A town on Oregon’s eastern border lost some of the last pieces of its history as an old west railroad hub last week, when a fire destroyed two historic buildings.

Today, tiny Huntington is known for its busy recreational marijuana dispensaries which largely serve customers crossing the border from Idaho. The town has around 400 residents.

But in the 1890s, it was a bustling railroad town and that’s when the two brick buildings — the Oregon Commercial Company Building and Clark’s Café — were built.

Until recently, the first building was home to Howell’s Café and the Steamliner Lounge. Next door, Grady’s Tavern operated in the old Clark’s Café building. Both burned down in a fire Thursday night. Baker County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man on suspicion of arson, according to the Associated Press.

“It was the last of the historic buildings we had,” Chuck Guerri, a former mayor of Huntington, said in an interview Monday. “It’s sad, kind of punches you in the stomach a little bit.”

Guerri, who has lived in the area for three decades, said the two-story building that used to house Howell’s Café and the Steamliner Lounge “was a beautiful old building.”

It was built with two storefronts, “to provide retail goods and an apothecary,” and upstairs were rooms for rent for railroad workers and their families, according to an application nominating the building to the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to the register in the 1990s.

Bob Wiley, 75, has lived in Huntington all his life and his son Mike Wiley, 48, operated Howell’s Café and the Steamliner Lounge.

“At one time, the whole street was big two story buildings, about four blocks of ‘em,” the elder Wiley said. “(Mike’s) was the only last standing building … It was quite impressive.”

A historical photo from a National Register of Historic Places application shows the Oregon Commercial Company Building and Clark's Cafe in Huntington, Oregon.

Bob Wiley said his son closed the Steamliner about 18 months ago and shuttered Howell’s Café at least six months ago. Mike Wiley had allowed the community to hold raffles and bingo events in the dining hall.

“There was no trade at all,” Bob Wiley said. “We had hundreds of people coming over for the pot shops but none of them did business in Huntington … (Mike) was working three to four jobs trying to keep the doors open and then it just got too much for him.”

Next door, Grady’s Tavern in the old Clark’s Café building was one of only two places left in Huntington to socialize over food, a drink and video lottery games. Lillian Mathews, 51, operated the tavern with her husband Tim Mathews, 64.

“We do plan on rebuilding,” Lillian Mathews said. “ We’ve got to do something because our town has nothing now.”

Mathews said the couple might temporarily re-open in another building until they can rebuild.

“It was everything for us,” Mathews said. “We have eight kids together and our kids grew up helping us down there.”

Mathews said the couple had insurance for the tavern but she expects it will not cover all of the expenses. One of their daughters has started a GoFundMe page.

Now there’s just one small eating establishment left in Huntington, in a double-wide trailer, Bob Wiley said. “It’s pretty sad to see the town go.”

KBOI-TV reports the Baker County Sheriff’s Office has charged 21-year-old Raynmon Garcia with arson. Authorities say Garcia allegedly told people that he would burn down Grady’s Tavern, and he was found watching the fire and was arrested.

— Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud

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