TgCPaT. TAT-TCAKY 1, 1307. .- - '
!AS.JXrLOOKED AS A STRAGGLING PIONEER VILLAGE IN THE YEAR 1858 I !
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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.
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