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Byron A. Stover

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Byron A. Stover
Stover before moving to Oregon, 1914
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 29th district
In office
1951–1954
Preceded byJames F. Short
Succeeded byHarvey H. DeArmond
Personal details
Born
Byron Anderson Stover

(1890-11-08)November 8, 1890
Versailles, Ohio, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 1984(1984-02-24) (aged 93)
Bend, Oregon, U.S
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRuth Cushing Stover
ProfessionTheatre owner

Byron Anderson Stover (November 8, 1890 – February 24, 1984), also known as B. A. Stover or Dutch Stover, was an American businessman and politician from the state of Oregon. He was a Republican who served four years in the Oregon House of Representatives, where he represented a large rural district in central and southern Oregon. Today, Dutch Stover Park in Bend, Oregon is named in his honor.

Early life

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Stover was born in Versailles, Ohio, on November 8, 1890, the son of William H. Stover and Lucinda (Hole) Stover.[1][2][3] He attended Parker Elementary School in Dayton, Ohio.[4][5] Stover then attended high school in Dayton, graduating from Steele High School in 1908.[6]

Stover went on to attend college at Ohio State University. While there, he played football and was a two-year letterman in that sport.[7][8] He was also a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.[9] Stover graduated from the university in 1913 with a degree in forestry.[10][11][12][13]

Businessman

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Stover moved to Bend, Oregon in 1914. In Bend, Stover found a job with the Bend Company, which operated a sawmill on the west bank of the Deschutes River. However, he soon secured a position as a bank teller with the First National Bank. He stayed with the bank until the United States entered World War I.[7][10][11][14]

When America entered World War I, Stover volunteered for military service. He was accepted into the United States Army officer training program and received his training at the Presidio in San Francisco, California.[15][16] When he finished his training, Stover was commissioned as a second lieutenant.[17][18] He served in France with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment.[7][11][14] While in Europe, he participated in the Battle of Chateau Thierry, spending six weeks on the front lines. After his combat tour, he was sent to train troops in South Carolina for three months before being sent back to France.[19][20]

After the war, Stover spent several years in Seattle, Washington.[1][21] While living there, he began his career in marketing and exhibited motion pictures. In 1923, he moved back to Bend and purchased the Capitol Theatre there.[7][11][14][22] A year later, he married Ruth Cushing and she joined him in Bend.[23]

Over the years, Stover became one of Bend's most prominent businessmen. After purchasing the Capitol Theatre, he went on to buy the adjacent Liberty Theatre and several other movie theatres in and around Bend. He was well known in the Bend community for treating local children to a free movie every year on his birthday and on Christmas Day as well. He also gave free tickets to local high school athletes. He remained in the theatre business until 1946. After retiring from the theatre business, Stover became a partner in a men’s clothing store in downtown Bend. However, he continued to own and operate a theatre in Gilchrist (a small community south of Bend) until 1964.[7][11][14][24]

In addition to his business interests, Stover was always active in civic affairs. In 1931, he was elected president of Bend’s Kiwanis club.[25] Over the years, Stover served as president of the Bend Golf Club, the Bend Stampede, and the Bend Water Pageant. He was also chairman of two Red Cross fund raising campaigns. He was president of Bend Chamber of Commerce for two years and then became president of the Central Oregon Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the city’s parks advisory board for many years. In addition, he was a member of American Legion and local Elks Lodge. Stover was also a devoted fan and volunteer coach of local sports teams.[7][11][14] In 1944, he headed a community war bond drive. To encourage people to buy bonds, he gave free movie tickets to everyone who bought a bond.[14][26] When the Bend Industrial Fund was created in 1945 to promote economic growth in the Bend area, Stover was elected to the Fund’s board of directors.[27] In recognition of his extensive and significant contributions to the Bend community, Stover was selected as Bend’s Senior Citizen of the Year in 1951.[11][28][29]

State representative

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In 1950, Stover decided to run as a Republican for the District 29 seat in the Oregon House of Representatives. At that time, District 29 included both Deschutes and Lake counties, two large rural counties in central and southcentral Oregon. He was unopposed in the Republican primary.[10][14][30] In the general election, Stover faced Democrat William P. Vernon of Lakeview. Stover won by 465 votes, receiving 4,329 votes against Vernon’s 3,864 votes.[31]

Stover took his seat in the Oregon House of Representatives on 8 January 1951, representing District 29. He worked through the 1951 regular legislative session which ended on 3 May.[32] During the session, he served on the forestry, highways, and utilities committees.[33]

At the end of the 1951 session, Stover was appointed to a special interim committee charged to conduct an in-depth study of highway fees and regulations. The committee was directed to report its finding to the 1953 legislature for follow-up action.[34][35][36] Over the next year, the committee held public hearings on highway weight limits and use fees.[37] The impact of logging trucks on state highways was a major focus area of the committee.[38] The interim highways committee delivered its report in October 1952. Among its recommendations was a proposal to create a new state department of motor vehicles. The committee also drafted a bill to implement its recommendations.[39]

In 1952, Stover ran for re-election.[36][40][41] He was the only Republican to file for the District 29 seat. In addition, no Democrats entered the race so he was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election.[42][43][44]

The 1953 legislative session began on 21 January.[45] During the session, Stover was selected as chairman of the commerce and utilities committee. He was also assigned to the roads and highways, state and federal affairs, and forestry and mining committees.[46] As chairman of the commerce and utilities committee, Stover oversaw contentious hearings regarding a bill that would allow utility companies to cover the cost of new power delivery projects with a temporary surcharge to customers.[47] The session lasted three months, ending on 21 April.[45]

Later life and legacy

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In early 1954, Stover announced he would not run for a third term in the state legislature.[48] However, he remained active in state and local politics, using his influence to support Republican candidates. During the 1954 election cycle, he was chairman of the local campaign committee for Paul L. Patterson, the Republican Party’s candidate for governor.[49] Stover also organized public hearings in the Bend area for a second interim highways committee that the legislature had chartered to continue studying the state’s highway regulation and fees.[50]

In May 1954, the state senator who represented the district in which Bend was located resigned his seat in order to take a job at Lewis and Clark College near Portland, Oregon. Since the incumbent was a Republican, the county Republican committees of the five counties included in the district were responsible for selecting a new state senator. Stover was reported to be the leading candidate to fill the state senate vacancy.[51][52] However, before the selection process got underway, Stover announced he was not interested in being appointed to the state senate.[53]

Over the years, Stover actively pursued new business opportunities, supported political candidates, and continued to participate in civic affairs. In 1956, he became chairman of Bend Loggers baseball team.[54] In 1958, he actively supported Mark Hatfield for governor.[55] Two years later, he led the local effort to raise money for the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.[56] In 1968, Stover received the Beautiful Oregon Award from the Governor’s Committee for a Livable Oregon. The award recognized Stover’s efforts to preserve the scenic beauty of the Bend area.[57]

Stover died at his home in Bend on 24 February 1984. He was 93 years old at the time of his death. Stover was buried at Pilot Butte Cemetery in Bend.[2][11]

Today, Dutch Stover Park in Bend is named in his honor. The park was open to the public in 1971 with Governor Tom McCall joining Stover at the dedication ceremony. There are also several local awards and scholarships that bear his name. Since 1966, Central Oregon Community College has awarded the Dutch Stover Scholarship. The Dutch Stover Trust Fund provides college scholarships to local students and Bend High School annually presents the Stover Award to a top athlete.[7][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Byron Anderson Stover", Oregon, World War I, Veteran State Aid Applications, 1921–1938, citing San Francisco Military Service database, Oregon State Archives, Salem, accessed 27 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Byron And Stover", Oregon Death Index database citing Deschutes County certificate number 84-03432, Oregon Death Index, 1903–1998, Oregon State Archives and Records Center, Salem, Oregon, accessed 30 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Byron Stover"; member of the William H. Stover household, Dayton Ward 4, Montgomery, Ohio, United States; United States Census, 1910; enumeration district ED 68, sheet 4B, roll 1216, FHL microfilm 1,375,229; National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, District of Columbia; accessed 27 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Parker School Sends Out its Contribution", Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio, 10 June 1904, p. 10.(subscription required)
  5. ^ "Every Day for a Whole Year, Honor Pupils", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 10 June 1904, p. 10.(subscription required)
  6. ^ "Will Go Forth to Battle with the Stern Problems of Life", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 10 June 1908, p. 6.(subscription required)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Joslin, Les, "Byron A. Stover, Mr. Bend", Legendary Local of Bend Oregon, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, 2016, p. 45.
  8. ^ "Stover Stars in Big Game", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 11 November 1912, p. 12.(subscription required)
  9. ^ "Fraternity Men to Enjoy Annual Feast Saturday", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 12 April 1912, p. 2.(subscription required)
  10. ^ a b c "Byron Stover, Bend, Out for Legislature", Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 11 March 1950, pp. 1–2.(subscription required)
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Graveside Service Set for Stover", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 28 February 1984 (reprinted by the Bulletin 1 March 2009).(subscription required)
  12. ^ "Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry", Executive Documents, Annual Reports for 1913 made to the Eightieth General Assembly Extraordinary Session of the State of Ohio, F. J. Heer Printing Company, Columbus, Ohio, 1914, p. 616.
  13. ^ "Byron Stover Goes to Oregon", Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio, 18 March 1914, p. 4.(subscription required)
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "B.A. Stover to Seek Place in Legislature", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 10 March 1950, p. 1.(subscription required)
  15. ^ "Bend Boys to Go to Presidio", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 10 August 1917, p. 1.(subscription required)
  16. ^ "131 Oregon Men to be Officers", Eugene Register, Eugene, Oregon, 10 August 1917, p. 1.(subscription required)
  17. ^ "Dayton Youth is Army Lieutenant", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 23 November 1917, p. 9.(subscription required)
  18. ^ "Byron Stover is Given Commission", Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio, 25 November 1917, p. 21.(subscription required)
  19. ^ "Cablegram Tells of Safe Trip Over Sea", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 1 February 1918, p. 12.(subscription required)
  20. ^ "Arcanum", Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 14 July 1918, p. 37.(subscription required)
  21. ^ "Charming Singer is Much Feted During Her Stay", Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon, 20 March 1921, p. 37.(subscription required)
  22. ^ "Former Bend Resident Takes Capitol Management Next Friday", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 1 June 1923, p. 1.(subscription required)
  23. ^ "B. A. Stover Marries Miss Ruth Cushing", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 10 June 1924, p. 5.(subscription required)
  24. ^ "Bend Theaters to Form Corporation", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 19 July 1941, p. 8.(subscription required)
  25. ^ "Ancient Auto to Visit Bend", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 9 September 1931, p. 2.(subscription required)
  26. ^ "4th War Loan Drive Off to Excellent Start", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 24 January 1944, p. 1.(subscription required)
  27. ^ "Industrial Fund Board Named", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 30 March 1945, p. 3.(subscription required)
  28. ^ "B. A. Stover, Helmer Wallan Receive Citizen Awards", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 22 January 1952, p. 1.(subscription required)
  29. ^ "Rep. Stover Feted", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 24 January 1952, p. 2.(subscription required)
  30. ^ "Nominated for State House", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 21 May 1950, p. 16.(subscription required)
  31. ^ "On Deschutes Ballot; Count Shows Totals Unchanged", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 9 November 1950, p. 1.(subscription required)
  32. ^ "1951 Regular Session (46th): January 8 – May 3", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed 28 December 2018.
  33. ^ "Committee Appointments are Announced for Legislature by Patterson and Steelhammer", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 9 January 1951, p. 12.(subscription required)
  34. ^ "House Approves Bill Increasing Highway Loads", Corvallis Gazette-Times, Corvallis, Oregon, 22 March 1951, p. 1.(subscription required)
  35. ^ "Interim Committee Members of House Named by Speaker", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 11 May 1951, p. 6.(subscription required)
  36. ^ a b "Candidacy Filed By B. A. Stover", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 25 February 1952, p. 1.(subscription required)
  37. ^ "Highway Users Present Views to Interim Group", Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon, 4 May 1952, p. 1.(subscription required)
  38. ^ "Highway Hearing Slated Saturday", Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon, 27 April 1952, p. 1.(subscription required)
  39. ^ "Oregon Legislature to Receive Measure for Department", Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon, 12 October 1952, p. 12.(subscription required)
  40. ^ "A Team to Keep Intact", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 11 February 1952, p. 4.(subscription required)
  41. ^ "Many Filings for Primaries on Last Day", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 8 March 1952, p. 9.(subscription required)
  42. ^ "All Legislators Seeking to Keep Offices Win Out", News-Review, Roseburg, Oregon, 20 May 1952, p. 7.(subscription required)
  43. ^ "Lower House of Legislature", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 6 November 1952, p. 6.(subscription required)
  44. ^ "Final Unofficial Count Given for Deschutes County Voting", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 6 November 1952, p. 1.(subscription required)
  45. ^ a b "1953 Regular Session (47th): January 21 – April 21", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed 28 December 2018.
  46. ^ "Representatives Get Assignments", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 5 January 1953, p. 2.(subscription required)
  47. ^ "Hot Debate on Power Company Surcharges Keeps Dutch Stover’s Gavel Busy at Salem", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 4 February 1953, p. 1.(subscription required)
  48. ^ "Stover, Goodrich Decide Not to Run for ’55 Legislature", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 20 January 1954, p. 1.(subscription required)
  49. ^ "Stover Selected to Head Local Patterson Group", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 5 January 1953, p. 2.(subscription required)
  50. ^ "Highways Interim Committee Plans Meeting in Bend", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 6 April 1954, p. 1.(subscription required)
  51. ^ "Stover May Get District Senate Seat", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 25 May 1954, p. 1.(subscription required)
  52. ^ "Rep. Stover May Replace Sen Hitchcock", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 25 May 1954, p. 2.(subscription required)
  53. ^ "Stover Declines Senate Position Get District Senate Seat", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 26 May 1954, p. 1.(subscription required)
  54. ^ "Plans Laid for Baseball Team Here", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 24 January 1956, p. 1.(subscription required)
  55. ^ Stover, B. A., "Because I Served Two Sessions with Mark Hatfield and Bob Holmes…", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 3 November 1958, p. 5.(subscription required)
  56. ^ "What is this Ike Library Project?", Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, 6 January 1960, p. 4.(subscription required)
  57. ^ "Bend Man Honored", Corvallis Gazette-Times, Corvallis, Oregon, 15 June 1968, p. 1.(subscription required)
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