I am looking for information about early 1900 interior design for the Nevada / Oregon region. Any suggestions?

Question

I am restoring an old hotel circa late 1800-early 1900 near the Oregon/Nevada border and would like as much information on building materials, interior floor and wall coverings and furnishings,or historical data that I can find to make my project successful. All help would be appreciated for online or direct resources for my research. Also information about superior businesses in the time period or specific to my hotel. It was named the Whitehorse Inn and next door is the Orevada Hotel. The whitehorse was a saloon and brothel in its day, so I have been told. The old town needs development and I would like to build some surrounding businesses there unique to the timeperiod as well. Thanks for all your help, whoever might answer my question. Happy New Year.

Answer 1

What a fun project. I am restoring a 1905 house on the Oregon coast and have collected quite a bit of information on the time period. I don't have much on the Nevada area, but in the early 1900's the small town I was living in was probably very similar. The first question to see if these areas are the same is what was their access to the railroad (so that millwork could have been brought in) and what was their access to wood in general - did a railroad go through or did everything have to come in by wagon?

In my area, there are a few photographs that have survived of the fanciest hotel in our area - and the Masonic lodge that was on the third floor. Our railroad came though in 1893, so they began to bring in wallpapers and millwork from the larger cities then. There are also a lot of photographs in both the Salem (Oregon) public library collection that may well feature hotels of the period, and at the University of Washington photo archives as well. Both are available online.

Feel free to drop me a note if I can help. My home was virtually untouched over the years and there are several of homes in my town that are the same period where we have been comparing building styles and interior designs. I have a great photo of the interior of one home - and also have a ledger from the hardware store and furniture store showing what they would have purchased from each business, what it cost, and what different lincome levels of people purchased. One is 1900 and the other 1916. I know there is another ledger online from an eastern Oregon city in 1895 as I recall - their purchases were similar to the ones here. An no, these aren't the same as the things purchased in the eastern United States!

Answer 2

try Stickley or (stikley) also try Mission furniture there are alot or western and south western furniture and decor web sites. I'd suggest browsing a few