Flashback Friday: Max and the Fountain

Devan Patel, 19, of The Dalles walks around the Vogt Fountain at Sorosis Park on Friday morning before his run. The Computer Science major at the University of Portland was interested to learn that the Vogt Fountain was installed downtown the The Dalles in 1915 before being moved to Sorosis Park in the 1960s.

Foreword

Sorosis Park is invariably a hub for a large majority of locals, and at its front door sits the Vogt Fountain in the middle of the Rose Garden. its architecture harkens back to the early 1900s and yet still welcomes us anew in 2020. Better yet, it has been fully restored thanks to the efforts of The Dalles Beautification Committee, Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District and The Dalles Lions Club.

The fountain was restarted with flowing water in mid-April and gave many cause to cheer.

In this week’s Flashback Friday, we are reprinting the speech presented at the official opening of the newly restored Vogt Fountain on Thursday,. July 9, 2020 at Sorosis Park in The Dalles Oregon

By Cal T. McDermid

Director of Fort Dalles Museum/Anderson Homestead From the files of: Fort Dalles Museum

The beginning of this story comes from a presentation that was given to the Wasco County Pioneers Association in 1939 by Judge Fred W. Wilson historian of The Dalles. Judge Wilson started his presentation with the following: “One of the outstanding and in many ways, not fully understood, characters of The Dalles was Maximilian Vogt.

In the business world of The Dalles Vogt bore a shrewd but honest integrity. He was born in Germany in 1834 and came to The Dalles in the early 1880’s. His first employment was with the Umatilla House Hotel. He saved his money and then opened a notion store. His business grew and prospered becoming a General Merchandise business. He invited his sister to go into business with him and together they began to build one of the most prosperous enterprises in The Dalles under the name of Max Vogt and Company.

They built business houses for renting purposes including the Chapman Block at 2nd and Washington streets, the Vogt Block at 2nd and Federal streets as well as other building in The Dalles. In 1890 the company built a large armory which included one of the finest and most elegant Theaters in Eastern Oregon.

The Great Fire of 1891 destroyed all the Max Vogt and Company buildings (valued at $150,000). In fact, he was the greatest loser in that fire, and it greatly discouraged him. The buildings were not insured, and it took several years for him to regain his spirit but eventually he borrowed the money and rebuilt all the lost buildings.

Max Vogt allowed himself no luxuries. He dressed in old clothes which had many patches on them, and he ate frugally, where he could find the food the cheapest. However, underneath that frugal façade he was very generous and public spirited.

Mr. Vogt was a devout member of the Roman Catholic Church and on one of his trips to Europe he visited the pope at the Vatican. He always helped the town with public subscriptions. His motto was: “If The Dalles has made my wealth, I should spend it in The Dalles”. Max Vogt died on January 25, 1911. In honor of Mr. Vogt all the business houses in The Dalles were closed while the funeral exercises were being conducted.

In his will, Mr. Vogt left the sum of $5000 to be devoted to the erection of a fountain for the use of the public at the intersection of Third and Washington streets in The Dalles. He named W. H. Wilson, A.E. Lake and W.I. Bradshaw as trustees to carry out this bequest. The gift of a downtown fountain was first submitted to The Dalles city council in June of 1913.

The city council was reluctant to install the fountain which had already been constructed and shipped to The Dalles. Finally, on June 17, 1913 a petition demanding “immediate installation” of the fountain was submitted to the council and the ordinance was finally adopted. The Oregon Journal reported in its March 12, 1915 newspaper that “The drinking fountains given to The Dalles by the will of the late Maximillian Vogt have been installed. The Chronicle reported that “The Fountains are beautiful pieces of work and are of delicate and graceful design. They are of solid bronze and on each is the inscription, “Vogt.”

For many years, the Vogt Fountain was a downtown landmark serving man, dog, and horse but eventually the fountain became a victim of its location in a growing downtown. Automobiles and trucks replaced the horse drawn vehicles. Traffic moved faster and the fountain, located in a major downtown intersection, became impractical and a hazard to vehicles and pedestrians.

In 1929 it was decided to remove the fountain from its downtown location. The plan was to move the Fountain to Sorosis park but ultimately the fountain was dismantled and placed in storage in a shed at The Old Fort Dalles Museum. Twenty-Six years later in the Spring of 1955 it was taken out of storage and placed in Sorosis Park without the fountain features.

The Vogt Fountain’s first restoration took place in the mid 1960’s and it was placed in the Rose Garden of Sorosis Park in 1966. Over a period of years, the fountain once again ceased to work and became run down. This changed in 2019-20 when the group that stands before you today planned and executed another restoration of the Vogt Fountain which we are celebrating today July 9, 2020 I am sure that Max Vogt is smiling! (and so are the Sorosis Club ladies)!

The Dalles Lions Club contributed to the restoration of the Vogt Fountain at Sorosis Park, making these lion heads possible.