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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1908)
THE SUNDAY nKFOOXIAX. TORTLAXP. XOTE3IBER "23, I9Qg. PORTLAND Two Handsome New Residences Old-Timers Become Enthusi asts Over Future Pros pects of City. Cream of Irvington Highest Part of Irvington Best Improved Section of Irvington Ten Minutes' Ride From Down Town Only One Block From Streetcar Line MEW BUILDINGS IN GROUPS BEGINS JTSlFik Prospect TOHDTI CE GROWTH Investors From Outside Acquire Holdings In This City, Which Is Expected to Have Good Ef fect on local Men. BT JOHN J. HARBISON. "Rah. rah. rah; whafs the matter with Portland T' Catchlns the spirit of enthusiasm that pervades the country at this sea son, the question may. without over- xuberance. be put to the world, conn dent the answer will be yelled back "She's all right!" With twenty-odd new buildings ol large dimensions under way. on both sides of the river, and with dwellings, flats and apartment-houses rising like mushrooms after a shower. Prtlan has every reason to t proud of its advancing position among the cit es of the country along the lines of build ing operations. Not only Is the present activity a matter of surprised comment by other lesa-favored communities, but from re ports made by leading architects It is reasonably certain that the next year will even exceed the present one In the number and cost of big buildings. On of these architects said yesterday that his firm alone had commissions for preliminary estimates on three buildings one for a full block, one for half block and the other a quar ter block all of over nine stories In height. He said he had Information that other ilrms had similar orders and made the prediction that the coming year would see more large buildings started than any time in the history of the city. Large Transfers Pending. A leading realty broker is authority for the statement that between now and the tlrst of the year some of the largest deals yet made in Inside realty are to be closed and that in nearly every Instance an important building Is to ba erected on the sites trans ferred. During the week record was made of the investment of $200,000 In Port land real estate by a concern operat ing on the Sound. This company is the Gregory Investment Company and Is reported to have been In the real estate business for a long time and made a success in Spokane before co lng to Seattle and Tacoma. Their present Intention Is to plat the tract acquired In the Rose City Park dis trict and In all probability will con tinue to operate In this city. Healers to a msn say this bringing of out side capital into Portland will act in two favorable ways will attract at tention of other Investors in different parts of the country and will stimulate local men of means to step In and take advantage of the undoubted oppor tunities Portland offers in real estate Investments. One of the notable changes that Is taking place In Portland Is the rec ognition its residents have had forced upon them that the old town has as sumed proportions of a great city. Only a few months ago any reference made to the growth of the city was received with equanimity and In some cases with Incredulity. There Is so much evidence In sight of the meta morphosis going on that former in difference has developed into enthus iasm for the future of the city. The old Inhabitants rub their eyes, scarcely able to believe their senses when they reallie that landmarks of their early days have passed away and that In stead high, modern buildings rise to prove a long-deferred awakening to a progressive spirit. One Improvement Starts Another. It has been remarked that the start ing of one big building in a locality Is followed by others in a remark ably short time. For Instance, the Ewetland and Buchanan buildings had hardly been completed before the Couch. Rothchlld. Falling and Corbett followed along, with other structures In the vicinity projected. The new Board of Trade brought the Commer cial Club, the proposed Henry and Lewis buildings, and the Corbett es tate building, at Fifth and Ankeny. Is followed by the Pacific Paper Company. Crawford, and the syndicate building adjoining will start in the Spring. One of the most notable examples is that of the wholesale district in the termi nal quarter, and this applies also to the Kast Side warehouse district along the railroad lines. All that seems to he needed is for some one to make a start and others, seeing the wisdom of the choice, fall into line. Some regret Is expressed now and then that a wholesale demolition of old "shacks" in the principal streets rannot be required of nonprogressive owners. That Is a matter that Is not confined to Portland. There is not a big city In theountry whose appear ance is not marred by the presence of Inferior buildings wedged in be tween modern Improvements. In New Tork. for example, the largest bank In that city, the Chemical National, for years and years occupied a three or four-story building of ancient con " struction on lower Broadway, which Hetty Green and the other owners of the bank seemed to take pride In rather than being ashamed of the contrast with the huge marble piles that surrounded it. Another example Is found In Chicago, where State street, the main business street in the loop, after ten blocks of Imposing buildings, suddenly emerges Into a district of squalor where two and three-story frames line that street on both sides. Question Not Solved. The matter of having enforced im provement of , city lots has not yet been solved, even In the "ancient" cities of the Atlantic Coast. Probably one day some one will suggest an amend ment to the Henry George theory that may bring results, but In the mean time nothing save civic pride can bring about the desired reform. The month is forging ahead steadily In the record of new buildings, though the big structures under way In sev eral localities yet remain to have their cost- figure In tlie totals. .For the month to date there have been 16 permits Issued by Inspector Dobson. with J35S.840 given as estimated cost. For the last week there were 75 per mits issued with llol.IRO total cost. The week's record of real estate transfers brought the average con siderably higher than for several pre ceding weeks. For some time the average was held at about $i.000 a day. Last week the average reached over S 7 5,000. 1 1 ' i w4' viv I El X -r 'ff nil -, frtrr 2 H .v4v L I - - t tS- ---ft - fr :J'J'': ' J' , a ' ''Vw -1 w -T : f f t 1 ' I r. 1 I jf Nr4- :' ... , V t i , & f I H - " vj ! i s ,s" ? i " " " s." r if'? - ; ; -s - ';''S. F5.-''" - . - - LOWER PENINSULA GBDWS FIRST SETTLEMENTS DATE ONLY FROM 1890. Dozens of Platted Tracts Now Offer Inducements to Buyers for Homes and Factories. Development of what ie now known as the lower Peninsula district had its ac tual start when the railroad waa opened to St. John. The O. R. & N. line was completed to that point in ISM. and from that date until the present time there has been remarkable building up of the district, extending from the Willamette eastward to Columbia slouah. Francis I. Mi-Kenna. one of the pioneer investor; in that part of the Peninsula, furnishes some data regarding the early bWtory of the district, and from his rec ords the following la compiled: As far back as IM0 Portsmouth was se lected by a man named Kelly as the stte of what he believed would be eventually a town of great importance. Tills was before Portland had an existence. Sir. Kelly was correct in his opinion to the extent that Portsmouth today is one of the prosperous diKtrli-ts in that part of the Peninsula and contains a population of home-owning citizens who are happy and contented with the selections made for the place of their residence. Only as far back aa the thriving town of St. John was merely & postoffice station, but in the following year town sites began to assume considerable Im portance. In 1K0-91 these townsitea were platted: University Park. Point View. Arbor Lodge. University Park Addition. Peninsula Addition, Northern Hill. Bur rage tract. Willamette. Graybrook (now Kenton); and In the years following such altes as McKenna Junction, Maegley Junction, Loveleigh, Wilhurton, Sainton. Fairport and many others of almost weekly record bring the settlements of the lower Peninsula south to the older sites of Piedmont. Woodlawn, the Irving ton strips and the Albinas. Crossing this district above ground is the line of the Spokane. Portland A Seat tle railroad, and under ground the tunnel of the Oregon & Washington. These two lines, with the projected extensions of the streetcar system, will furnish trans portation facilities for that pan of the Peninsula down toward Its toe. and from every indication the manufacturing dis trict started by the Swifts will be built up within less time than the residential portions have been. There is a reat amount of vacant land In that district of the city, but from the way it is being acquired by syndicates of capitalists the time is not far distant when the whole of It will be disposed of. or at leaet platted into building lots and placed on the market. OVERTON STREET STEPS CP Street Improvement Attracts Exper ienced Buyer to Building Lots. El J. Daly has purchased from Louis Goldsmith two lots on ths north side of Overton street, between Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth streets. The consid eration was in the neighborhood of $7000. Overton street Is soon to be im proved with bitulithlc from the Cornell road to about Sixteenth street, and from there to the river with Belgian blocks. This will make Overton street one of the finest thoroughfares in the city. The lower end will be used for wholesale houses and factory sites, and the westerly end for high-grade resi dences. Next week E. J. Daly, Dan J. Malas key and Roger B Slnnott will com mence tearing down the old frame buildings on the southwest corner of Sixteenth and Washington streets. They intend to erect temporary frame build ings for stores, to be superseded by a fine brick and concrete building, which they will erect on their'entlre holding, running from Washington to Alder, as soon as the ground lease on the Alder street corner expires. Dr William L. Wood has purchased from G. A. Cobb a two-story brick building on Williams avenue, between Sellwood and Stanton streets. The size of the lot Is 45x93 feet. Consideration, $12,500. The sale was made by E. J. Daly. TKOITDALE MOVES FORWARD Welnhard Estate Builds $30,006 Brick Other Improvements. , At Troutdale a JSO.OOO-brlck building is being completed by the Welnhard Brewery Company. A new state bank, recently incorporated for $10,000, will oc cupy a corner room. Directors of this bank are Fred E. Harlow, Lew Harlow, Carl Larson and J. H. Short. ' Fred E. Harlow is president and Lew Harlow Is vice-president. There will be a general merchandise store on the lower floor. This building is one of the best in the county outside of Portland. Establishment of a bank Is considered a distinct gain for the town and com munity, owing to the large business done by the Union Meat Company and the large dairy district. The building will he completed by December 1. RESULTS OF MNEUTIOl MOUNT SCOTT DISTRICT REAL. TY IN DEMAND. Manufacturing Sites Taken Over and Other Sales Will Come With Water. Sales of realty in the annexed territory in the Mount Scott district have increased since the favorable vote on that ques tion. A two-acre tract on the Foster road at Kern Park, .near the gravel pit, was sold the past week for manufacturing purposes, but the name of the purchaser has not yet been announced. It Is said that the two acres brought $5000. Other emaller sales, at Arlcta, and at other points out to Lents, are reported mostly for residence purposes. O. N. Ford, who keeps in close touch with the realty conditions in this suburo, says there has been a decided Improve ment recently. This Improvement, he considers, is due to the certainty that Bull Run water will eventually be fur nished that district, and possibly tem porary arrangement may be made so water may be had from the Mount Tabor reservoir, before the shortage 'of next Summer, by laying a 24-inch water main to Foster road and there connecting with the ten-inch main of the Woodmen) Water ComDany. Committees have been appointed by the four pueh clubs of the section to take up the matter of having the main laid. If laid at all it will have to be done through a petition, and the property of the whole district will be assessed to pay for the pipeline. It Is realized that the future prosperity of the district is largely dependent on getting Bull Kun water, and car' service that Is adequate to the needs of the people. Will Build Public Hall. At the last meeting of the Harmony 'TIS OF THE HOME WE SPEAR It should be well lighted and heated. We have the latest improved designs in lighting fixtures, mantels, grates, dogirons and andirons. Yon should investigate our line and prices before buying. M. J.WALSH CO. Electric and Gas Work in All Its Branches Promptly Attended to. King Either Phone. 311 Stark, Between Fifth and Sixth. Open Saturday Evenings. Crea P m of Irvington Prospect Park Is the highest part of Irvington, being 190 feet above First and Washington streets. Prospect Park qyerlooks Hol laday Addition and commands a magnificent view of the mountains and surrounding hills. Public improvements have been installed at an expense of $250, 000, This work has been done in the most scientific manner and with uniformity throughout the entire tract A ten-minute ride from down town by the Woodlawn or Alberta cars, leaving Fifth and Washington and Second and Washington ev ery five minutes during the day and every three minutes during the rush hours. . Prospect Park is one mile from the Steel bridge and is reached by hard surface pavement all the way from the city. rospec in the Making t Park A thorough and complete description of Prospect Park, "the Cream of Irvington," is given in a novel folder entitled "PROSPECT PARK IN THE MAKING." Illustrations and engineer's diagrams of the improvements that have been installed in Prospect Park, showing exact manner of con struction, make this folder interesting reading to him who is in search of high-class residence property. This folder clearly shows the reader the tremendous scope of the improvements in Prospect Park.. OUlltree & 241 Stark St. EastsideOff Diamond prt,andr- E-7th and Knott ice Improvement Society, near Mount Scott. It was decided to begin work on the new public hall, and Mesdames Kllton. Clark, Avery and Fortner were appointed a building- committee. Plans are being drawn and will be ready tor acceptance at the next meeting of the society. Ground for the hall waa donated by a resident, ana the concrete foundation was completed some time ago. The Har mony Improvement Society is composed entirely of women, with Mrs. E. J. Spooner as president. Willis C. Peck, of Portland, has volunteered to give a con cert next 'Wednesday night In Darts" Hall, at Lienta, for benefit of the Har mony Hall project. Vocal and Instrumental entertainment from 5 to 9 P. M. and a fine Thanka- g-lvln? dinner at the Perkins Grin. ACRE Many New Streets Are Being Opened and Improved METZGER ACRES have met with such great favor since they were platted and placed on the market last Spring that it has become necessary for us to open and improve many more new streets. This improvement will make some of our ' most desirable ACRES accessible and will also add greatly to the appearance and value of each and every acre in our large tract We are still offering these choice tracts at the original prices and terms, so those desiring one or more of these acres will have to act quickly, as prices are sure to advance in the near future. METZGER ACRES Are located just south of Portland, on the Salem electric line, one of the best equipped interurban systems on the Coast. Several cars have been added to the daily schedule, which makes a very frequent service. Take car at Front and Jefferson streets, get off at Metzger Station, and investigate this proposition from every standpoint. You are making no mistake. PRICE $200 AND UPWARD, ACCORDING TO LOCATION TERMS 10 per cent cash and 3 per cent of the pur chase price per month. INTEREST 6 per cent per annum on deferred pay ments. . . ON CASH PAYMENTS a discount will be allowed. For particulars and beautiful descriptive plat call at our Portland office, 226-228 Front street, or at Metzger Station. All cars stop at Metzger 's. HERMAN METZGER, OWNER Office Phones Main 474, A 1374. Agents and Phones at Station Main 6409.
