Tag: St. Johns

  • Fun Fact #81 “The Cut” is not a natural ravine.

    Why was Portland’s Mayor against the construction of “The Cut”? Portland’s mayor Henry Lane’s strongly opposed giving SP&R a franchise in 1906. SP&R had opted to create a trench rather than a tunnel. Lane declared this proposal “a defacement of property and a visual blight [an] out-and-out give-away…destroy the unity of the neighborhood.” Portland City Council members overrode the Mayor’s…

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  • A 70' tall log cabin on the left is tiny next to these vine covered water towers.

    Fun Fact #74 Part Two of Recycle, Reuse Repurpose, Ravage

    “Fun Fact” Urban Legend #74  North Portland community members distraught over pool closures rehash a mysterious source of parts repurposed to facilitate original construction of Pier Park Pool. What was the source of those now failed parts? According to Urban Legend a liberty ship – if that’s true maybe original parts were replace because the timeline for use of parts…

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  • Fun Fact #73 Part One of Recycle, Reuse Repurpose, Ravage

    Fun Fact #73 Question: To what city did the 1905 Lewis & Clark Exhibition water tower relocate?  Answer: St. Johns   Part One Of Reuse Repurpose, Ravage My fascination with water towers was kindled during my Place Matter employment. One of the nominated locations was a PWA era public pool, in Harlem NYC. The local narrative iterated by elders was…

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  • Fun Fact #68 Why did St. Johns Secede from Portland in 1893?

    Fun Fact #68 Why did St. Johns Seceded from Portland in 1893? St. Johns seceded from Portland in 1893 because of a combination of higher taxes and unsatisfactory municipal services. The St. Johns-Portland love-hate relationship ramped up in 1891. In February of that year, the unincorporated area of St Johns was annexed by the City of Albina. (The City of…

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  • Image of lots of trees there are people on large swing, sitting down and at least one person leaning against a tree. The image was very small from within a book. Even with the best scan hard to make anything out. Text "Picnic Grounds, Cedar Grove, St. Johns Line

    Fun Fact #51 What is the name of the first park in St. Johns?

    Answer the first park in St. Johns was Cedar Park.  You still will get full points if you answered Pier Park which is the oldest remaining park in St. Johns and the first public park in St. Johns. After the timeline there is additional information on Cedar Park. St. Johns Parks Timeline  2015 “White Oaks” Location: N. Crawford St. & N.…

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