Portland is the largest and most populous city in Oregon state. The name of the city was chosen in 1845 by a coin toss. The city merged with Albina and East Portland in 1891. At the turn of the 20th century, Portland was the host city of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, a world’s fair. This event increased the recognition of Portland, and the population was multiplied in a few years. In 1915, the city merged with Linnton and St. Johns.
Here below are some stunning historical photos that show what Portland looked like at the turn of the 20th century.
#1 Children (near political signs) in front of the Portland and OK coffee houses, circa 1900
#2 Crossing the Willamette from Sellwood, ca. 1900s
#3 Lewis Clark Exposition, Summer 1905
#4 The Portland Hotel, 1904.
#5 Children walking in Portland’s historic Chinatown, ca. 1900s
#6 Fourth street, 1907
#7 Multnomah County Courthouse, circa 1900
#8 Park School, 1904
#9 Central Library on SW 10th, 1902.
#10 Parade for Theodore Roosevelt on SW 3rd Avenue, 1905.
#11 The “Bear Pit” at the Oregon Zoo, 1900.
#12 Columbia River, 1900
#13 A group of men on the steps outside of Grohs Saloon, located on SW Macadam near the 7300 block, 1903.
#14 City Hall, 1904
#15 Baker Stock Company in the late 1900s
#16 Portland railway light & power streetcar special car, 1908
#17 Portland Rose Parade, 1908
#18 S.W. 3rd Ave & Washington, 1905
#19 S.W. 5th from Washington, 1907
#20 The Oregonian Building at S.W. 6th and Alder, 1904
#21 The first barber shop in Sellwood, located at SE Umatilla Street between SE 13th Avenue and SE 11th Avenue, circa 1900.
#22 The Brubaker, Normandin, and Co. Mt. Tabor Store and the Mt. Tabor Market on the corner of SE Stark Street (Base Line Road) and SE 60th Avenue, circa 1900.
#23 Multnomah County Courthouse, 1900
#24 South Portland, 1900
#25 Lewis & Flanders Block, Ankeny Block, 1900.
#26 Kamm Block on the north side of SW Pine St. between Front and 1st Avenue, 1900
#27 Morrison Bridge, 1900.
#28 Hill Military Academy, 1901
#29 US Custom House, 1904
#30 Portland Traction Company, 1902.
#31 City Park, circa 1902
#32 River View Cemetery, 1903
#33 A troop of the United States Cavalry posing by a giant fallen tree, circa 1904.
#34 Construction of the old Forestry Building, 1904.
#35 SW 3rd Avenue, 1904
#36 Family posing outside of a house on Alberta Street, 1904.
#37 Lewis and Clark Exposition, 1905
#38 Ships in the Portland Harbor on the Willamette River, 1905.
#39 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, 1905
#40 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, 1905
#41 Fire Chief David Campbell and George Walker in the Chief’s buggy outside Station 1, 1905.
#42 Two women sitting in the upper balcony of the Forestry Building, 1905
#43 Rose City Waffle House, 1905
#44 SW Washington & 3rd, 1905
#45 Parade at SW 3rd & Alder, 1905
#46 Front & Morrison, 1905
#47 Riding The Chutes at Oaks Amusement Park, 1907.
#48 Men and horses in front of the Steel Bridge Fuel Company, circa 1907.
#49 Drs Henry & Viola Coe Home, 1907
#50 Up to Date Dye Works, 1907
#51 Thompson Fountain, circa 1908
#52 Horse and cart decorated for the Rose Festival on SW 12th Avenue near SW Morrison Street, 1909.
#53 Two nurses and a driver pose with a Red Cross Service Ambulance, 1910.
#54 Streetcars at Third and Morrison, 1905
Enjoyed this post? Get new ones in your inbox.
Seeing all those streetcars makes me ache…I live in Eugene, and our streetcar was closed a very long time ago. The rails are still embedded in the streets, but all we have are buses now.
So much of downtown looked similar in the 1950’s, when I was a child…no more.