Men working on the Harrison and Hawthorne Boulevard sewer repair. This image was taken at SE 24th Avenue between SE Stephens Street and SE Market Street, looking north, circa 1932.
Harrison and Hawthorne Boulevard sewer repair, SE 24th Avenue, circa 1932: A1999-004.470
Vintage Portland 
It would appear that house is still there…
https://goo.gl/maps/vLj4i
Steve Sharp…
…and so is the fire hydrant!
Those hats stand out to me.
Wow, a vacant lot as well.
In a lot of older, inner Portland neighborhoods, it seems to me that corner lots often are the last to be sold and developed. The house in the contemporary view supplied by Steve Sharp looks like it is late 1940s or 1950s vintage. I’m guessing that corner lots are sometimes larger and assessed higher property taxes?
Corner lots offered much less privacy plus street noise on two sides of a house..
Back then, I guess no one really bothered with traffic control when there was a street project like this – nor would it appear that they really needed any.
Times and traffic loads have changed. I wouldn’t want to be the guy in the hole today, without barricades and flaggers to meter cars on by.