8 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
May 2013
Slides and lecture show old South Portland’s ethnic history
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
More than 100 people crammed into
the Cedarwood Montessori School last
month to hear a lecture and slide show
on South Portland’s history, especially
as it related to the Italian and Jewish
communities.
Historian Arnie Panitch provided the
commentary to a slide show of both
current and historic scenes by Ken
Kane. The event was sponsored by the
Tuscan Association of Oregon.
The venue was the school audito-
rium, which was once Oregon’s first
indoor pool. The building was origi-
nally Neighborhood House, built in
1905 by the National Council of Jewish
Women as a settlement house. As such,
it provided classes.
As such, it provided classes, rec-
reation and activities geared toward
immigrants. As one person at the
lecture noted, Jews never made up
more than 50 percent of the patrons of
Neighborhood House, which served a
succession of immigrant groups.
Indeed, old South Portland, which
Panitch said was bounded by South-
west Columbia and Hamilton streets,
Barbur Boulevard and the Willamette
River, was a community of immi-
grants.
Significant structures that stand
today include the Lair Hill Market,
created in 1912; Failing School (now
part of the National College of Natural
Medicine); and St. Mary’s Academy,
the oldest school in Portland.
Others include the former Carnegie
Library, now owned by the Portland
Bureau of Parks; the former Kesser
Israel orthodox synagogue building,
originally a Baptist church and now
the Church of God; and Italian restau-
rant Caro Amico.
Panitch noted that many of the area
streets were named for Civil War
heroes – Grant, Sherman, Sheridan,
Meade and Hooker. In 1931 came the
Great Renumbering, with the City sub-
stituting a new uniform set of build-
ing numbers to replace the systems of
what had been independent villages.
A major part of the area’s history
was the South Auditorium urban re-
Audrey Perino of the Tuscan Association of Oregon introduces historian Arnie Panitch.
(Post photo by Lee Perlman)
Houses in the South Auditorium Renewal Area in South Portland circa 1962. (Photo
courtesy City of Portland Archives)
newal district of the Portland Devel-
opment Commission, which displaced
2,000 residents on 54 square blocks.
The activity was justified at the time
by the alleged disrepair and crime in
the area. On the day of the lecture, an
Oregonian editorial praised the South
Auditorium project.
Panitch provided a different per-
spective; a 1963 slide showed a sign
on a condemned building which said
that the political process “makes the
Soviet Union look like a constitutional
paradise.”
Parker Realty, Inc.
Multnomah Village -
$459,500
*
50 off
y
Da
r’s 2th
he 1
o t ay
M s M
i
Enjoy
%
All the Frills Bouquet
Feminine and full of
color, this bouquet is
perfect to wow any
Mom in your life!
Site Price: $39 99
+s/h
You Pay:
19
$
99
+s/h
E
SAV %*
50
“All the Frills” Bouquet,
a perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Plus, as a special bonus, take 20 %* off all products over $29!
Visit www.ProFlowers.com/Heart or call 855.447.7337
“Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Online Flower Retailers.” By J.D. Power And Associates, 2012
*Take 50% off “All the Frills” and 20% off minimum product purchase of $29. Discounts: (i) apply to the regular price of the products, (ii) will appear upon checkout and cannot be combined
with other offers or discounts, unless specifi ed, and (iii) do not apply to gift cards or certifi cates, international delivery, shipping & handling, taxes, or third-party hosted products (e.g. wine).
Discounts not valid on bulk or corporate purchases of 10 units or more. Images in this advertisement may include upgraded, premium containers which are available for an additional
charge. Prices valid while supplies last. Offer expires 5/8/2013. ProFlowers received the highest numerical score in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Online Flower Retailer
Satisfaction Report SM . Study based on 2,154 responses measuring 8 online fl ower retailers and measures the opinions of consumers who made an online purchase in the past 12 months.
Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed October-November 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com
Walk to Multnomah Village
– impeccable quality built
traditional w/ craftsman
touches. Gourmet kitchen
w/ SS Appliances, CVG fir
cabinets, granite, island w/
2nd sink, eating area & hardwood floors. Two master suites
w/ private baths – many beautiful custom built-ins . Fabulous
perennial garden, vegetables & blueberries & separate garden
shed. Complete privacy, large deck for entertaining, hot tub &
whole house built-in sound system. MLS 13122817
Jeff Parker
Your Neighborhood
Realtor Since 1980
The inventory of houses for sale in the Portland Metro
area remains at historic lows. High demand for homes in
our area coupled with low interest rates and lack of homes
for sale translates to higher prices! If you are thinking of
selling contact us today for a free market analysis.
503-977-1888•7830SW35thAve.,Portland,OR
www.parkerrealtyportland.com
Isn’t it time you
advertised in The Post?
Call Don at 503-244-6933
er
m
m
Su ials
Spec
Day
s
’
r
e
Fath
Wedd
ings
Graduations
Farm
er
Sidewalk Sales
’s Ma
r
kets