Comments on: Paving Map of Portland – January 1, 1894

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:45:55 +0000

I have a little more detail on the Irvington track here. It was primarily used for horse-racing, but they held bicycle races there occasionally. I also mention a few other places where they held bicycle races. I love this map! Thanks for sharing the entirety of it!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:18:19 +0000

A lot of old velodromes were just grass ovals with slight banking, so they might well have had something in the interior of the horse racing track.

By: erik

erik — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:57:40 +0000

kinda creepy.. the “old cemetery” that borders SW Macadam, Abernathy, Bancroft, and Kelly isn’t around. I-5 plows right through it. and that SW Hood connector to Macadam would be smack dab in the middle of it!

By: Bart

Bart — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:15:35 +0000

William S. Ladd was an early Portland businesman/banker and developer. He owned a great deal of land on the east side and about 20 years after his death his estate developed the 8 acre parcel known as Ladd’s addition as a model community for railroad workers. On a side note is was his carriage house that was moved and restored recently.
http://www.laddcarriagehouse.org/HistoricImages.htm

By: TheBeanTeam

TheBeanTeam — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:28:14 +0000

I have always been interested in the interesting aerial view of the section on this map called Ladd’s Addition. What is the story here if you know it?

http://easycaptures.com/fs/uploaded/285/2805601456.jpg

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:00:15 +0000

And check out the once robust Ross Island. My neighborhood of South Burlingame/Markham isn’t even developed yet.

By: dan

dan — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:18:59 +0000

Here’s the reference to the Portland Speed Association being a bicycle club. It sure looks more like a horse track though, doesn’t it?
http://fortunaerota.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/talk-at-psu-center-for-transportation-studies-nov-30/

Here’s more about Camp McKinley, sited on the racetrack grounds:
http://fortwiki.com/Camp_McKinley

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:34:55 +0000

One last citation about the Race Tract / Irvington Racetrack. 15 years of horse racing ceased when platted in 1907 as Prospect Park. From Portland City Walks:

http://books.google.com/books?id=cSw2FC270nwC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=%22Irvington+Racetrack%22&source=bl&ots=GksX4QZ51p&sig=KM3eMSn50n7e28NbrNmDToftr0I&hl=en&ei=CM-sS8atF4rWsgOowJ2aDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12&ved=0CD0Q6AEwCw#v=onepage&q=%22Irvington%20Racetrack%22&f=false

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:22:00 +0000

We have a visual! Definitely looks more equestrian than velo.
http://albertastreetstories.tumblr.com/post/395087455/irvington-racetrack-1898

And a written account with regard to its brief utility in the Spanish-American War.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3731/is_199804/ai_n8796271/

http://books.google.com/books?id=b2kdAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA663&lpg=PA663&dq=%22Irvington+Racetrack%22&source=bl&ots=yXN8lZ9a93&sig=Up_bPlB9hhs10XbVjeQeqrR6_q0&hl=en&ei=CM-sS8atF4rWsgOowJ2aDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CDQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=%22Irvington%20Racetrack%22&f=false

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:11:52 +0000

When doing demo on a home on Fargo St, near Irving Park, beneath the lath and plaster I found writing on an interior wall stud, presumably the former address for lumber delivery “— Klickitat St.” This map confirms that the portion of Fargo that extends from Union (MLK) to 7th was once, indeed, Klickitat (at the NW corner of the Race Tract). According to Portland Parks and Rec, “Part of the land occupied by Irving Park was the site of the Irvington Racetrack, one of four defunct racetracks now sporting Portland parks.” So it was indeed built, and the NW corner became Irving Park! Seems large for a bicycle track.