Burton Walrad and Unknown Man

More about this item

Description

Black and white snapshot of two young men wearing casual clothes and hats standing behind an early 1900's truck. The man on the right appears to be Burton Walrad. The other is holding a long stick (about 6 feet long) perhaps a walking stick or alpenstock with a strap tied to it. The truck has a canvas covered cab. On the back in light pencil: "Do you have this one Burt? Ferne". People identified: Walrad, Burton

Provenance

Burton Walrad was born in 1902 and moved with his parents to Gresham in 1912. They purchased a mercantile store on Main and 1st Street that became Walrad Mercantile. Burton graduated from Gresham Union High School in 1921 and started his first business, Gresham Transfer Co., in 1922. He drove his delivery truck locally all day and made all-night deliveries to The Dalles, sleeping in the truck while it was unloaded and wetting his shirt in the creek to stay awake. His next venture, Walrad Insurance, remained in business from 1928 until his retirement 50 years later. In 1931, he became the first president of the new Gresham Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in bringing a new bank to Gresham after both of the town’s previous banks had failed in the stock market crash. He became known for charitable giving and investment in civic improvement, purchasing the Gresham Fire Department its first fire truck. Burton and LaVerne had no children. Burton died in 1990 and LaVerne in 2001. Their friend and neighbor David Widmark donated the photos after their deaths.

Date

1920-1930

Subject

Photographs

Men

Location

Multnomah County, Oregon, United States

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

ghs20010330016

Contributor

Gresham Historical Society

Extent

Print, Photographic

Type

StillImage