Out rural Oregon, at the intersection of state highways 206 and 19, you may be surprised to find a Powell’s Books, of the Powell’s City of Books fame.
Condon, population 682, conceals a small branch of Powell’s Books inside its Country Flowers store.
Mike Powell, who started Powell’s with a Chicago bookstore in 1970 and whose father started Portland’s Powell’s shortly thereafter, took an interest in setting up a bookstore in Condon with Country Flowers’ proprietor, Darla Seale.
The way she tells it, Mike Powell was looking for a vacation home not too far from Condon. One day during a visit Seale suggested Powell set up a small bookstore at her flower shop. Circa 1996, Powell’s Books in Condon was born. The offerings are much the same as you’d find in Portland; used, new and eclectic. Seale does get a lot of calls for more children’s books.
“It was a novelty at first,” Seale said. “But it’s not really surprising since Condon was populated by school teachers and ranchers.”
Still, the most frequently asked question is, “Is this really a Powell’s Bookstore?” The answer is, yes. Additional testimony comes from T-shirts that read, “Powell’s Books … Portland … Condon.”
written by Jen Stevenson NOLA DOUGHNUTS Mardi Gras is just a king-cake-splattered March memory,…
written by Jeremy Storton I sat typing away at my keyboard one wintry day at a local brewery. A beautiful,…
BEST PLACES FOR BOUNTIFUL BRUNCHING HUNNYMILK With both a West Burnside brick and mortar and an eastside weekends-only pop-up, this…
If you need an update for a decrepit picnic table, try the Aviara Aluminum Rectangular Dining Table from…
illustrated by Esther Loopstra AS ANYONE WHO HAS EVER STROLLED through the nursery knows, outdoor pots can add up. Try…
written by Melissa Dalton An Outdoor Pavilion, rustic and accommodating When Daniel Harkavy and his wife bought their West Linn…