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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1908)
ST. JOHNS PENINSULA . SECTION SIX PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 20, 1 1903. ' , i - FRANCIS I. JH'KENXA, PENINSULA CERTAIN OF STEADY PROGRESS W. Jt KILLINQSWOCTII. .. v. An; Eight-Mile Stretch of Beautiful Upland With Grad-; ual Slope to Columbia Jclver Twenty Jliles or v ; t " ; Waterfront on Deep Water ; : ' ? To th cloea baerver of natural eon dltlona It would seem that the territory extending, from Piedmont' weat to tha Western limit of St Johns waa fore ordained to ba tha horn of vast pop ulation and tha alt of a myriad of In duatrlal enterprises. . An ' eight-mile stretch of beautiful , upland '. with gradual alopa to : tha Columbia river on tha north and. on tha south to tha Willamette, thus affording an excellent drainage and making an Ideal residence section. ' With mora than 10 miles of waterfront already dotted with manu facturing nlanra amnlnvtiif millions1 nf r - T r i . . . ii. . I . T . " T . T " . . . Mr.Atcn.enDa s operations on me I capital ana giving employment to aev- nonlnanln r wall l,n,wn, .11 .ifU 'rai wousana worxers. is 11 100 mucn ' ---- - - itojnay that the peninsula la destined gens. The, University la a Standing I to'become the rhlef manufacturing can- monument of hi. Mr1IK.!- iveann Deueves t printer a in k is b i me avauaDiuty-r ma peninaaia as a .11 i r iii. l. lit for toe nuiidinr no.oi-a rreat his efforts ar crowned with success I Co., have acquired over 1,000 acres of Is evident. . V ' .W. H. OIUNDSTAFF. V ? i i T --n rr- "' it ii r -i nti 'i ' land and have begon the erection of a plant tnat will rival anyyiing or tna I kind west of Chicago. Mora than 11.000.000 will be expended In tha build ing ana equipping or tius nuge esiao llsnment, and steady employment will ba riven to --at least 1.000 workmen. , An a result of the coming of tha Bwlrts to the peninsula, tremendous Impetus wta given to real estate values in tnai aisinci.' - ii is proDaoiy no x- aaaeratlon to say that 60 oer cant has been added to 1 the actual . cash value of every foot of ground between Pied mont and 8V Johna. The ' whole dis trict - has ' been surveyed and platted Into lots, n and thousands nave been sold to future home-bulldet-s. ; - These additions were nut on the maiiket at a price and on terms within reach, of the humblest worker. . ; Activity , in residence building throughout the entire length of the peninsula is greater man at any previ ous time Especially la this the caae at St Johns, Portsmouth, University Park. Maeclv Junction and In the .dis trict' adjacent to the new carbarns. u:;'f":1''lrfdoek: for Shipping, fine of the. most ' Imoortant enter prises on the peninsula is the Port of Portland drydock.. Under the authority of the legislature Ve drydock was con structed ty the commission at a cost of 1400,000.- Kvery. available Bite on the , Columbia and Willamette river was thoroughly Investigated In en en- deav6r to find the most suitable lo cation for Us establishment. ' The board of commissioners finally-, adopted the present location"" near fit Johns as' the most suttaoie. ana aryaocv ,is ouu feet long, built in sections, and Is capable , of handling the largest, ; ves sels that come Into this--port As a direct result or locating tne this factory is operated an excelsior miu. - The Jobes Milling company, has a modern up-to-date rlourlna- mill, whlc: turns out about lit barrels of flour per day. One of the; moat. Imoortant ' Indu tries on the peninsula waterfront Is the Portland woolen mills, 'which was established two yesrs sgo by k-oum ber of Portland capitalists. The -capl tal stork of the company Is 1500.000. It employs about 200 workmen and has a payroll of 110,09 a months. : -within the past year, an aabestas mBniiFrflif!n nlanl mrmm mmtm M I1im4 At St. John. This concern manufactures I Mr. KllllnESWorth is a pioneer Of 2t".m7: covering for boilers and th, peninsula, having been one of the The 6L Johns Collapsible Box far-1 early settlers. His fine residence at lory. Is an Important peninsula Indus-1 Walnnt Parr la a landmark a"nd was try, manufacturing all kinds ef boxes . ... ul .? lanamars. ana was which find a ready market in am thai Diuit over zu years ago in me forest. Pacific, coast States. ; I Ul ImnllMt faith In Aim nnnlnanla la The Mlrlnit Iron snrVi mnA the RL '.r - - John Shipbuilding company are both I known to all. nourianing peninsula plants, f Ine St. Johns Lumber company", with a capacity of 100.009 feet of lumber a day. Is one of the leading Industrial enterprises on the lower peninsula. This Concern employs about 100 men and has a monthly payroll of 18.000. rne- unufui I'Miin? runs is one or ine amaucr iiiuu'uriei or in district. It turns out all kind of . f inlanlnK mmoer ana na a large ciientug on the lower peninsula. There are - two ateam laundries - In thai district, both being located at St. mn.. - ' . ' Haks Braaxfasi rood. ' Th Oregon "Food eomoany. - which manuracturee nreaKraat cereals, i one Of the newest enterprise' on the penin sula, At INortnern 1111L, ueacn lirotbers have recently bull t And.ara. now oDerat. ing an up-to-oaia iron rounnry. Artificial ice -Is now manufactured In the district, the Harris Ice faotory hav-1 HUGE S Inr recently been established. ODooslte ITnlv- laraette waterfront Is - the Peninsula i-erstty Park on the Wll-i Lumber company, which operates- one or tne largest Hawmius in tne Port land district This plant-annually cuts III FIVE YEARS ' eBpaaBwagaBBnaBnMs Only Short Time Ago Not a Single Building on St. ; Johns Elverfrbnt. " TAX VALUATION NOW OVER TWO MILLION INDUSTRIAL SECTION OF GROWING SUBURB Jfanufacturing: Plants ITave Established Near, St. Johns v - Great Undertaking of Swift & Co., Union Oil V ; Company and Other Concerns. about 100.000,000 feet of lumber, em- .,,., mii l.tJ n Snhnrh ploys 600 men and has a, monthlr pay ron or oetween su. ttio ana s&e.ooo. Tne commercial' ana financial inter ests ox the peninsula are taken care of by two banks, the First National and the Peninsula bank, both located at bl jonns. . .- St. John Orowlar City. The larrest center of DODulatton on mi peninsula is Bt4onns, a thriving, and Projection of Main Line of O, B. & N. Unprecedented Stimulus to Growth and Building. , , Mr. Grindstaff has been-in the real J'ydock on the peninsula side of the I Willamette driver, two boat-bulldlng uudjucdo utauj j cai a miu uu i plants nav been estannsnea at - Ht been confining' his maninnl&tlonB to Johns. In one, wooden vessels are peninsula property for. some time. He Is largely . Interested - In McKenna Junction the' tunnel site, on the Co lumbia bbulevard. k. ' ' LOUIS F. 'SWIFT. i Xs- 'i:Kj t built and repaired and thevtber is de voted to the construction and repair of Steel vessels.,. 1.. '' ' ' VutnriM An the Wm ' TteTowf.the' drydock on, the 8t, Johns Waterfront are a number of large manu facturing plants. The Portland Manu facturing 'company was the first fac torv. located in St. Johns. .This con cern employs about 75 men and manu facture veneers of all kinds, from native woods, makes fruit baskets and boxes, cabinet, drawer. ; clothes - ham pers and many other-, useful articles of a like nature. In connection wltn Whin M. L. Holbrook. . the heaviest EuHr L15'-b"8 !SI.",-L5,,?Aff' I?! individual property-owner on the enln limit more important manufacturing sula, became Interested in St Johns flv establishments than any city of, its I years ago there was. not one building " university Park, Portsmouth. North-1 on th BVTjrr0nt ern HI1L Maerlv Junction and a score I th population of the little town was or smaller places along tne . peninsula less than 800. The assessed valuation line of the Portland, Railway, Light ft nr all classes of orooerty was only about Power company are building up with an fi..!?! Z7 PJ0De"y V'1' D0" astonishing rapidity. Three years, ago iSOO.000. There are now between 4.000 all but two or three of these places' and S,00( people Inside the city limits, had either never beep thought of or and th aagessed valuation of property were mere names on the map of Port- 7 . . . viyyvnj lana s suouroan territory. While now a I .." .vw.vw.. . conservative estimate of the BCfouIn-1 : Althourh the bulldlnr of tha electric i?nif.ioib j? ni.nuxteiVdoo rauray,sav ? 3 Mns rnd there were 2.600 reonle in the entire whole peninsula, a mighty stimulus, the district three years ago. (real growth of that district began when The strlctlr residential portion of the It k.. . .,.. lower peninsula center, around Unlver- Vf tha" O." R." A Nrrailway"w."S liEiJf,. r,..V' SKLI0 through the town. It was imme !oldlstrlct after this that far-seeing in- l.io u.lu j. i.p,ui, Hum up wiui vestora realised that Bt Johns waa des- LEAGUE FACTOR III DEVELOPS! Mr. Swift is president of the Swift Packing j company; -whoee.. Pacific coast headquarters! are being estab lished on the peninsula. , ' , . ' T Business Organizations on 7 Peninsula Hlff or Om-S : tinuett improveraeni. . 'y4-S f.. ':;,..: '';&?? i'.!'w&:' 1 Down .on the peninsula the people are preparing to do many things. They want better streets, more light,, better- ar service,' docks, more people and many more industrial . and commercial organ izations' and Institutions. Jn order , to get all of - these boons they : have or ganized . the Peninsula Development league. The development league is the concrete- representative of the whole peninsula-and is .working for the good of the whole district. - .s Will a. ateel is president or the or ganisation, and Oeorge J. Perkins sec retary. The. organization Is composed the homes of Portland's business men ana wnrKingmen. r, - n ,M of -delegates from all of the commercial and Improvement clubs and associations or tne peninsula district wno, joinea to gether In, one body, work for th Im provement of their district. . In the past this organization ' has - done much for the upbuilding of the lower part of the east side, and at tne present time plans are oemg - perreciea ny -,wnicn a cam palrn of advertisement and , a'ance ment will be carried on with a view of directing the eyes of investors and resi dents m that direction, -i ; Delegations from th organisation nave had mucn to do in securing con cessions ' from the ' city - government in regard - to ,. street Improvement, better lights and other Improvements. , Better car. service,- nas - also oeen . secured through the efforts of the league and it is proposed to ask for still more recog nition In the near future. The Improvement' associations, com mercial clubs and board of trade, from the suburban district of the peninsula which compose the league together with their delegate are a follows: . - Arbor Lodge Improvement association, E. A. Tudor; North Albina Improvement association,- Robert V. Mills; Peninsula Improvement association, E. H. Webber; Piedmont Improvement club, George W. Ashford; St. Johns Commercial ., club, George J.- Perkins;"- University . Park Board of Trade. Will O. 8teel: Wood lawn Push club. W, T. Vaughn; Maegly Junc tion Commercial club, M. C Van Tyne. tlned to become a city, and a scramble at once set la to secure choice locations on the main streets for business pur poses. Real estate became very valu- BDie, resulting in asionismng increases In values. , An Instance of these ad vances la -values will serve to show what investors' think Of lower penin sula property, Three year ago Mr. Holbrook sold 1,600 feet of waterfront to Barker & Stewart of the Peninsular Lumber company for. 116.000. A few month ago this same property was sold io ins v, n. tt r. jo. ror iu,uoo. - Five vears aro tha t.lrda onrnlod. Kullt their nests and raised their little fami lies in the tree along the St. Johns waterfront., with no thought at hinn- disturbed. Now. the hum of Industry there Is that of an Important manufac turing center.- Two large additions are Soon to be made to the list of Industrial enterprises st St. Johna Porter Bros.. contractors on the north bank road, re cently purchased from M. I Holbrook zuu reet on the riverfront, on - which they propose to erect a modern ware. house and - dock. Another purchase of river ironware was recennv marl, hv local, capitalists., who announced that the property i to be used as a sit for an Important industry, the nature of which has not a yet been made public. Factory Inspection and the health and safety of employes have been the mih. Ject of legislation In 89 of - the states and territories. , These include all those states in which manufacturing or min ing employs any considerable number or persons. , - . , . t . - In tha Iat four year th "Peninsula. ' extending from Pat ton avenue on the east to tha Junction of th Willamette and Columbia rivers, and comprising about seven and a half square miles, haa experienced ya growth, and develop ment that haa been tb marvel of tha oldest inhabitant and haa aroused tha keenest lntareat or tha . wooia city. Practically the entire area. In varioua subdivisions, has changed ownership In that time, and the Willamette water, front has become a buey scene of In dustry. - - The men who have planned and pro moted th large movement have as a rule planned and executed wisely. The peninsula has bean platted Into a har monious whole, and ha secured street car lines and steam railroads. It has a complete system of streets, avenues and boulevards that will In time aerv satisfactorily an enormous population. Tha arhnla rilatrlrt la bounded bV tWO boulevards and these will Become- fa vorite drivea and speedways. The Wil lamette boulevard extends from Lower Albina along the Willamette river to Bt Johns and effects a junction with Columbia boulevard, which follows the contour of the hlsh r round along the opposite eld of the peninsula a dls- tanoe of is miles, ine two Douisvaros having a combined length 'of 34 miles. Near the center of the peninsula proper ha been segregated a beautiful SO-acre tract, containing trees and shrubbery and named Columbia park. This tract belongs to tha puDllo ana is new oeing ImnrAVArl. nnHnsr tha ' f our-vaar nerlod referred to the peninsula has seen practically all of He modern development as a real dence and Industrial district. Ita sight ly ares lying above the Columbia' river Dot torn contains aooui a.avu scro. ap proximately 26,000 lots have been eojd, and the price la said to have, averaged about 1100 per lat. Many of the streets are 100 feet - wide and a considerable part of the district has alleys through the blocks. . . 1 , . - ' . . i An undertaking that 1 Doing watcnen wlth-deen Interest by a larae part Of the population la tha development of an educational -Institution near the center of the peninsula. It la known as Co lumbia .university. Set amid spacious grounds commanding a magnificent view of the city of Portland, the Colum bia and Willamette rivers, and all the h1mI mountains aeen from Port land, it la an ideal location for a great college. The Institution at present has li students ana a xacuiiy oi i imw . - . . . . . . ,w The Industrial pans or tn pennsuia i r. rAttoru 1 1 v i nnK inn DUU UI Hl " trlot Along the Willamette river nna been located the Portland drydoca, cost ing $400,000. where annually .60 to 0 vessels are docked for repairs. inn University Lumber A Shingle mill, em ploying 100 people, is a new and grow "5-he1 same 'district contains the city's Important oil plants, owned by too Union OH company and the Standard rt nmnanv TTjioh. haa six lares tanas. and plants for bottling and canning oils of all kinds, and these plant are the distributing center xor ,m northwest. ., ' .Th Peninsula Lumber company, with 1,100 feet of waterfront on the Wil lamette river, and SO acre of 'land, ha an enormous plant employing 160 mn and running day and night, Th com pany ha 1,100,000 feet of cut lumber piled up In ita yards. Tb Weatern Cooperag company ha Just purchased a 40-acr alto on tha river front and will erect a large plant. The 'veneer and box factory has . es tablished a modern plant, employing- 60 men. The St. Johns Lumbar company haa a growing business and an up-to-date plant, employing about 100 men. Th bteel Shipbuilding company I the ttrst of that class of industries to adopt the peninsula as Its home, and Is doing a successful business. . , . One of the Important developments on the Willamette water frontage of the lower peninsula la the Portland Woolen Mills company, manufacturing a strict ly Oregon product from Oregon wooL It employs about 100 people and la des tined to add mucb to tne , peninsula s prosperity. The Weyerhaeuser Timber company, foreseeing th great development that will snake th peninsula a populous and rich district, has purchased a site of iv acres for a great sawmill plant, to be erected In the not far distant future, on the Willamette waterfront below 8t Johns. Over on the Columbia river side of tne peninsula will be the great packing house development that has already been Inaugurated by Swift ft Co. This concern ha acquired 1,100 acres of land, mostly on tha Columbia river bottoms, but embracing a considerable acreuga of high ground at and around Oraybrook aaaition. wnere tne mam packing town win oa duul i ne company nas platted a city for 10,000 to 20,000 people, and will start the ball rolling with the erec tion of Duiiding for a bank, merchan dise firms, a town hail, a Mr station. and various line or business. . . - - The city of St. Johns has shown the most wonderful growth and development in ne last iwo years. rom a slow growing village without any Important municipal Improvements It has become a modem little city with, Improved streets, a good water plant. Are protec tion, a ciiy. naii, a - good notei, - two banks, many good merchandising es tablishments and a number of Important Industries, Over . at Northern Hill, nearer the center of th peninsula, a new business center haa been started. Here the Joseph Leach foundry haa been established, the Novelty Iron Works ELIASBR0X0. f y v ,, - - ' Mr, Brong has - been a party to many extensive , realty transactions all over the city. .He Is president of the Brong Steele company which has acquired Lovelelgh, part, of the old Love tract.' ! ,; i ;' '. . K. 0. BRAND. i I i Industrial parts or tne p enn suinihllve b(n opcned, aird a plant has been generally along the banks of thjerecte, and Urt4,a lnt0 operation manu great rivers that border the dia- facturlnr a preakfat food from corn. Pacific Gradually the businesa and residence districts of the peninsula are taking form, the future business streets are coming to the front and the various sec tions are beginning to show what they can do In the line of development. - It is believed that eventually a -main busi ness thoroughfare cutting through the entire peninsula and connecting all the principal district will grow out of th present sectional development, and far seeing Investor are anxiously scanning every development to discern the loca tion of the great street of the future.. , MAEGL n ran PRICES ADVANCE Remarkable Rise in Values in Comparatively Brief , Record of Time. There Ms no stronger evidence of th Interest In the peninsula 'than th manipulations In property - at Maegly Junction. Of course the center of at traction there U the Portland ft Seattle railroad where It crosses the O. R. & N. -The extensive railroad yards ex tending from - the boulevard to - tb slough and th new 'depot site right at the junction are inducing . many, to speculate at this point Walker addi tion, , adjoining Maegly Junction to - the east, sold ' in May, 1906. for 7.600. There being 78 lots the average price was less than 1100 par lot. w - So rapidly did this property appeal to the public that R.-O. Brand -paid 125.000 for It in the spring of 1907. Mr. Brand sold most of it out for about double what it cost him,, and it is said that fully 1160.000 was since realised on this small addition, and the price i " .... fi .w . 1 are still advancing there. Mr. Maegly; who is one of th large property owners on the peninsula, has sold an Immense amount of his holdings during the last two years. College Place, the . favored spot at Maegly Junctions which was Improved about a year ago, haa been very active and as high values , a i,ooo is now held on 26-foot lot there. , . .., .; It Is the opinion of many that a bus iness and manufacturing district will be centered there. .. Cobb Brothers, the agents ; for Maegly Junction property. repiu i many recnoi stues ana aumtn ous inquiries for factory sites. It is not thought that much of a building stir will start at the Junction till the new depot and freiarht sheds are built. Before the summer is over it is ex pected that that section of th penin sula will Improve with a bound. - - New York's 212 Banks. r ' From Moody's Magaslne. ' Twenty years aro the fact waa made much of that New York citv boasted of 100 banks and trust companies.- To day, however, we find that- the greater city has no less than 111 institutions of this character. .- . - When we add in ' the branches ' we make a,-total of 2 different bankinr organisations or places where deposit account ara opened and the different branches of the banking business -car ried ou. . , ; - : Of th total of 211 actual s Institu tions 44 are national banks. 61 are state banks,-62 savings banks and 65 trust companies. It Is unnecessary to ay that the capital and deposits of the 44 national bunks overtop the same items in all the other classes of Institutions. V Mr. Brand Is one of the successful real estate operators of, the penin sula. ' Foreseeing the expansion at Maegly Junction, he acquired the . Walker addition on the Columbia boulevard for, $25,000 and turned most of It over quickly for 145,000. S. N. STEELE. if' E . ,; -. ex-. ..i '" w ' "r' :- . . ; Mr. .Steele, late manager of the real estate department of the Title Guarantee & Trust company, has turned his efforts to the peninsula. He is a member of the firm of tha Brong-Steele "company, owners of Lovelelgh,-the latest peninsula a d dition, v - -' - '