The adventure has begun

Background information:
     We live in a small town in southern Oregon. Inside city limits we have about 20,000 people, with another 20,000 in the adjacent suburban zone. The place has an agricultural foundation; logging was big business here until the 1980s and ranchers are still a significant demographic in the county. The surrounding area includes significant forested mountains, and many of our friends are biologists of one sort or another working for the Forest Service or the Bureau of Reclamation. It's the smallest town I've ever lived in for more than a summer. So why am I calling my experience urban? We live in the downtown area in a converted commercial building. We are sandwiched between the traditional Main Street, with its mostly brick office, government, and retail buildings, and the light industrial zone that lies along heavily used railroad tracks a few blocks from here. Our town is small, but we live in the one part of it that maintains urban elements. We feel like we have the best of both worlds!

Our building used to be a Fraternal Lodge, which is a bit mysterious to me but pretty much sounds like a bar and ballroom. There is evidence of BINGO games and fried food in the basement. The top floor was a ballroom with a small bandstand/ stage, a kitchenette,and large built-in-place benches around the perimeter of the room. The ground level had a wooden dance floor, another bandstand, a bar, and an area that was probably for a pool table.

Next installment:
Our first job was to get the place re-zoned residential.