Newberg Graphic Online

Just flat exploring the history of town’s sidewalks

History — Amateur historian seeks markers left by contractors

• By: Amanda Newman  
• Published: 11/17/2009 11:16:11 AM

Photo By: Gary AllenMystery marks
Chuck Zickefoose has found hundreds of markers, often times signifying the contractor that constructed the sidewalk.

   When Chuck Zickefoose takes his regular walks through the streets of Newberg, he sees the buildings, the trees and the people around him, but they aren’t his primary focus. He’s tracking the sidewalks.
   Zickefoose is interested in the history of sidewalk construction and he has been logging sites throughout town where contractors left their mark. He has found about 30 such indications in Newberg, including three recurring stamps he thinks are indicative of the area’s most prominent early contractors.
   “I have a high curiosity quotient and some extra time, now that I’m retired,” he explained. The average person might not take note when walking down the street, but sidewalk contractors often label their work with a stamp, including their name or a symbol and sometimes the date — something he finds fascinating.
   Zickefoose, 77, is semi-retired — he managed environmental engineering offices in Portland and Honolulu, Hawaii, before officially retiring 13 years ago, but remains on the payroll and still goes into the office three days a week. He moved to Newberg about five years ago; two years ago, he started noticing the sidewalk symbols.
   He laid out the sidewalks in a grid and began marking down the symbols he found. Several are accompanied by a date, ranging from 1907 to the 1920s.
   The most prominent early contractor, according to Zickefoose’s observations, was John Groff (later John Groff and Son). There are several such markings both north and south of First Street. Most of the Groff stamps include the date, ranging from 1908 to 1920.
   One of Newberg’s most unusual sidewalk markings, Zickefoose explained, was left by Groff. On the west side of Jem 100, on Main Street, “John Groff Contractor 1908” is imprinted backwards — indicating a good sense of humor, Zickefoose said.
   Also common throughout town is a horseshoe symbol, accompanied by a two-digit date.  The markings, prevalent on Blaine Street, range from ‘14 to ‘21. Another recurrent stamp features a circle around a cross, sometimes with a date nearby.
   Additionally, Zickefoose has noted markings that seem to be site specific, likely left by a private citizen installing a sidewalk near a residence. The tags include “C.A. Bump,” “G.W. James,” “E. Wright,” “C. Lokdam 1913,” “Lynn Ferguson 1908” and, the earliest-noted sidewalk Zickefoose has found, “F.H. Caldwell 1907.”
   Zickefoose likened tracing the history of the sidewalks to a archaeological excavation. He said he has also noted John Groff’s mark in McMinnville streets and found the contractor’s grandson still living in Newberg, but the man had scant light to shed on the sidewalks.
   He plans to seek information from the Yamhill County Historical Society and hopes to find others with knowledge of the sidewalks’ construction.
   “It’s an ongoing curiosity to me,” he said. “I’m going to keep digging until I find more.”

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