NW 10th & Johnson, c1925

Long before the Pearl District became a trendy shopping and residential area, and even when it was a gritty industrial area, it contained single family homes and rooming houses. This circa 1925 photo shows NW 10th Avenue at Irving street looking north. The large structure on the far right is the back of what we know today as the Ecotrust building. And amazingly enough, a portion of the wall on the left, including door openings and steel shutters, still stands at the corner with Johnson Street. The block is in the center of this aerial photo taken in 1939 after the wooden structures had been removed.

(City of Portland Archives)

NE Union & Morris, 1929

One couldn’t blame our Number Man for stopping into the corner grocery store for a little refreshment while on the job. Number 225 documented the southwest corner of Union Avenue at Morris Street.

(City of Portland Archives)

Union Ave & E Burnside, 1929

It was probably widening of Union Avenue at E. Burnside that required removing this facade in 1929. The 1907 building is now home to Fishel’s Furniture at the east end of the Burnside Bridge.

(City of Portland Archives)

West Side Flood Waters, 1948

The spring flood of 1948 affected most of the properties east of SW Moody Avenue near the Ross Island Bridge. This area is now the heart of the South Waterfront district.

(City of Portland Archives)

NE Union & Thompson, 1929

A winter snow covers the southeast corner of NE Union Avenue and Thompson Street in this 1929 image. Although modernized over the years, the building still retains its basic configuration. The first few houses on Thompson were not so lucky; they’ve been razed to make way for commercial expansion.

(City of Portland Archives)

Portland Heights Club, Fear Home, c1962

Monday’s images of Ainsworth Elementary School sparked a conversation about the building partially hidden in the trees on the right. That was originally the Portland Heights Club, shown from the opposite (south) side in today’s top photo in the early 1960s. The footbridge from the end of SW Spring St. to St. Helens Ct. can be seen to the left of the building. The bottom photo shows the old W.H. Fear home, just uphill from the club. The photo of the club was probably taken from the Fear property which was razed in the early 1960s to make way for the Ainsworth classroom annex building. Thanks to VP fan “wl” for sending in these scans from the City of Portland Archives.

(City of Portland Archives)

W Burnside & SW 10th, 1939

The intersection of West Burnside, 10th Avenue and SW Oak street seems to be one of those places that we keep coming back to. The names and details have changed since 1939 but the basic components remain pretty much the same.

(City of Portland Archives)