This is a nicely detailed photo from 1946 looking north on SW 6th Avenue from Washington Street. Lots of terrific signage in this shot, including the highway directional signs. The only thing left standing today is that tiny sliver of a building seen to the far left edge.
(City of Portland Archives)
A very active street scene looking south on SW 6th Avenue from Stark Street. The old Oregonian building at Alder is visible on the right side of the street, as is the Portland Hotel two blocks down from there. We saw a scene very similar to this one a while ago, taken from Oak Street. The movie “Shanghai” is playing at the theater on the left in both photos; these two photos could have been taken on the same day. “Shanghai” is a 1935 movie so the 1939 date may not be accurate.
(City of Portland Archives)
Early day Harley-Davidson motorcyclists gather in front of the Motorcycle & Supply Co. storefront at 209 Fourth Street (between Salmon and Taylor) circa 1912. A 1913 article in The Oregonian reports on the first endurance run by the Rose City Motorcycle Club, from Portland to Corvallis and back by 37 riders; perhaps it was this very event. Douglas Wilmot sent in this fabulous photo. His grandfather Albert E. Davis is the gentleman fourth from the right with the child, who Douglas is trying to identify, on the handlebars. Mr. Davis ran the B.E. Davis Electric Co. on Front Street at Oak in the 1920s-30s. The Rowland Hotel can also be seen in the distance in this photo.
(Douglas Wilmot)
The bustling St. Johns downtown area is shown in this nice 1938 photo. The view is northwest on Lombard. N. Philadelphia comes in from the front left and N. Burlington Ave. branches off to the right.
(City of Portland Archives)
The finer parts of Portland had moved a few blocks south and west by 1939, leaving this section of SW 2nd looking south toward Alder the realm of the working man. Work clothes, billiards, Army surplus and hardware stores mixed with restaurants, hotels and drug stores. Anybody remember the old Dahl & Penne Card Room (awning on the left behind the hardware sign)? It came down in the mid-1980s.
(City of Portland Archives)
