Picture of Mike Space Holder

Curated Soul of Slabtown Book List

Written by

Tanya March

in

Last Updated on June 10, 2026

Beyond Slabtown Tour

Many of these books are on the reserve shelf at the NW Library. Library card holders should explore the Libby Ap a few books from the curated lists can be accessed there for free as digital books. Many of these books can be found locally at Powells City of Books. Other great book stores in areas the we lead tours include: Two Rivers Bookstore, Revolution Books, Daedalus Books, Arches Bookhouse, and Third Eye Books and Gifts. Or you can click on the link to Amazon.

Portland’s Slabtown by Mike Ryerson, Norm Gholston, Tracy J Prince (2013)
Ursula K. Le Guin Blue Moon Over Thurman Street book cover. Elderly man in flannel (B&W) sitting on a chair on what might be an enclosed porch.
Blue Moon Over Thurman Street (1994) by Ursula K. Le Guin – Roger Dorband, photographer.
Book Cover image on left a sole baseball player in uniform images are black and white he is standing inside the Vaugh Street Ball Park you see the wooden bleachers in the background. Image on right is of six hockey players in practice attire hockey sticks are in the shot
Sons of Slabtown and Tales of Westside Sports by Don Nelson (2016)

Deepening Your Understanding of Slabtown History

Is there a book that captures the “Blue Collar” spirit we talked about on the tour?

For a visual journey through the neighborhood’s industrial roots, I highly recommend Mike Ryerson, Norm Gholston, and Tracy J. Prince’s Portland’s Slabtown. It’s a wonderful resource to look through after our walk because it’s packed with photos of the mills and the diverse working-class families who gave Slabtown its name. It really illustrates how the area transformed from a “slabwood” fuel source into the vibrant district it is today.

I loved the literary side of the tour—where can I read more about the soul of these streets?

If the atmosphere of the neighborhood stayed with you, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Blue Moon over Thurman Street is a must-read. Living just up the road, Le Guin captured the “slice of life” on Thurman through poetry that feels like a conversation with the neighborhood itself. It’s a beautiful way to reflect on the streets we just walked, pairing her words with Roger Dorband’s evocative photography.

Where can I find more details on the sports and housing history mentioned on our walk?

For those who want to dive into the specific “fine grain” details of Westside sports or the temporary housing era, I suggest looking for Don Nelson’s Sons of Slabtown at our local libraries or used bookstores.

Ariel Image Willamette River is at the top, 100s of units of 1942 Defense housing a H-shaped public school DSt. Helens Riad and Yeon are in the shot but the intersection of that and Kitridge are just out of view on the left
Guild’s Lake Courts housing and Kx8 PPS public school
Cropped Image of a Black women in overalls hair is covered in a scarf she might be holding a safety helmet under her arm
Ninie Mae outside her Guild’s Lake home at Guild’s Lake Court show her dressed for work
Aerial photo of Guild's Lake Courts c. 1944 looking east the oil tanks in the CEI hub Willamette river to the top (north) you see what in Montgomery park today once Wards Dept. Store black and white picture, the Guilds lake housing shiwing is not the fourplexes we associate with war housing they are little single and duplex units at the time these hiher quality electric units were used to tempt folks to move to Portland in 1942
Aerial photo of Guild’s Lake Courts c. 1944 looking east the oil tanks in Photographer Hugh Ackroyd

Additionally, if you’re curious about the stories of Guild’s Lake Courts that I shared during our tour, you can download my dissertation, “Guild’s Lake Courts: An Impermanent Housing Project,” for free. It’s my way of sharing the deeper research that fuels our walks.

Guild’s Lake Courts : an impermanent housing project by Tanya Lyn March (2010)

Free Download of Dissertation

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