Digital Exhibits

'Hurrah for Cleveland' in downtown Forest Grove

One of a pair of humorous images dating from the 1888 Presidential election between Harrison and Cleveland. A crowd of men and boys watches as a man who was carrying an American flag is dumped out of a wheelbarrow into the muddy street. A caption below the wheelbarrow reads, “Hurrah for Cleveland.” Cleveland, unlike the majority of Forest Grove at the time, was a Democrat; he won the election. A related image captioned “Hurrah for Harrison” shows the same man being carried down the street on the other end of the same block. The Oregonian printed a description of this scene on November 15, 1888, noting that two local men had made a bet about the outcome of the election and that the loser had to carry the other one in a wheelbarrow procession through town, but that the loser dumped out the winner as a joke. The man holding the wheelbarrow was Charles Fritz, who ran a local photography studio; the man riding in the wheelbarrow was Joseph Vaughn. This photograph was taken in downtown Forest Grove, just north of the present-day intersection of Pacific Avenue and Main Street, looking south. It is one of very few images showing downtown Forest Grove’s original wooden buildings. The building farthest to the right was a general merchandise store. The white building behind it housed a drugstore and meeting hall for the Odd Fellows; the Forest Grove National Bank building would later be built on that site. Neither of the buildings in the foreground survive today.

[Front] Hurrah for Cleveland. [Back] Paid His Bet Like a Man. An interesting & amusing episode occurred in this place @ 3 o'clock today. This photographer, Mr. Fritz, of this place, lost his wager with Joseph Vaughn that Cleveland would be elected president. the bet was that he who lost was to wheel the other twice around the Congregational Square. Joseph mounted the one-wheeled vehicle and carried the stars & stripes. The one who rides always enjoys it the better of the two. Two photographs were taken - one of them being natural w/ Joseph on deck & Fritz @ the helm; the other one was w/Joseph dumped into the muddy street. One photograph is to be sent to Cleveland & the other to Ben Harrison -----Oregonian, Nov. 15, 1888. (Ist National Bank Corner, F. G.)

1888

Elections

Oregon--History

Fritz, Charles

Vaughn, Joseph

Democracy

Nineteenth Century History

Politics & Government (General)

Presidential Studies

Local & State History

Forest Grove, Oregon

photographic prints

English

WCMpic_000614

Online access to this image is for research and educational purposes only. To inquire about permissions, order a reproduction, or for more information, please contact the Five Oaks Museum at Research@FiveOaksMuseum.org.

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Robert L. Benson Research Library, Five Oaks Museum

Still Image