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About St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1918)
Hlirsrla' c.jirlr Labor Day Issue ST. JOHN REVIEW VOLUME 14 ST. JOHNS, PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918. NUMBER 42 St. Johns the to Portland HISTORY OF ST. JOHNS Featuring Its Development and Rapid Progress JAMES JOHN, the Founder of St. Johns It has been the history of the founding ami building of every gicat city that those who laid the foundation for future greatness sought primarily n location afford ing natural means of transportation; the greatest cities of the world today stand upon the banks of the navi gable rivers or arc builded by the harbors that afford anchorage for the deepest draft vessels that go down to the seas. The great transcontinental ami trunk railway systems seek these places ns their terminals, for alter all it is the ocean-going craft that make possible (he construction of the great railway .systems. What then arc the possibilities of a city that is built upon one of the greatest inland waterways of the Unit eel States and at the same time affords rail transporta tion over the lines of the greatest railway systems of the world ? Such n city is St. Johns, the key to the transportation ST. JOHNS THE KEY TO PORTLAND on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. A few years ago there stood on what is now one of the most prosperous manufacturing cities of the North west a few scattered dwellings and one or two small in dustries in u vast forest of firs. The din that follows in the wake of development, the shriek of the whistles of factories, and the buzzing of the saws of mills were seldom heard. The principal sound emanating from the industrial or commercial world was the splashing of the wheels of a passing river steamer, which plied on its ways to ports on the Columbia. Hut the genius of commerce and industry does not long allow locations that offer pre-eminent advantages to remain unutilized. Adjoining St. Johns and n part thereof lies the great city of Portland. Uer future greatness depends upon her water transportation facilities, and St. John is near er the mouth of the Columbia and the confluence of that mighty stream and the Willamette, The possibilities opened by this fact were first real ized qnd appreciated by what is now known as the St. Johns Lumber Co., which has one of the largest saw mills ou the Pacific Coast. A smtll bud comparatively insiguificent mill was installed. Then oue by one other captains of industry, with far seeing and unerriug judgment, saw the wonderful opportunity offered them at St. Johns. With the establishment of these industries began the building of St, Johus, which today stands high above the water front on a wide spreading plateau, aud is a community of 7, 500 inhabitants, throbbing with the multitudinous activities of a manufacturing center. lint it is with modern St. Johns, the gateway to the Willamette and the key to the transportation of Port land and southerly cities on the magnificent stream that drains one of the richest aud largest valleys ou the face of the globe, known as the Willamette valley, that we wish to deal with in this article. Almost within her limits is the entire poiut of thepe n'.nsula, whose point is washed by the waves of both the Columbia and the Willamette, hence St. Johns has a great water frontage. The day is not far distant when this entire water front will be a solid line of docks and industrial plants. It is inevitable, because with the marvelous develop ment that is now going on in the Northwest, the de mand for manufactured articles and for industrial activ ity will increase in proportion to the increase in popula tion. Great transportation experts have declared emphatic ally that the Peniusula, in other words, St. Johns, is eventually the New York of the West. St, Johns' remarkable growth has not been in any way the result of unnatural methods, nor can it be classed with the boom variety. It was the natural, in evitable result of a full comprehension and realization of a desirable location on the part of thousands of pro gressive American people, coming from every section 4 of the UnitecStates to the Northwest the land of op portunityand to St. Johns the coming metropolis of this mighty empire embracing the states of North Da kota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Northern California, Washington and Oregon, with all their wonderful resources; their great fields of waving grain, their flocks feeding on a thousand hills, their orchards and vineyards, their forests aud mines. Controlled by the wonderful Western variety of pro- gross, the inhabitants of St. Johus have surrounded themselves with all the institutions that arc the product of modem times. A magnificent city hall, built ou the old colonial style of architecture, graces oue of the prominent locations of the city, providing a home for municipal officers and shelter for the performance of other functions. While this is essentially and primarily a manufactur ing aud industrial center, the call of modern limes for education of the younger generation has not remained unheeded. Today St. Johns points with pardonable GO CO I m P5 a service to all parts of Portland. The Portland Gas Co. supplies gas for light and heat ami is most successful in meeting the needs of its pat rons for all purposes at a very reasonable rate. In nearly every instance the first questions that a person asks when contemplating investing in a city is concerning the water system. St. Johus can boast of as good water us any locality in the state, better than the majority, it having been analyzed by the state chemist and declared to be pure. Judiciously scattered throughout the city arc hydrants with a heavy water pressure, which, combined with a well organized and equipped fito department, gives ample protection from conflagration. Our merchants carry such a splendid grade and va riety of goods, and our factories aud industrial plants cover such a wide range, that every necessity of life is obtainable in St. Johus. Scfhor-iMiic . o v1 Datum Is mean sen level Q O .ContourlntonnlZSrcet J APPROXIMATE MEAN 1 i I . i 9 'j s 1.1 N. . 85 Titrn An Aon lti side -down anc& acte' Monha ffan d. 9 ffy- vXv O. t to o. .'v ii - I x i i f - A PHOTOGRAPH of U. S. Go- olocricnl Survey Man, Portland Quadrangle; that tmrtillustmU, IUK Willi UUUIllUne. Ol. gpdpart of PORTLAND, ORE. Aprrcat city is growing" at the fork of two errand rivers, ono hundred Tand ten . miles from -tho Pacific : Ocean, at the cm of deep sea navigation on.tno uoiumbia lover Npto the Columbia River and trib utaries, like a great fallen tree on the map of; three Western States. The water-fehed of the Inland Em pire breaks through the Cascade -Mountains to the sea. Everything jiiioHiH una reus iiuwn wuier gnmo oto.meet the deep sea ships at ?.ST. JOHNS. St. Johns isdes- . tined to bo the commercial and f manufacturing part of Greater Ni'oruana. xne norm jetty ww in cisure forty feet of water on the Co- Itlumbia River bar; then ships can bo ' i e o im u i i t i jiiuvwu iuro cuma jwr uvi mil (uunu from SL Johns and Pacific Ocean. ttfcy JOHNS COMMERCIAL CLUB jyr ST. JOHNS. OREGON ' Turn Ac Nap fXb-fV CC(3 Vt?g v P side -down anc WT A - Cy W'rf" I " 1 ft , " ' III pride to one of the very finest high school buildings in the entire state, which was erected at a cost of $40,000, while three grammar or graded and a catholic school are afforded those of the children who have not as yet advanced to the high school curriculum. True to their history the churches of all denomina tions have one by oue established themselves in our midst as the population increased aud the demand for spiritual ministrations grew. The Methodist, United Evangelical, Baptist, Congregational, Christian, Ad ventist, German Baptist aud Catholic, have good edi fices here. The moral atmosphere of St. Johus is such that no person need hesitate to invest, build a residence, make a home and rear their children in this environment. The people of St. Johns' believe in so regulating the affairs that it shall rank high as a community of homes as well as of industry. Absolutely necessary to the permanent and enduring greatness of any city are public service corporations that serve the public in the fullest sense of the word. In this respect The Portland Railway, Light & Power Co. one of the foremost public service concerns in the West, furnishes ample transportation, lighting and power facilities. It operates an excellent streetcar era zzz . I 1 oc o LLi 3 CO Differing from other cities in the Northwest, St. Johns is not dependent on buck country for her pros prity; it does not depend on the seasons; droughts have 110 effect on her; crop failures do not decrease her bank deposits. The output of her industries are shipped to every section of the United States and to every im portant port of the world. It is always iu demand, St. Johus is essentially an industrial and manufactur ing center and it is to these plants that were several yeurs ago established here aud that are now being established, that she owes her greatness. Their im mense payrolls go to swell the accounts of her merch ants, to increase her taxable property, aud to aid in the general development of the locality. It is slf evident that the men who are at the head of these concerns would not have located iu St. Johus un less there was a well defined reason for it, and a decid ed advantage in doing so. The reason is that we are six miles nearer the mouth of the Columbia river, the great outlet to the Pacific ocean, than Portland prop er, (hit metropolis of Oregon; below the many bridges which span the river in the congested district of the big city and retard maritime operations in spite of oil regulations. Here we have plenty of sea room free from all obstructions, THE CITY BEAUTIFUL Nature Favored Spot in Which to Establish a Home To pen a picture that would do St. Johns full justice aud describe its numerous merits in n manner commen surate with its wonderful advantages aud resources would, Indeed, require the master hand of an artist and poet combined. Nowhere ou God's green footstool has nature been so lavish with her beneficent giftn. Blessed with a climate that is incomparable in tiny clime, it is a real pleasure just to be alive iu this gloi ions local ity. As a magnificent site for homes it lias no equal A scenic beauty is here presented that almost make the famed wonders of the Alps pale in comparison. The snow crowned mountains iu the distance riding in their grandeur seem to almost commune with the worlds ou high, iu their shining robes of white. Tlielimdik.Tq is picturesque iu the extreme. With the mighty WHtr of the Columbia and the stately Willamette washing iu feet, the effect is simply ravishing from an artist's (toitit of view. As1 11 manufacturing site St. Johns hiui to greatest advantage. Situated upon the peninsula, with deep and navigable water surrounding it tiH)ii thrte sides, It is peculiarly adapted for exporting ncrow the high seas. The harbor leading into the city of Port laud laps its shores, nnd huge ocean vowels me con tuually passing up and down its entire length. As a residence district its location is superb. I.oug stretches of level and slightly rolling green Motlmr Karth greet the eye 011 every side, lilevatwl above the water, with a gentle incline leading from the watur lw low to the plateau above, good air, good health and u magnificent view is nffotded. Although practically just emerging from its swaddling clothes, the gifts of nature have been greatly augmttiilnl by the hand of man. The Immediate watur front is well taken up with numerous manufacturing plant, to which have been added ship building mid extensive -sarST. JOHNS THE KEY TO PORTLAND elevator system. Today St. Johns is represented in fit cIum ktyle by many stores aud busiuewi Iiuiih.. Practically every want that its citizens may requite can he obtained here. In an educational way no better schooling fiicilitleticftii be louiid in any locality of its si 011 the iHHititMiit. While u part of the city of Portland, it is so situnttd that it is really 11 town ol its own. Good brick blocks adorn the litminewistrwu, himI flue residences may be found iu abundance. Fruit of near ly every variety, dowers, shrulw, etc., grow hetts in great prolusion, and many home rcteiuble a veriubic (lower garden. Many thousands of dollars hve beta expended upon the numerous highway, hiwI cement sidewalks is the general rule. With TfiOO wml m the present time its population in iucieusiug hk mpMly dwellings are being provided. Taken as a whole, St. Johns offer Ixstter KUractitHM, better opportunities and the most udiuiruhle climate, tuken the year around, of almost uny city. To visit it is to become favorably impreMHl with it at ouce. 'IV person who docs not like St. Johns or who lines ttot believe it bus a great future before it would, iudeed, be a curiosity. Its doors are always opu to the slinuger, who is cordially received mid welcomed. In fact, the people here urc so enamored of this beautiful spot that they feel like shouting the glad tiding of a perfect habitation fo that the whole world muy know of their good fortune aud share it with them if they so desire. So if you live in the cold, blustery climate of the fi Kast, or iu the sun baked country of the Middle States, come to u laud where the extremes of heat aud ookl never reach you, where zero weather is it uoueity, where a man is a man whatever his financial circum stances may be, where thunder storms and lightiiiitK are seldom experienced, where poverty is but little known, where ilowers are in bloom the year u round aud the grass is ever green, where the roses lave most to bloom, aud where the fullness of life and joy uf liv ing reach highest attainment come aud dwell with its amid the flowers, the trees, the birds, the sunshine iwd the happiness of this our city most beautiful. BOOST! Boost you town, boost your friend, Boost the lodge that you attend, Boost the street ou which you're dwelling, Boost the goods tltat you are selling, Boost the people 'round about you They cau get along without you. But success will quicker find them, If they know that you're behind them. Boost for every forward movement, Boost for every new improvement, Boost for ships aud boost for harbor, Boost the man for whom you labor, Boast the war aud boost our soldier Cease to be a chronic kicker, Ccuss to be a progress blocker, If you'd make St. Johns better, BOOST IT TO THE FINAL LETTER.