, to which the public is invited for inspection purposes, will be at 8 p.m., Monday evening.
The Eugene beacon, located on the air-line, is the twenty-first beacon to be completed by the Richfield oil company of the 35 scheduled to be installed from Mexico to Canada.
The Neon-lighted tower is 125 feet in height, and has two 8,000,000 candle-power beacons. One of these is a directional projector, indicating to aviators the position of the Eugene municipal airport. The second is a revolving light to guide aviators for a distance of 50 miles, in clear weather. The service station unit at the foot of the tower is constructed with Norman architecture, and will operate on a 24 hour basis.
The station has been leased and will be operated by the T.A. Winter company. Gene Geiselman will be in charge, with LeRoy Mellon, R.E. Baldwin and R.P. Busey, assistants." (Eugene Register)(RICHFIELD BEACON TO HAVE OPENING)
March 11, 1930: "The construction of a $125,000 tourist hotel on the site of the recently erected service station and air beacon built by the Richfield Oil company will be started sometime this summer, according to plans revealed here Tuesday. The hotel will be a two story building of modern Spanish type architecture, and will be one of a chain of hostelries along the Pacific highway.
The hotels are built and managed by the Motour, Inc. The land for the site here was sold by Dr. E.L. Zimmerman, of Eugene, to the E.F. Cashman Realty company who in turn sold the property to the Highway Communities, Inc., a branch of the Richfield Oil company. H.C. Gordon, of Hollywood, representative of the finance department of the Highway Communities, Inc., arranged the deal for the property here and explained details of the proposed hotel.
The hotel will be of modern hollow tile construction with stucco exterior. There will be 100 rooms with bath and a modern coffee shop and garage to accommodate 70 cars.
Present plans call for five such hotels along the Pacific highway on Oregon, said Mr. Gordon. Building operations are expected to be started early this summer with the building open to the public sometime in the fall, probably September. The Eugene site is the first one to be definitely announced in the state.
Only the tourist trade is catered to by the chain, said Mr. Gordon." (Eugene Guard)(SITE CHOSEN FOR $125,000 TOURIST HOTEL NEAR HERE)
March 14, 1930: "The new $35,000 air beacon on the Pacific highway seven miles north of Eugene, is now completed and was opened Monday. This is one of 35 being erected by the Richfield Oil company on the coast and the 21st to be completed." (Siuslaw Oar)
July 9, 1930: "Construction on the Motour hotel, to be built facing the Pacific highway north just inside the city limits, will be started the first week in August, it was announced late Tuesday by Harvey R. Malott, general manager of the system of hotels.
The general contract for the hotel has been let to Stien brothers. Clauses in the contract call for completion of the building and equipping for occupancy by the middle of November.
Accommodations will include practically 100 guest rooms and a 70 car garage offering complete automotive service. A barber shop, beauty shop and coffee shop will also be included.
The original investment in the hotel is figured at $125,000 in the specifications. An annual local disbursement of $40,000 for help, fuel, electric power and other requirements is estimated by the Motour hotel system, which is building the hotel.
The contract in Eugene is the first for five hotels to be built on the coast. Others will be at Grants Pass or Medford; Yreka or Dunsmuir, Cal.; Chico or Sacramento, Ca.; at Fresno and at Bakersfield." (Eugene Guard)(TOURIST HOTEL TO BE STARTED SOON)
September 26, 1930: "Two masked men, about 2 A.M. Today, invaded the Richfield beacon service station on the Pacific highway north of Eugene, bound the attendant, R.E. Baldwin, and escaped with about $60.
Baldwin's hands and feet were bound with telephone wire." (Man bound and robbed)(Morning Oregonian)
February 20, 1931: "The Western Union Telegraph company is installing in all Richfield Oil Company independent service stations in the Pacific Coast branch office arrangements so that telegrams may be sent from any station of the Richfield company. There are more than 700 stations involved on the list. The Richfield beacon north of Eugene is included in the list." (What's Doing)(Eugene Register-Guard)
May 21, 1931: "One of the big freight trucks of the Willamette Valley Transfer company was wrecked on the Pacific Highway near the Richfield beacon north of Eugene early Tuesday morning when it ran off the grade and overturned.
The whole top of the truck was smashed in and some of the freight was damaged, but the driver was uninjured." (Freight Truck Damaged in Spill)(Eugene Register-Guard)
June 16, 1933: "Have you a little rattler in your home? If not, would you like one?
Employes of the Richfield beacon station north of the city have a rattlesnake in their back yard and so far have been unable to locate the snake for purposes of reptilian mayhem which they propose to commit, according to Kenneth Adkins, of the station.
Several times they have heard the ominous buzz signifying the presence of Mr. Rattler, but they have not seen him." (Rattlesnake worries service station men)(Eugene Register-Guard)
October 6, 1934: "Russell Wheeler is now employed at the Richfield Beacon station." (Lone Pine News)(Eugene Register-Guard)
December 27, 1938: "Real Estate for Sale"
"Richfield Beacon and Buildings FOR SALE
Owners authorize us to sell 3 acres of ground, station building, tower and well equipment all go for $2000. See Mr. Kinney, Oregon Settlement Assn." (The Eugene Guard)