Nature has endowed Portland with many gifts—majestic mountain vistas, a mild climate and a deepwater harbor—and these in turn have created an almost inspired devotion in its citizens. Though extreme, the sentiment of Portland's mayor, who proposed in 1905 that every other street be stripped of its buildings and planted with shade trees and roses, is characteristic of Portlanders.
Historic brick buildings complement modern glass and steel structures; parks replace old industrial areas; and art is tucked into playgrounds and office towers. As the city grew, it adopted the rose as a symbol of its renewal and growth. Christening itself the "City of Roses," Portland has made roses the centerpiece of both its major park and its most important annual celebration, the Portland Rose Festival.
The deepwater confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers was first used by the Chinook Indians as a stop on their trading route. Over the years, as their campfires consumed more firewood, a 1-acre clearing took shape in the forest, known as "The Clearing."
Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove set out to build a city on this site in 1844, nicknaming it "Stumptown" for the tree stumps that littered the site. The city's official name was chosen in 1845 by a flip of the coin: Lovejoy and Pettygrove each wanted to name the site after his hometown—the former, Boston, Mass., and the latter, Portland, Maine.
Growing steadily, the community had added churches, schools and stores to its original blacksmith shop, tannery and sawmill by 1850. The California gold rush, Indian wars and the discovery of gold in eastern Oregon kept the town's merchants busy until the Civil War. With the end of the war, the coming of the railroad in 1883 and the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905, Portland shed its pioneer adolescence and entered the new century as a mature city.
Having expanded to straddle the Willamette River, greater Portland stretches from the foothills of Mount Hood to the eastern plains of the Coast Range and encompasses a four-county area. The city is one of the country's leaders in the export of wheat and lumber products, and its freshwater port ranks third in total tonnage on the Pacific Coast in ocean-borne shipping.
Donald Macleay and other farsighted Portlanders conserved a portion of the city's former wilderness. Macleay bequeathed 105 forested acres to the city in 1900 and stipulated that no wheeled vehicle ever enter the property. The city has kept its promise to Macleay and has increased its holdings to encompass more than 200 parks, ranging from the 4,800 acres of Forest Park to Mill Ends Park, which measures just 24 inches in diameter. The greenery of these parks is set against a majestic backdrop of mountains, a vista protected by an ordinance forbidding buildings over 40 stories.
Parks also were woven into the fabric of downtown as early as 1852, when townspeople planted a 25-block boulevard between Park and 9th avenues with trees and grass. Today this oasis, known as the South Park Blocks, is graced with statues and gardens, and alive with activities. This area offers a refuge to downtown shoppers, tourists and workers.
A post-modern, hammered-copper statue called "Portlandia" stands in front of the Portland Building. It is 36 feet tall and represents an earth-mother kneeling among sculpted forest animals.
In a downtown renewal effort, the city reclaimed its waterfront heritage by plowing under a four-lane highway along the west bank of the Willamette and transforming it into the Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Runners and inline skaters mingle with strollers along this landscaped promenade, the site of concerts and festivals as well as a showplace for noontime picnics and major community events.
Within several of the city's parks are fountains which serve as refreshing resting places in summer. The Ira Keller Fountain across from the Keller Auditorium and the Salmon Street Springs in Tom McCall Waterfront Park are particularly popular.
Some of Portland's other parks offer magnificent views. At 1,073 feet, Council Crest Park is the city's highest point. Reached by Fairmont Boulevard, it presents a vista of downtown and five Cascade peaks. Panoramic views also are found at Mount Tabor Park, the only extinct volcano within a U.S. city, and Rocky Butte, 1,000 feet above the city.
Portland has kept its air and water clean despite its big city status. Most area industries operate on electricity generated from mountain rivers, thus producing little soot or smoke. The Willamette River, the object of a vigorous decades-long cleanup campaign, is now fit for fishing, boating and water skiing.
With one hand outstretched to greet the future and the other protecting the past, Portland shaped itself into a naturally beautiful, progressive city. With such an attractive appearance, it's understandable why so many visitors have become residents, and why many Portlanders like to keep their city a well-guarded secret.
