In July 1883, the Oregonian announced a “grand athletic tourney” at Portland's Mechanics Arena. Among other activities, “the sciences of Greco-Roman and Scotch back-hold …

Oregon Encyclopedia

Designated "market squares" were once common in American city plans, and Portland's 1853 plat identified two blocks that served this purpose. One of those …

Oregon Encyclopedia

Portland Railway Light & Power (PRLP) was created in 1906 through the consolidation of nearly every transportation and power generation utility between Vancouver, Washington, and …

Oregon Encyclopedia

The Rosebuds, Portland’s first professional ice hockey team, was the first United States-based franchise to compete for the Stanley Cup. A member of the …

Oregon Encyclopedia

In 1905, when Portland Mayor Harry Lane addressed a crowd at the Lewis and Clark Exposition, one memorable phrase emerged from his otherwise-forgotten speech. …

Oregon Encyclopedia

The Portland Seamen's Friend Society was organized in 1877 by Reverend R.S. Stubbs and prominent Portland merchants, including Henry Corbett, William S. Ladd, Simeon …

Oregon Encyclopedia

Located in downtown Portland, Portland State University is Oregon’s urban research university. One of the two largest universities in the state, it is also …

Oregon Encyclopedia

The majority of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods owe their location and growth to the development of street railways. The pattern displayed on modern maps still …

Oregon Encyclopedia

Struck by Portland's lack of a civic chorus, C. Robert Zimmerman decided to start one at the end of World War II. Of the …

Oregon Encyclopedia

The Portland Symphonic Girlchoir, the city’s first public choir for girls, was launched by the Portland Symphonic Choir in 1989. It was a volatile period …

Oregon Encyclopedia