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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1888)
THE WEST 8II0RE. A YEAR OP PROSPERITY. 'PilE year 1888 has been one of more marked and substantial progress in Portland than any pre vious year in its nearly half a century of existence. Fully five thousand people have been added to the permanent population of the three municipalities of Portland, East Portland and Albina, soon, probably, to be united under one city government, while the streets, hotels and lodging houses have been crowded with transient visitors, tourists and those seeking op portunities for the investment of their means. Real estate transfers hava reached the enormous figure of $7,719,841.89, embracing two thousand nine hundred and fifty-six transfers, or an average of nearly ten a dy. These figures are for the year ending Novem ber 30, 1888, and considerably exceed those of the cal endar year 1887, which were two thousand eight liQn. dred and twenty-five transfers, and $5,812,419.23 to tal value. They were compiled from the records by the real estate firm of J. Fred Clark fc 8oni Whole sale business has increased twenty-five per cent, to a total of $75,000,00000, and manufacturing to $17, 000,000 00, an increase of fifty per cent. The upward tendency of real estate has been very marked, espe cially in present or prospective business property and suburban residence property, as is plainly shown by the prices realized for such property in different por tions of the city. No better evidence can be given of the growing prosperity of the city than that of the permanent building improvements made, of a semi-public, private and commercial nature. These have reached a total for the year of fully $2,500,000.00. Chief among them are the great hotel, the mammoth exposition building of the North Pacific Industrial Fair Aiaoci ation, the large Hebrew temple, the stone edifice of the First Presbyterian church, the factory of tho Portland Linseed Oil Co.. the depot of the Portland ! t Willamette Valley Railway Co., the iron bridge of poeo of providing terminal facility for thra iu thi city, as well m to build a largo, first-das hotd, which he knew would bo urgently nmUl to accointandat the largo tourist travel certain to follow u.-u th heels of the railroads. Plans were drawn for a mag. nificent structure- of stone, six stories in height and two hundred feet square, to coat not Ut thau $M 000.00. Work was began, and the foundation and first story were complete, at a coat of tlsO.fmia), when the financial crash of lSS.1 npwt Mr. Villard'o plans, and iU further construction was indrflnitdy suspended. Meanwhile the atfcoluto ami of such an institution became more and more urgently Ml Thousands of people bar been prevrntM from com ing to this city, or having come hero bavo hastened away again, simply becauso suitable MM aecomroo dations could not ! given them. At tut tho public spirited citizens took the matter in hand, organic company with a capital stock of W)W)U), which was all subscribed in a few days, purdiaaed tho un completed property of the Terminal Company and resumed the work of conduction on tho grand hold, which is now being puabod forward with great activ. ity. When tbia structure is finished, sotno timo dur ing the coming year, Portland will haio a hotel r c ond to but few in the United btatrs; ono which will be of as much benefit to tho city aa iU alenro lu been detrimental In tho largo supplement areola pinyingthii number of Tiir. Wrr HiimK U glrru an excellent engraring of tho structure, from which iU exterior architectural feature can readily U r. ccived. Tho erection of a largo oprra houso on tho block facing tho hotel on tho north, and largo buine tlockson tho west and louth, bavo ln decided opno by owners of property there, aud work on tbfa will 1)0 commence! early in tho spring. Tho block fad of tho hotel Wong to tho gorrrnmenl, and cm it aUnda i a solid stone thrrAitory building, oaM a a custom ' bouse, MttiificA and t'nitod Mates court boas. i V. in Imfrf.rUnrft lit tho buildietfS 'f a H-ml- .v Willamette Valley itaiiway ua, u rou , ( ( th r.n t?.:i ir v.;.t nn Pi thi treat nlait i WMie naiure n iun uwu vbVu .j 7.i i P.rific Industrial Fair A UUon. inn vwyaj j o( the Oregon Iron Stool Co, .od nnu. Urp ' V,:, lut. ,to , t,u! .,a ,.l I I 1 tLI-.a.- Uhmatn V Mtin TUW ; " " I ' . ri ( rnRmanrn nnainnni nifarsiii. lULimni i v - - with the city, also, are the new susjmt I Oregon City and the operations c i h i KiMtrifl Lmht Co.. descnoeu t,..nr;n rhcrrh and , uumutT, as are, wwj, iuo iiwu.. ? Jewish svnscocue. remaps tne most imporiam vuvriyw - ! public natnre is that of the " Portland," th larg bo tel now in process of erection on tho full bla b nn 1 ed by Sixth, Seventh, Yamhill and Marria-m strata. When Uenry Villard was president of tho veraJ railway companiei whoae interesU cntere-l l re, ho organized the North Pacific Terminal Ox, for tho pur- a a f a H .trt of f-;ur hundred f-t It U diiH! threfl rilionJ, the c-ttr ono nUinlcg i and botanical l 0&r Uif M to agrlcoltara anl macLUry atl to !wU l tho arts and acl tMnlj. Io all iU H toU tlo buiMitg will U. PwUUh w'I l" lu, a! preparation are on M M W fall tho Itrr-t fl-itv evrf gallrfl va