Looking north on N Portsmouth Avenue from N Lombard Street, 1963.
City of Portland Archives, Oregon, Shell gas station on N Lombard Street at N Portsmouth Avenue looking north (VZ 17-63), A2011-013, 1963.
N Portsmouth Avenue, 1963
Vintage Portland
Looking north on N Portsmouth Avenue from N Lombard Street, 1963.
City of Portland Archives, Oregon, Shell gas station on N Lombard Street at N Portsmouth Avenue looking north (VZ 17-63), A2011-013, 1963.
Vintage Portland 
Still a Shell Station at that corner
That looks like “Christine” parked in front of the door.
Nice catch of a Model “A” pickup parked at the corner! It was not uncommon to see a few of them on the streets in those days! As a matter of fact, our family car was a Model “A” Sedan well into the mid 50’s. People liked to hang on to things in those days due to the fears of the Great Depression just a few decades before.
There was a grocery store on the lot next to it. We uses to buy bread , five loaves for a dollar! And Fabricland across the street!
There too used to be a Model A parked up the street from where I grew up. In 1965 while visiting relatives in LA my dad was seriously considering buying an older relatives 1929 Model A for $500.00. He had bought the car new and it had been maintained as it his only car all those years. Sadly my dad passed on buying it.
Why is it that everything looked nicer in the past? Even service stations!
kitten,
Anyone who lived in Portland at this time could tell you how the street sweepers ran all night long and nobody dumped or threw litter out of their car. The city was clean, and kept clean.
In the early 60’s we lived at 37 NE Morgan st. 3 houses up Cleveland avenue from us the old neighbor still had his model A. Still had it when we moved in 1969.
The street just to the west is Exeter. My grandparents house was where the big old Tradewell Grocery Store parking lot is. The guy that owned the Shell Station in the 50’s was named Dave White. I can still remember the sign: “23 cents a gallon!”
I seem to recall two local business at or near that intersection.
First, Prairie Market off the left of the picture. I belive they were a bulk grocer back in the day. Now the North Portland Eagles have there lodge in the building.
Second, another transportation type business, is Weir’s Cyclery. I seem to remember at one point. Weir’s was in St John’s business district at two locations. Now there back in the original area. In another building to right of the intersection.
From what I gather Weir’s Cyclery was a long standing family run business. They were the place for bicycles sales and repair for North Portland and St Johns.
In the 1990s, this was a BP station, with a beauty supply or video rental place across N. Portsmouth, and Fabricworld was directly across N. Lombard.
My dad worked at that shell station in the 40’s when he was in college. When I was 16 I was hit by a lady with a 1953 Buick at that corner in my dads brand new 65 ford. We ended up knocking down the walk sign and hitting the telephone. Small world
Portsmouth garage. I have one of those pumps that I got from the Lau family, they were good friends with the owner Dave White. I have quite a few signs and photographs of that station too