Portland - Historical Background

Our apologies: your internet browser is not yet fully supported by Schmap online guides. Pages in this guide may display incorrectly.

Schmap.com supports the following browsers:

PC

MAC Portland Portland - Historical Background Map
Download the Schmap Portland Guide
Portland Home
Schmap Portland guide and map


Well before visits by explorers and frontiersmen, the Portland area and its rivers were home to trading among the many native people who lived in the lush valleys bordering Mount Hood and the Cascade Mountains. Legend tells that the Native Americans who thrived here used to hunt at Elk Rock and meet at Council Crest, the city's highest point. Tribal lore reaches in all directions, including the Bridge of the Gods, where Mother Nature provided the perfect place for a man-made bridge that now links Oregon to Washington near Bonneville Lock & Dam. Much of the vibrant culture of local tribes can be experienced at The Museum at Warm Springs.

Lewis and Clark

Ordered by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Pacific Northwest in 1804, state park namesakes Lewis and Clark made their famed journey through the Columbia River Gorge, which remains among the most scenic areas in the U.S. Take in the expansive view from the historic Vista House. The arrival of the explorers brought a new wave of trade and culture to the city. With military camps at nearby Fort Clatsop and Fort Vancouver, as well as historic Officers Row, U.S. military personnel mixed with settlers, fur trappers and seamen who came to Portland primarily from Astoria. The coastal town itself has a bountiful past that lives on in the Astoria Column and Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Early Pioneers

Drawn west by the California Gold Rush, a number of pioneers decided to head north for Oregon and Portland. Their arduous journey can be revisited at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center as well as other museums. Among pioneers who came to the city in the 1840s were two early settlers from Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. The two gentlemen bet the name of the city on the toss of a coin, which can still be seen today at the Oregon History Center. The City of Portland was actually chartered in 1851 and historic City Hall and Pioneer Courthouse—both still in use—are testaments to Portland's dedication to its past.

Other key figures of Portland's past include the original publisher of The Oregonian Henry Pittock, whose Northwest Portland mansion provides an incredible view of downtown and can be toured. Another father of the city is lumber baron Simon Benson, whose water fountains known as the Benson Bubblers still offer cool drinks today. The Benson Hotel is also named after this head of industry and is considered among the top accommodations in town.

Timber

Benson and Portland prospered through the harvest of timber, which is more closely examined at the World Forestry Center and Magness Memorial Tree Farm. Shipping along the banks of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, as well as fishing helped drive growth of the city. When times became more difficult with the Great Depression, the area saw one of its biggest government projects with the New Deal construction of historic Timberline Lodge.

Downtown Portland

The history of downtown Portland is rich with culture and color. The centuries old buildings of the Pearl District and Chinatown mix with newer aesthetic attractions such as the Classical Chinese Garden. Stories of the city's boisterous past, when sailors and shipyard worker mixed in places like the White Eagle and Buffalo Gap saloons, include tales of men getting shanghai'd—taken away drunk and forced to work aboard the ship of a cruel captain. The city's darker side can also be seen at the Portland Police Historical Museum, where both criminals and heroes of the city's past live on.

City of Bridges

Also known as the City of Bridges, part of Portland's history spans the Willamette River, which passengers can tour on the Willamette Shore Trolley. The Hawthorne Bridge—one of the oldest elevation bridges still operating—is often the setting of movie filming, races and walks in Portland. It connects the downtown area to East Portland, which in the early days of the city was connected only by ferry. Today, Portlanders have a choice of many bridges, including the Steel Bridge, which is a one of-a-kind, double-decker elevation bridge, and the Broadway Bridge, which connects downtown to the Rose Quarter and Northeast Portland. The city is also linked by the Interstate Bridge to Vancouver, Washington, which carries its own history in a small, rejuvenated downtown area.

City Parks

Rivaling Portland's numerous, historic bridges are the city's parks, which are never far and offer the perfect place to play, walk, relax or picnic. It would not be hard to spend a day at Forest Park, which is the largest city park in the United States. A visit to Portland would not be complete without seeing Washington Park, the International Rose Test Garden and other attractions of the urban forest. Here you will see and smell the reason Portland is called the Rose City.

One of Portland's largest examples of history is the renovated PGE Park. Formerly known as Civic Stadium and renovated in 2001, this is one of the oldest downtown ballparks in the U.S. The outdoor park still hosts Portland Beavers baseball as well as other sporting and musical events. Other landmarks connecting Portland's past and future include Powell's Books, which chronicles the local history and the Portland Brewing Tap Room, where the new twist of microbrew adds flavor to the old art of brewing.







Copyright 1999-2009 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wcities

Benson Hotel


Luxurious 1912 restoration
 309 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 228 2000 / +1 888 523 6766
http://www.bensonhotel.com
Benson Hotel
Council Crest Park


Scenic views
 Southwest Council Crest Drive
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandparks.org/Parks/CouncilCrest.htm
Council Crest Park
Elk Rock


Garden for the Bishop
 11800 Southwest Military Lane
(east of State Highway 43)
Portland, OR 97204
Elk Rock
Washington Park


Metro amusement
 Southwest Park Place
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandparks.org/Parks/Washington.htm
Washington Park
Forest Park


Largest in the country
 Upsher-Newberry Road and Northwest 29th Street
(Between Northwest Skyline and St. Helens Road)
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewPark&PropertyID=127&c=38308
Forest Park
Vista House


Historic monument
 40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy
Portland, OR 97019
+1 503 695 2230
http://www.vistahouse.com/
Vista House
Timberline Lodge


Timberline Lodge
 Timberline Road
(turnoff from State Highway 26; 58 miles east of Portland)
Portland, OR 97028
+1 503 622 7979
http://www.timberlinelodge.com/
Timberline Lodge
World Forestry Center


Forest museum
 4033 Southwest Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221
+1 503 228 1367
http://www.worldforestry.org/
World Forestry Center
Willamette Shore Trolley


1913 trolley runs
 311 North State Street
Portland, OR 97034
+1 503 697 7436 / +1 503 222 2226
http://www.trainweb.org/oerhs/wst.htm
Willamette Shore Trolley
Oregon History Center


Look at our past
 1200 Southwest Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 222 1741
http://www.ohs.org
Oregon History Center
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center


Interactive museum
 1726 Washington Street
Portland, OR 97045
+1 503 657 9336
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Portland Police Historical Museum


Cops and robbers on display
 1111 Southwest Second Avenue
(16th Floor of the Justice Center)
Portland, OR 97204
Portland Police Historical Museum
Rose Quarter


Action central
 One Center Court
(east side of the Broadway Bridge)
Portland, OR 97227
http://www.rosequarter.com/default.asp
Rose Quarter
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site


Reconstructed fort
 612 East Reserve Street
Portland, WA 98661
+1 360 696 7655 / +1 800 832 3599
http://www.nps.gov/fova/
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
McMenamins White Eagle Saloon and Rock & Roll Hotel


Old watering hole
 836 North Russell Street
Portland, OR 97227
+1 503 282 6810
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=55
McMenamins White Eagle Saloon and Rock & Roll Hotel
Benson Bubblers


Lumber baron legacy bubbles on
 Downtown
Portland, OR
Benson Bubblers
Classical Chinese Garden


A slice of China
 239 Northwest Everett Street
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 228 8131
http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/home
Classical Chinese Garden
Chinatown


Gateway to the East
 Northwest Fourth Avenue and Burnside Street
(various blocks)
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 275 9750 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
http://www.travelportland.com/arts_culture/cultural_tours/chinese/chinatown.html
Chinatown
Broadway Bridge


Pearls to roses
 Connects Northeast and Northwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 275 8355 / +1 877 678 5263 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Broadway Bridge
Hawthorne Bridge


The lowest in the city
 Connects Southwest Madison and Main streets to Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 275 8355 / +1 877 678 5263 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Hawthorne Bridge
Steel Bridge


Double-decker duty
 Connects Northwest Front Avenue and Northwest Flanders Street to Northeast Williams Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 275 8355 / +1 877 678 5263 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Steel Bridge
Officers Row National Historic District


History on the street
 One street north of East Evergreen Boulevard
Portland, WA 98661
+1 360 694 2588 (Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce)
Officers Row National Historic District
Portland City Hall


Municipal makeover
 1221 Southwest Fourth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 823 4000
http://www.ci.portland.or.us/
Portland City Hall
East Portland


The other side
 Grand Avenue
(East side of the Morrison Bridge)
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 275 8355 / +1 877 678 5263 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
East Portland
Pioneer Courthouse


First court in the West
 Southwest Broadway & Yamhill
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 223 1613 (Pioneer Courthouse Office)
http://www.pioneercourthousesquare.org/
Pioneer Courthouse
Magness Memorial Tree Farm


Forest farm fun
 31195 Southwest Ladd Road
Portland, OR 97221
+1 503 228 1367
Magness Memorial Tree Farm
PGE Park


Historic stadium
 1844 Southwest Morrison Street
(Southwest 20th Avenue and Morrison Street)
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 553 5400
http://www.pgepark.com
PGE Park
Downtown Portland/City Center


Park city
 Between Interstate Highway 5 and 405
Portland, OR 97204
http://www.downtownportland.org/
Downtown Portland/City Center
Vancouver, Washington


Neighbor to the North
 750 Anderson Street
Portland, WA 98660
+1 877 600 0800
http://www.cityofvancouver.us/
Vancouver, Washington
Bridge of the Gods


Divine for driving
 Columbia River Gorge
(Interstate 84 to exit 40; travel two miles up the river)
Portland, OR 97014
Bridge of the Gods
Lewis and Clark State Park


Explorer camp
 Interstate 84
(Sixteen miles east of Portland)
Portland, OR 97060
+1 800 551 6949
Lewis and Clark State Park
Interstate Bridge


Double duty
 Connects Portland and Vancouver via Interstate 5
Portland, OR 97217
+1 503 222 2223 / +1 877 678 5263
Interstate Bridge
Portland Beavers Baseball


Pacific Coast League
 1844 Southwest Morrison Street
PGE Park
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 553 5400
http://www.pgepark.com/beavers/
Portland Beavers Baseball
Powell's Books


A world of books
 1005 West Burnside St
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 228 4651
http://www.powells.com
Powell's Books
International Rose Test Garden


A floral delight
 400 Southwest Kingston Ave
(Washington Park)
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 823 3636
http://www.wcities.com/outside.html?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parks.ci.portland.or.us%2FParks%2FIntRoseTest
International Rose Test Garden
Pittock Mansion


Pittock Mansion
 3229 NW Pittock Drive
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 823 3623
pittockmansion.org
Pittock Mansion
Portland
Portland - Art & Entertainment
Portland - Where to Stay
Portland - Neighborhood Guide
Portland - Dining & Drinking
Schmap.com
About
News & Reviews
Travel Store
Privacy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
© 2008 Schmap, Inc. All rights reserved.