Oakland
Douglas County, 97462
Talk about being bypassed when the freeway came through! Oakland barely got an exit and the hiway department tries every few years to close that. You will, nonetheless, want to stop in Oakland. Coming in from the north you will cross an old one lane bridge with a traffic light. Its classic main street features Tolly's, the grandest restored soda fountain and restaurant that I know of. Tolly's has had a rough time the last few years but things are now looking up (Aug, 2018). When the original Tollefson died the place sold and the new owners were not successful. Over the next few years bankruptcy, caretaker owners and closures plagued the place. Now the establishment is re-opened under second generation ownership by owners who care and are capable operators. The town was built in 1851 but had to be moved in 1872 to accommodate a railroad. Fire plagued the wooden structures of the new town. Most of the brick buildings on main street were erected in the 1890's. The town also has a wealth of Victorian period homes. A couple of years ago (1998)our friend Hank Jarboe who operates Jarboe's Gill in Canby (now defunct) bought a commercial building in Oakland for only $100,000. He claims it has an antique bar that came around the horn. As he tells the story he could sell the bar for most of what he paid for the building. Our guess is that he wishes he had his money back!