For nearly 70 years, hamburger enthusiasts in Medford, Ore., frequented the little stand on the corner of Sixth and Riverside streets known as Dell’s Hamburgers.
The owner, E.N. “Dell” Cline came to Medford in 1927 from Montana with $35 in his pocket. He rented a small hamburger stand mounted on a trailer made of an old car chassis. Customers said Dell’s hamburgers, a combination of burger, patty, bun, mustard and lettuce, with or without onions, had a special taste credited to his ancient grill. It was said that the grill could put out a dozen burgers in one minute.
During World War II, Dell’s jumped with Camp White soldiers in town for the evening. The hamburger stand was near the bus stop, where soldiers would line up on the sidewalk for a couple of blocks around the corner from Sixth Street to chow down on the 10-cent hamburgers.
By mid-1944, Camp White had reduced its troops and Dell’s sales dropped drastically, but he kept the business running for another 50 years, closing in 1994. Efforts to restart the business since then have failed.
Sources: Kramer, George. Camp White City in the Agate Desert. White City, OR: Camp White 50th Anniversary Committee, 1992. 61-91. Print; Freeman, Mark. "Daughter of past owner revives Dell's." Mail Tribune 22 Apr. 2002 [Medford, OR] . Web. 6 Aug. 2016. www.mailtribune.com/article/20020422/news/304229997 ; Stiles, Greg. "Dell's Hamburgers Closing." Mail Tribune 17 Dec. 2007 [Medford, OR] . Web. 8 Aug. 2016.
