Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1907)
TgCPaT. TAT-TCAKY 1, 1307. .- - ' !AS.JXrLOOKED AS A STRAGGLING PIONEER VILLAGE IN THE YEAR 1858 I ! - . - : ' : ' ';.vu(i"'w.-, 7: '; f - Sw.tHa' , f -t 1 -ft 1 .Van , " ' X- -SCv ,fc-v y'z Oh-. 4i rr -- I V . U 1 IS. I -r- ' -W7 "IT ghfare. Immediately behiud the mton House is shown the Cohim- a Hotel, -which was the first real tel erected in l'ortland. It was the northwest corner of Front id "Washington streets. Another the more prominent buildings the picture is the Metropolis otel, which, stood at Front and ark streets. The solid block of frame struc res facing the river near the cen r of the picture, was on Front reet, between Morrison and Al x. The buildiuer with the tower, the left of this block and near e timber line, is the old Central hooL It stood on the ground Aich is now covered by the Hotel "rtlancL The most conspicuous iildin to the left in the picture e original Multnomah. County mrthouse, which was destroyed by fire August 2. 1S73. Still fur ther to the left can be made out the tower of the first Congregational Church built in Portland. At the time the old picture was taken, the district now used for railway terminals and Avarehouse purposes was low and swampy. "Where the fine Union Depot now stands was a pond, known as Couch or Crystal Lake. On rare occasions, when the weather got cold enough it used to get cold then, old-timers say this lake fur nished skatiup. end also furnished the ice supply for the town. There were then no improvements on the East Side, which now is in- itself a considerable business section, with residence districts extending for miles in every direction. The progress Portland had made up to 1S68 was due alto gether to the 'Willamette River. With no railroads and with only the most primitive wagonroads entering it, the pioneer city was forced to depend almost exclusive ly upon the river as a means of communication with the outside world. Even in those days, the residents realized that Portland was situated on a great natural harbor, but none dreamed of the. extent and importance of its- fu ture commerce. The only means of crossing the Willamette at Portland in 1S5S ,was a small fern. Xow the stream is spanned by four bridges, over which immense traffic passes each day, and in adiition a joint steel structure is being constructed to give access to the city for another great transcontinental railroad. The Willamette at Portland was even then dotted with steamers, as is shown in the lithograph ; but the vessels of those daj-s were pigmies compared with the gigan tic ocean carriers which now leave Portland, bearing the products of Oregon and the surrounding states to every important port in the world. Practically all the vessels which landed in Portland up to 1S5S, and for some years subsequent, came from San Francisco. Occa sionally a vessel, which had made the trip around the Horn would come up the Columbia and the Willamette, but most of these ships came no further uorth than San Francisco. -The merchandise which they brought, consigned to Oregon ports, was reloaded on smaller vessels for shipment to Portland. Outsjde of these, the only sign of life on the Willamette was a few small river boats. Not the least important contrast between the pictures is this of transportation facilities. Where as, a few small wharves served every need at the time the lower picture was drawn, both the east . and west sides of the Willamette are now lined Avith docks. Vessels of huge capacity are to be seen every day anchored at Portland, unloading the wares of many lands. Up to 1S5S no vessels drawing more than from 12 to 14 feet were able to navigate the Willamette River to Portland. No river im provements by the state or. Na tional Governments were made un til about 30 ' years ago. . Only meager improvements' had been made, and these by mem personal ly interested in the navigation of the river. The large panorama shows 'only the central business district of the city. Besides the section included, there are many blocks of business buildings Avhich lie further west", as well as a large business section of both retail and wholesale estab lishments east of the river. The city's extensive West Side resi dence district,' one of the finest and most sightly in the entire country, is not included in the picture. It would be necessary to go back only a few years to find in Portland a decided contrast with the present city. In the panorama of 1907 are shown many business blocks on sites on which stood only small frame structures one year ago. The last few years especially 190G have been the greatest in the history of Port land. The citjr has reached the skyscraper stage and property owners are now planning and building structures of 10 and 12 stories, Avhercas a few years ago three stories was considered high. A typical contrast in the details of the tAvo pictures is shown in the reproduction of the original and the new buildings of Thp Orego nian. The Oregonian is one of the very few institutions Avbich has ex isted during A'irtually the entire .history of Portlaud. As Portland has groAvn, The Oregonian has groAvn, and the contrast between its old quarters at First and Mor rison streets, and its handsome new building at Sixth and Alder, is as the contrast betAvecn old and neAV Portland. 1 1 .ikU'r -tic- ILL, V 'ynM n "tAMHlfX MORRIOX WAHTNGTOV
