Portland observer., August 23, 2017, Page Page 6, Image 6

Page 6
August 23, 2017
Where History Happened
c ontinued froM p age 3
c annon ’ s
r ib e xpress
5410 NE 33rd Ave,
Portland, Or
Call to Order:
503-288-3836
Open (hours)
Sun-Thurs: 11a-8p
Fri-Sat:
11a- 9p
Cannon’s, tasty food and
friendly neighborhood
atmosphere.
was affectionately known by his readers as “The
Professor.”
Black folks from every walk of life were in-
terviewed by the Cornerstones team: Barbers,
nurses, Pullman porters, doctors, football he-
roes, electricians, teachers, spiritual leaders, and
early members of civil rights organizations. Cul-
tural celebrities provided stories behind the local
landmarks. The late Clara Peoples, the mother of
Portland’s Juneteenth Celebration and who also
helped establish Meals on Wheels in Oregon is
thanked for her contribution to the project.
When Galbraith and her fellow researchers
began the process they expected to find close to
150 buildings with historical roots to the black
community, and to their great surprise 1,284
The entries in the index are brief, but tell-
ing: 6 N. Tillamook St. was home to the Afri-
can American YWCA and the NAACP, and is
now the Billy Webb Elks Lodge, named after
an important Jazz musician of his day. Some
stories are endearing: the black Tigner family
was blessed with the unusual gift of quadruplets
and local Alpenrose Dairy gifted them a home
in the 1950’s after the births. Mrs. M Russell is
described as “a splendid cateress and elocution-
ist” of the 1930’s who works at Mammy Shack.
Other stories are honest and heartbreaking, such
as Clara Edler who cooked for the same family
for 74 years, she was a slave to Colonel James
Crawford and then worked for his daughter.
After the latest project to document buildings
important to Portland’s African American histo-
ry was green lit, 1,000 letters were sent out to
I think of all the buildings that were
on Martin Luther King in 1998, there
was something like 11 or 12 that were
in the index, now we’re down to five.
A couple were burned in fires, but
everything else has been demolished and
--Cathy Galbraith, executive director
redeveloped.
of the Architectural Heritage Center
were still standing. But Burt warned Galbraith
shortly before his death that this work would
be akin to “documenting destruction,” she ex-
plained.
“I think of all the buildings that were on Mar-
tin Luther King in 1998, there was something
like 11 or 12 that were in the index, now we’re
down to five. A couple were burned in fires, but
everything else has been demolished and rede-
veloped,” Galbraith said.
The 225 pages of Cornerstones is a touching
time capsule of the men, women and children
who migrated to Portland and established the
roots of the African American community. It be-
gins with a history of African Americans in Or-
egon and ends with an index of historic places.
area home and building owners with the poten-
tial to be put on the National Register. Meeting
the criteria to go on the registry can be a vital
piece to any effort to preserve historic memo-
ries and landmarks in the face of gentrification
for years to come.
With a grant from the Oregon state Historic
Preservation Office, this continuation of Cor-
nerstones will look at the themes, trends and
patterns of history related to the African Ameri-
can experience in Portland.
The Architectural Heritage Center welcomes
submission of photos, stories or other docu-
mentation that may aid in the preservation of
Portland’s African American history. To share,
contact Stephanie