Then…

The types of businesses in the Village have varied greatly with the times. By the late 1940s, construction was booming and so were the seven real estate offices located in the Village. The increase in population also brought with it seven gas stations. Doctors, dentists, barbers and beauticians soon arrived to take care of the residents’ personal needs. The 1940s also brought the money-men…

Since then, banks have come and gone, and/or changed their names. By 2000 it leveled off at three commercial banks to include Bank of America, Key Bank and US Bank…Washington Mutual and Washington Federal Savings.
The first bank in Magnolia (Magnolia State Bank) was started with $100,000 capital. Ralph Wayland, Dr. H. J. Wycoff, Paul Saad. Earl Phillips and Herb Gould (all Magnolia residents) had planned the bank for some time. Each had invested money as part of the capital for the start-up. By the time it opened, Dr. Wycoff had passed away and his widow Mrs. Wycoff joined the others as a director, an unusual position for a woman in those days.

Opening day at Magnolia State Bank in Magnolia December 15, 1948. Photo courtesy of Magnolian Irene Holroyd, teller, far left

There were not many eating establishments in the Village during its first forty years. The first on the scene were Tenny’s and the Magnolia Bowl Snack Shop…Tenny’s became GG’s some time in the 1960s and in its present reincarnation is Szmania’s opened in 1990. The boomer kids loved Cherrie’s Delicatessen, and going with Mom to the Hickory Hut on 33rd Avenue West between West Wheeler Street and West McGraw Street as it was the only cafeteria-style restaurant ever located in the Village. It went out of business when the building complex was developed into medical and business offices in the 1980s.

And, Now…over fifty years later…

One gas station, a wine bar, the bakery, a book store, an ice cream parlor, two real estate offices, 2 coffee spots, 2 ATM’s, 15 restaurants; the doctors, dentists and beauticians have stayed, the barbers are Vietnamese women – and, recently we welcome yet another bank branch to the Village, our 7th: Umpqua Bank, with its Northwest roots in Canyonville, Oregon – a place for local lumberjacks to cash their paychecks in 1953. This is a bank that is rated one of the” top 100 businesses to work for”- by Money Magazine 2011. This bank’s mission (partly articulated in song): “to create, an unique and memorable banking environment…” Umpqua banks culture is to connect to communities in which it is located,”our communities benefit from our involvement and investment in the future- a community bank focused around four core values: integrity, service, delivery and a sense of community.”