Spectacular! This 1931 panorama shows the St. Johns Bridge, and the approach road coming from the north, nearing completion. The eastside anchorage seems to still have some scaffolding in place. This great image was sent in by Kai on behalf of a St. Johns resident.
(St. Johns Resident)
Tags: Cables, Oregon, Portland, Roebling, Suspension Bridge, Willamette River
February 5, 2013 at 6:27 am
One thing that is noticeable about most of these old photos,
is the lack of trees and the stunning views without them.
February 5, 2013 at 7:34 am
Heinz Rice Flakes, urp!
What were the derricks on the west side for? Freight unloading, or were they drilling wells?
February 5, 2013 at 8:02 am
Those “derricks” look like pile drivers. They are either helping to build something or are moored there between jobs. One is in the lower left corner next to the ferry dock. That is a heck of a slope down to the ferry. Notice the ferry’s high guide walls for use in high water.
February 5, 2013 at 8:10 am
This is one sharp photograph!
February 5, 2013 at 8:15 am
That’s one of 3 Portland Fireboats just upriver of the bridge on the east bank. The 3 fireboats where put into serve in 1927-8
February 5, 2013 at 8:18 am
ok…I’m guessing this to be June of 1928. In History: June 9 1st showing of a Donald Duck cartoon, June 12 Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts of prohibition and perjury, June 13 63rd Belmont: Charley Kurtsinger aboard Twenty Grand wins in 2:29.6
February 5, 2013 at 10:13 am
I noticed that (http://pdxhistory.com/html/st_johns.html) has almost the same picture at the end of their section on St. Johns. the only thing missing is the ferry in the middle of the river.
February 5, 2013 at 10:19 am
And today: http://goo.gl/maps/zy8MA
(is it just me or does the road seem to have less of a curve now?)
NativePDX: I have to agree with you there – while on the whole, trees make the view more enjoyable, there are definitely some places where some judicious cutting is in order. Especially when much of the growth is “trash” like ivy.
February 5, 2013 at 10:32 am
Wish I could have a framed print of this panorama. Wow.
February 5, 2013 at 11:41 am
“Ferryboat Sale Planned. – Plans for disposal of the ferryboat Multnomah, owned by Multnomah county, are being laid, it was announced yesterday by Roadmaster Buck and County Bridge Engineer Reed. The ferry will not be needed after June 1, when the St. Johns Bridge is to be completed. The boat was put into operations January 1, 1927”
Morning Oregonian, 01/29/1931, page 13.
February 5, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Never knew there were house boats moored by the bridge.
February 5, 2013 at 1:05 pm
lol at first I read that as “Roadmaster Buick”.
Wow, another example of Portland graft and corruption at work? Why would they buy a brand-new ferryboat in 1927? Surely they knew by then that the bridge was being planned.
February 5, 2013 at 2:00 pm
There were 3 bridge bond measures on the ballot in Nov 1926, the Broadway, the Interstate (what we call Fremont) and the St Johns bonds. Voters approved the Broadway Bonds but killed the Interstate and St Johns Bridge Bonds. The Ferry in St Johns was already inadequate, so in December funds were requested for a better Ferry to replace it.
February 5, 2013 at 3:06 pm
used to cross this every time I visit ed my mother in Scappose e would go to a restaurant in St Johns. Also my father worked on that bridge in the 1930′s. It is still my favorite I call it the cathedral bridge.
February 5, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Great photo. You can just make out the extant City Hall/Fire Department (later a police station). Across the bridge on the left you can see the old James John High School. This early high school closed after Roosevelt High was built in the 20s and burned down in 1934. Can you imagine the view from the West facing classrooms? I imagine daydreaming would have been a pretty daunting problem.
February 5, 2013 at 5:28 pm
@Jim, is the James John site the site of the now-closed Our Daily Bread restaurant?
February 5, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Very cool!
February 5, 2013 at 11:22 pm
I have taught at James John Elementary for 13 years and have a wonderful west facing classroom. October – April I have the most spectacular view of the St John’s Bridge and the hills of Forest Park! When they repaired the bridge a few years ago I had the a few crew from the company come and talk to my students about their work etc and they gave us a light bulb from one of the top spires. The bulb is about as big as a butternut squash! James John was built in 1928 and named after Jimmy John early Linnton pioneer and ferry master! Great history from this area.
February 6, 2013 at 7:16 am
Tad,
I would say the old James John High School was “near” or partially on the property that now hold the restaurant. A different view in Don Nelson’s “A Pictorial History of St. Johns” suggests that the high school was on the block to the NW of the old City Hall rather than directly across the street.
February 6, 2013 at 11:00 am
Seriously cool photo. Thanks to whoever for sharing it.
I would have loved to see the PDX waterfront when it was still a place people lived and worked.
February 6, 2013 at 5:30 pm
@Mike – those old houseboats look like scows or shantyboats, and are probably part of a scowtown, one of the many that were along the Willamette in these parts back then. Here’s a blog post from Barney Blalock on one of the scowtown legends: http://portlandwaterfront.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html
February 6, 2013 at 5:38 pm
.. and apparently shantyboat living is still an issue here in Portland:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/10/multnomah_countys_aquatic_squa.html#
February 6, 2013 at 7:45 pm
great picture! I love old ones like this.
February 9, 2013 at 12:44 am
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