Quinaby Park, WHC 1995.010.0026
We came across this photo today (WHC 1995.0010.0026). It is labeled “Quinaby Park” on the back. A quick-eyed cataloguer back in 2002 had noted the cross hanging on the side of the structure and guessed maybe that it was used as a religious campground. Thanks to the power of Google Books and a digitized copy of the 1911 Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Oregon to the Legislature detailing registered Charitable Organizations, we now know that the Quinaby Park Camp Meeting Association of the Oregon Conference of the United Evangelical Church was filed with the Secretary of State to organize as a charity on June 3, 1908. A few more clues…
Page from the Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Oregon to the 26th Legislative Assembly, Regular Session 1911, listing Charitable Organization in the State.
An article in the July 19, 1914 Oregonian describes Quinaby Park as “Near Salem on the Oregon Electric Railway.” http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1914-07-19/ed-1/seq-64/#index=3&rows=20&words=Park+PARK+Quinaby+QUINABY&sequence=0&proxtext=Quinaby+Park&y=15&x=24&dateFilterType=range&page=1