Portland’s History A Study Iniquity And The Call To Redemption

Portland’s History

A Study Iniquity And The Call To Redemption

Exodus 20:5-6

For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Exodus 34:6-7

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Iniquity: a gross injustice; creating the tendency to repeat the injustice again and again.

Inequities are passed on from generation to generations until there are those who will stand up against the evil and right the wrong.

Those who God uses to right the wrong tend to use the same keys to lock up the injustice and bring justice.

1. Prayer
2. Humility
3. Unity
4. Authority

Today’s look is not just a study of cause and affect, but it’s a call to have a people stand in the gap

Ezekiel 22:29-31 (New King James Version)

The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

May the Lord find some that will those in Portland who will stand in the gap!

Portland, Oregon Timeline: 1843 to 1970s 1903 St. Johns Incorporated as It’s Own City 1904 Portland Rose Society "Fiesta" Predecessor to the Rose Festival, held 1904 - 1906. 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition Held in Portland 1905 Revival Hits Portland Thousand hit the streets to worship God. All churches jammed with people hearing about the power of The Cross. Daily, 200 businesses in the center of the city shut down for two hours so employees can attend Bible studies and church services. All downtown churches experience powerful move of God and overflow crowds. Effects of Revival last two years

1906 First official Chinese Consul appointed in Portland In recognition of Portland's large Chinese population and trade importance the Chinese government appointed Moy Back Hin (a Portland millionaire) consul for Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The fourth consul appointed in the U.S.

1907 Azusa Street Revival Starts to Affect Portland

As 1905 revival fades the Pentecostal movement starts to come onto Portland. Specially among African American churches and the poor. They eventually help set up some of Portland’s first missions

1907 First Official Rose Festival

1908 First Woman Police Officer Hired on as Detective

Lola Greene Baldwin is hired as "Superintendent of the Women's Auxiliary to the Police Department for the Protection of Girls." This made Baldwin the first municipally paid policewoman in the U.S.

1909 Pentecost Revival Takes Hold

Many of the early preachers and carriers of the revival where African American female preachers, many

of them itinerate. Early work included helping the poor and the addicted.

1910s Continue Expansion and Tension between Spiritual Advance and Decay

1912 Steel Bridge opens
It is claimed to be the only telescoping vertical lift bridge in the world and is the second oldest vertical lift bridge in North America - built by Union and Southern Pacific Railroads for $1.7 million.

1912 Portland's First Rose Garden
Peninsula Park's rose garden was designed by Park Superintendent Mische. Ladd's Circle was also planted with roses.

1912 Lents Annexed to Portland

1912 Bennett Plan Adopted
Bennett, a Chicago architect, prepares the "Greater Portland Plan", predicting that Portland will grow to 2,000,000 and will include all the population within a twenty-mile radius.

1912 Public Drunkenness Increases; Benson Bubblers Commissioned
Simon Benson donates money to install 4-bowl drinking fountains downtown.

1913 Broadway Bridge opens
Built by the City at a cost of $1.6 million.

1913 Clandestine Abortion Clinic is established

Abortions, especially for the rich are performed in a suite in Hotel Portland. It soon is so busy

they actually get an office space across the street. Corruption keeps this illegal business prospering.

Soon this becomes the biggest abortion operation in the nation

1914 Portland Branch of the NAACP formally recognized
The oldest branch west of the Mississippi River to be continuously chartered.

1914 Reid College Teaches Evolution

1915 Portland Revival Breaks Out

Rev EJ Bulgin leads a revival in Portland

1915 City of St. Johns and City of Linnton Annexed to Portland

1917 Interstate Bridge Opens
The first span of the I-5 Bridge from Portland to Vancouver begins operation.

1920s Decade Of God’s Power and Bridge Building

1920 John G. Lake Moves to Portland - Healing Revival Breaks Out

Incredible miracles take place as Dr. Lake starts healing rooms in downtown Portland. Thousands are

healed in a 5 year period. Again, business close down in downtown during lunch hour so people can

attend prayer and Bible studies during noon time

1920 Population Reaches 258,288

1925 John G. Lake Leaves Due to Pressures

Dr. Lake leaves after persecution from local pastors and threats from Health Department who accuses him

of practicing medicine without a license due to so many healings.

1925 Sellwood Bridge Opens

1925 Portland Baptist Institute Opens Up

Later becomes Western Seminary

1926 Ross Island, Burnside and Vista Bridge All Open

1929 Harbor Wall Completed in Downtown

1930s Quiet Decade As the Depression Rolls On

No revivals to speak off. Corruption increases as depression sets in. Yet some of Portland’s merchant

families make their greatest wealth during this decade.

1936 Multnomah Bible Institute Opens

1940’s Big Boom As America goes to war

Portland Establishes the Housing Authority of Portland to deal with housing strategy for Portland.

Portland becomes a big ship-building town during the war. Thousands move in including a large number that were African Americans. It was the largest public housing project in the nation.

1942 Housing Boom to Deal With War Effort

East side and North Side of the city expand out.

1943 Housing Boom Creates Vanport

63,000 thousand move to Portland to work in the shipyards. The Feds build Vanport in response to the

need for housing in a flood plain. At least 2/5^th of the people that move there are African American.

1944 Portland Population Near 600,000

1947 Redlining on Housing Maps
Federal postwar housing mortgage insurance program issued maps using red ink to indicate bad risk areas, targeting minority areas including NE Portland where many of the Vanport victims moved to.

1948 Vanport Flood

Vanport was destroyed dramatically at 4:05 p.m. on May 30, 1948 when a 200 foot section of the dike

holding back the Columbia River collapsed during a flood, killing fifteen. The city was underwater by

nightfall leaving its inhabitants homeless. Vanport College looses its home, but starts at an extension

school in downtown Portland which in time became Portland College then Portland State University

1947-8 Healing Revivalist Impact Portland

Jack Coe, William Branan and other evangelists have prolonged crusade with many healings and

salvations.

1948 Wings of Healing Meets Downtown

The Portland Temple is housed at 3^rd and Clay and becomes one of Portland’s largest church with many

signs and wonders. Many churches are birthed out of the movement started in Canada and the healing

evangelist crusade for the next decade. These revivals do not seem however to have a large effect on the

culture of the city.

1950’s City Expands, Church Expands but Do Not Cross Paths

• Corruption increases to new levels as the Mob makes in-roads to Portland.
• Racial tensions increase and city government sets up commission to investigate and work on the issue
• Civil Right ordinance defeated by referendum
• Downtown “South Auditorium District” Urban renewal removes thousands of people from their houses to create a modern downtown. This leads to the State enacting the “fair housing act”.

1960’s Portland Grows Up and So Does Its Problems

• Lloyd Center opens as the nation’s first and largest mall
• I-5 goes through Portland and it’s moved to east side of the river
• Plan for high density housing goes into effect
• Portland Police investigated for corruption
• Billy Graham comes to Portland and impacts the spiritual climate. Not too much later, Jesus people movement comes to Portland
• Civil rights protest impact the city and racial tensions increase
• Drug use in colleges explode

1970s Last of the Impacting Revivals

• Decade starts with turmoil with City Hall Liberty Bell bombing and Park Block clash between protesters and the police which ends with many people hurt.
• Jesus people movement sweeps the city. Ministries are birthed. Many churches are full. Street soul-winning came with great ease
• Many churches exploded during this time
• Many of today’s Mega churches were birthed during this decade
• Bible Colleges and training centers open up to train new generation of Christian leaders
• City jail scandal causes the city to close hand operations of jail to the county. Investigation begins
• Decade ends as youth movement wanes and churches turn inward in focus.