Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1907)
THE MORTOKG OREGOnAX, TXTESDAT, JANTTART 1, 190?. 3M MMf t-ti oBslruciion an .3 --.., .v;v;s;5" or 0 mm d flaraxed h- '-V v-:f j v'i i . o C.'r -It M I'. hrlVrUl 8.51 t JJ3 T5f y ' ' -i y ' x fPSrlNi BECK ESTA TE , Jty.r--J ft . ; TsRass-1 - 1'' p Jic-'tfh4th;;J 41 . f ll fill ?-; f ' f j rrii 'vwl l")l Uil ,'r o f !,iu..W..l.l.l. 11.1 ..,i,.i.,mi 1 mm .til, .nun ipwwiiMaillCTP , Cw'fr- Ft"'"'? 'J lf hr A'1 . ia:pjw?i,iiijir-. 5 1 JJL p.. i, nwbiMaiStig-s.i.J..-' Commercial club building. WELLS-rA&GO BUILDINGXZ ' -.-r- Wf-i- iff, if- ; v l .OKTLAX1) Is at tho threehoia of an era of transformation. This 1 shown, not alona by her rapid tain in population. Increased com merca nod unprereijontiJ activity In real rstatn, but y largor poBtofHcs receipt, bunk cltarlngs and ruslom liaus transautlon. Further and more tanglbl evidence-1 the thousands of new buildings tiiet Imve been erected during- the past year. The progress in building is shown Indisputably by the record of city permits granted, but the fullast conception of the proportions of this movement can be trained only by a inspection of th city's busy thor oughfares, along all of which new buildings are under way. This is truly a transition period for Portland, the metropolis of the Puoirto Northwest. One by one the older build Inf, relics of pioneer days and of the many years of slow growth which followed the founding; of the city are disappearing to make way for the larger and mora substantial struc tures made necessary by larger needs. OJd Portland has almost completely vanished, and in Its placa has come new Portland, a'clty of met ropolitan proportions and metropolitan appearance. Where stood the unpre tentious business houses of early days, greet skyscrapers now rear their height, and a large area which less than a half century ago was farm and woodland, is now covered with these brick, stone and Iron monument of proirrens. Vortland is now the largest city In area on the pacific Coast, her resi dence district having spread far and wide to an extent undreamed of by the founders of tli city. From a building standpoint, eh past year has been by far the busiest Port land has ever experienced. In what ever direction one turns, ha Is con fronted by new construction. The sound of the hammer and saw, and the ring of the trowel, day been continu um, and every architect in the city ha burned the midnight oil to keep puce with the demands of the builders. Yet there has been constant cry from' property-owners that they could not get specifications prepared rapidly enough, and the plana for several large building have been drawn by firms in other titles. Tho building "movement in Portland during the past year has been the more noteworthy because it has been carried on with prices for labor and material at their highest. Moreover, realty values were considerably advanced over those of the year before, and much In excess of those of previous years. Yet capitalists hsvo not hesitated to Invest in- vacant or poorly Improved prop erty for the purpose of erecting upon It new structures. Wages' have been at the top notch, and yet so grent has been the demand for labor that there has been difficulty at all time in get ting workmen needed to carry on build ing operations. Building materials, de spite higher prices, have been scarcer than In former years, including brick, stone, structural steel, cement end lum bar. But in face of these adverse conditions, the building permits for J SOf, as recorded in the office of the City Auditor, show a total of approx imately 3,oo,ooo in excess of those of any previous year. One fact that will Impres any on who makes a personal Inspection of the buildings under way in Portland is their substantial character and their modern appearance. The residences which have gone up during the year are. as a rule, of better material, larger and of more modern architecture than those previously erected. A a class, the homes of Portland court compart-' Man with those of any other city, and in inflection with this fact It should be mentioned that the residence district of the city are without peer In the beauty of their natural surroundings. And what ha been said in regard to the Improved standard of residence holds good to an even greater extent wit a regard to new busiuei struc- i n ' -J1 4 ' -i l, 4 "'. a? iZ " V 'i f f f I 3 i i d ' ii ' , ... , ,. .. j ; JS .5- J It 1"M. ; 5 4 . . 4 ' aV XiX rfSSi i s 1 -7777 WWl Jrc aw'- y ' b5 Hi tv- : r!?? :r tf a- -rs3 nrrS rri rn li " ' 4- w v : VWM WNitn y' JSSL .'. l-W; d J i 'ihw"".-4 A a'' V i 3 .4. itn:'-' b.j-fci. tures. There are now under construc tion in Portland more "Class A" build ing than havo been erected during the entire previous history Of the city, The typical fine office building in Portland now 1 on of steel construction, in the planning of which permanency has been considered rather than cheapness. Owner have discovered that actual economy consist In building well, not cheaply, and. a a result, the central business dlstriot of Portland Is rapidly assuming the appearanoe of that of a thriving Eastern metropolis. No better example of the new build ing standard In Portland can be found than the Wells-Fargo akyscraptr now nearlng completion at the southwest corner of Sixth and Oak street. This building will coet. completed, in the neighborhood of f400,Ql)Q, and is the iargcet. flngle realty holding of the W gUJLDIMGj Wells-Fargo Company In the United States. That this company, which operate in all part of the country, should consider Portland the best city for a large Investment of this charac ter Is in itself a splendid testimonial to the advantages which exist her and to the prospect of the city a viewed by ouUlders. The Wells-Vargo building I It stories in height and is a model mod ern office structure. The foundation alone represents an outlay of 160,000, and the entire building has been erect ed along the same thorough lines. It la as nearly fireproof as it i possible for a building to be, stone and brick on a steel frame being used In Its construction. When completed this building will be the home of the Southern Pacific, Oregon Hallway & Navigation Company, various express companies and several other large concerns. The erection ef the Wells-Fargo bulldinsr and the increased activity in the northern part of the city ha re sulted in the announcement of many fine structure for Sixth street. Just one block from the Wells-Fargo build ing, et the northeast corner of Sixth and Stark streets, Russell & Blyth are Boon to commence the erection of the 15-story skyscraper, plans for which were prepared some time ago. The firm has not yet made definite an nouncement as to when woric will be commenced, but there Is hardly a doubt that this building, which Is to b the tallest In the city, will be under way early In the Epring. Percy Blyth, of the firm of Russell & Blyth, recently returned from a trip to Europe, and It Is understood that while away he mad arrangements for all the capital which will be needed. The building is to cover a single lot and will take the place of a two-story frame structure. There are so many buildings definite ly assured for Portland in the near fu ture that It would be lmprurtlrable to mention all. Some of the largest, however, are worthy of special atten tion. No single building project is at tracting more attention than that of the Portland Commercial Club. This or ganization formerly occupied commodi ous quarters in the Chamber of Com merce building, but wa burned our' during the p't year. As soon as the club had secured temporary rooms it began making arrangements for the erection of a permanent home. A quarter-block st Ktftli and Oak streets was purchased, and the member of J