Historical But Relevant!

Reflections on the early life of the city of Portland, Oregon

Elitist attitude.

This statement was published in the Oregon handbook in 1890. ‘A belief that is long held and still held today, is that Oregon is an Eden which must be protected and kept unsullied.’ The James G. Blaine Society discouraged immigration into Oregon especially from the South. They never wanted outsiders in and if they had to come they better be ‘the right sort’.

Early land claim.

In the autumn of 1843, William Overton and Asa Lovejoy from Massachusetts left Ft. Vancouver for the ‘clearing’ on the Willamette River. Not much is known about Overton, but that he was a rollicking fellow who drifted in from sea, didn’t stay long and was never seen again. He had come in 1841 and had worked at the Methodist Mission at the Dalles. Lovejoy was an Amherst graduate, a militia general, a judge, speaker of the Territorial House and a respected civil servant who was practicing law in Oregon City at the time. This piece of land was a small area the Indians had cleared and was the half way point, 30 miles, between Oregon City and Ft. Vancouver and a good stopping place to rest. Overton liked what he saw and wanted to file a claim for the free land, but didn’t have the 25 cents to pay for it. He offered Lovejoy half interest if he would pay for the claim. The claim was filed shortly thereafter for 320 acres of what was to become downtown Portland. Early in 1844, Overton traded his half for $50 worth of provisions from Francis Pettigrove, who had come from Maine in 1843, was a representative of a New York merchant house and had opened a store in Oregon City. In 1844 the clearing was extended and a log store was built. In 1845, 16 small blocks were platted and a waystop was opened. The two men wanted to name the city after their own cities, and at the flip of a coin Pettigrove won and Portland was chosen over Boston. Pettigrove was responsible for the early growth of the city as Lovejoy sold his half in 1845 to Benjamin Stark, a cargo master, for $1215, which included half interest in a cattle herd. It was purely a speculative investment for Stark. During this time Pettigrove built a warehouse and store at the foot of Washington Street. A wharf was built in 1846. Wheat and lumber were the main products shipped out.

During this early time several towns were springing up on the Columbia and upper Willamette. Each city father wanted his city to become the chosen port for the northwest. Eventually, Portland won out because of the better natural conditions.

In 1845-46 Pettigrove opened a wagon route to the Tualatin Valley, which was near present day Burnside. In September of 1848, Pettigrove sold his half interest to the tanner Lownsdale who paid him $5000 in leather goods. He left in the spring of 1849 for the gold rush in San Francisco. Later Lownsdale divided his half with Stephen Coffin from Maine, and the two men sold a part to William Chapman, a lawyer.

Most of these men were considered well off in their time and were responsible for the early development of the city. They were practicing Protestants, but the city had its vises as well. The miners came with the gold rush, and the saloons, hurdy-gurdy houses, dance halls and brothels came with the miners. The men who owned the buildings that housed the saloons and brothels didn’t much care what went on as long as it was fairly quiet and the rent was paid. The underworld flourished.

Portland also benefited greatly from the gold rush. It created a market for lumber, wheat, fruit and other farm products to be sent to San Francisco.

In 1851 the city was incorporated, and Hugh O’Bryant, an illiterate Indian fighter and carpenter, was elected the first mayor. During this time the practice of shanghaiing seamen to man the outbound ships became popular. In 1973 O’Bryant was honored with the naming and dedication of O’Bryant Square.

It was said of the time there was a symbolic conflict between solid citizens and the new transients: ‘The Puritan soldiers of the Lord vs the Adversary Satan City’. Rabbi Stephen Wise said of that time, “A lawless power of civic corruption. The union of gambling and liquor interests plus organized prostitution which in collusion with the city officials and above all the police department, has poisoned and corroded the life of the city.” Below the veneer of respectability was a system of dirty politics.

Racism.

Early on the pioneers did not want the Indians around. To the east and the south there were Indian Wars that decimated the numbers of the tribes, but in the Valley itself by 1850 the Indians had been killed off by the disease epidemics of the 1830’s. By 1855 all the remaining Indians had been moved to the reservations at Siletz, Warm Springs and Grand Ronde. At the end of the 1870’s, the Indians had virtually been exterminated as a people, culture and presence.

At the drawing up of the state constitution, it was voted 8 to 1 to exclude Negroes from the state. Oregon was considered against slavery, but not because the majority of the people felt it was morally wrong. Most of the land owners were upset because a slave owner could make a better profit from his land using slaves. They couldn’t make the same profit and felt it was unfair, so they were against slavery.

The Chinese were recruited with unrestricted immigration to come work the mines, railroads and fish factories. They later became house servants and laundrymen. By 1886, because of an economic depression, all the Chinese were demanded to leave. Riots broke out and many were killed.

The Ku Klux Clan rose to power in the 1920’s and for a short 4 year time attacked more Irish than Blacks.

Most of the racism was due to the elitist attitude the settlers had.