I like to travel back in time and get those classic blue Portland street signs.
The house on far right is still there. The Village Smithy building may have been altered and converted into 5-plex. Village Smithy specialized in wrought iron railings, gates, furniture, weathervanes and some custom work.
Here’s today’s view. PortlandMaps states that the now-present brick apartment complex was built in 1958:
All the fire hydrant lovers in the group will note that the Rensselaer “Corey” is still in its place.
That’s a nice 1950 Dodge Wayfayer parked there.
That 1950 GMC FC100 pickup isn’t bad either.
It’s nice to see the Douglas fir in the front yard of the house on the right is still there. I hope homeowners appreciate the value of these giants. I have one in my front yard and I would never chop it down.
According to Wikipedia, the Banfield Freeway wasn’t built until 1955. Just north of Broadway in this location would there have just been a drop-off down to a gulch? I imagine the railroad tracks were already built down there by this point though?
This Village Smithy building in this photo had an address of 1658 NE 75th Ave., and I think this is their fabrication shop, as there is a ad in November 1950 Oregonian for The Village Smithy located at 5013 NE 42nd Ave that reads ” Have Your Andirons Cleaned & Polished”, also The Village Smithy placed an ad in December 1954 with the location on 5101 N Interstate Ave. that reads ” Custom Made Wrought Iron ” and by June of 1955 The Village Smithy had a name change to Iron & Metalcraft Inc. at the N Interstate address.
From November 1952 this classified ad was placed in the Oregonian.
Shoe Repair Shop, Landis finished, Champion curved needle & Champion straight needle stichers, patchers, neon sign, cash register, jacks, stock, etc. $600 takes everything. Village Smithy 1658 NE 75th KE7112. Could they have been The Village Cobbler also ?
The railroad tracks were laid down sometime in the early 1880’s.
Dennis: are you able to link to that Nov. 1952 classified ad? We just moved into a house right around the corner from that location on 76th, so we are going to print and frame this photo to hang on our wall, and that ad would complement it nicely!
Sorry Doug looks like it only would link to the library. This classified ad appeared in the Oregonian 11/23/52 page 52 under the machinery listings.
VP Moderator — It would be really helpful if you posted the directions to how to get images (such as Dennis’ ad) and Google current views, in a section of your website. That way we could all help each other see things better. (Re: Google current view, I’ve tried the directions posted long ago by one reader, but can’t seem to get it to cooperate as well as Mike D. does, for instance.)
Emily M: I looked at a 1951 aerial photo of The Village Smithy building in today’s photo, and there was building just North that is 6 to 8 times larger, and looks like it extended almost to the railroad tracks. This building and many more were demolished for the excavation of the freeway roadbed.
Ah, very interesting. Thanks Dennis!
I grew up just a block away at 1624 NE 76th. In 1952 I was 12 years old and still residing there and for the life of me I can not remember this scene. I know the date is right. We are looking East and in 1952 the Lockwood Planning Mill, and the Montavilla Ice & Coal Co. coal dump must have just been demolished to make way for I 80 N. Those firms occupied the area between NE Broadway and the railroad cut and were both rail served via a switch just east of NE 77th with a steep incline. I thought right of way clearance did not begin till mid 1953 but this scene proves me wrong. I would have the roof of the large house built and occupied by Red Nickles at the NW corner of 76th would have been visible as well.
@Doug. We must have been neighbors.
@Rod We would be if you still lived there! 😉 We just moved in about 6 months ago. Greg and Kathy Beck (and their family) owned our house for 72 years before we bought it so I’m sure you knew them!
@Doug. Ahh I misunderstood. I do remember the Becks. Nice folks. My mother owned the house at 1624 until her death in 1977. Thank you for that reminder.
My brother who is 3 years younger and has a better memory says this building was demolished in 1952. That may have been the occasion for this photo, a, valuation record. They left a vacant concrete slab for two years before building the current duplex.
Vintage Portland 
I like to travel back in time and get those classic blue Portland street signs.
The house on far right is still there. The Village Smithy building may have been altered and converted into 5-plex. Village Smithy specialized in wrought iron railings, gates, furniture, weathervanes and some custom work.
Here’s today’s view. PortlandMaps states that the now-present brick apartment complex was built in 1958:
All the fire hydrant lovers in the group will note that the Rensselaer “Corey” is still in its place.
That’s a nice 1950 Dodge Wayfayer parked there.
That 1950 GMC FC100 pickup isn’t bad either.
It’s nice to see the Douglas fir in the front yard of the house on the right is still there. I hope homeowners appreciate the value of these giants. I have one in my front yard and I would never chop it down.
According to Wikipedia, the Banfield Freeway wasn’t built until 1955. Just north of Broadway in this location would there have just been a drop-off down to a gulch? I imagine the railroad tracks were already built down there by this point though?
This Village Smithy building in this photo had an address of 1658 NE 75th Ave., and I think this is their fabrication shop, as there is a ad in November 1950 Oregonian for The Village Smithy located at 5013 NE 42nd Ave that reads ” Have Your Andirons Cleaned & Polished”, also The Village Smithy placed an ad in December 1954 with the location on 5101 N Interstate Ave. that reads ” Custom Made Wrought Iron ” and by June of 1955 The Village Smithy had a name change to Iron & Metalcraft Inc. at the N Interstate address.
From November 1952 this classified ad was placed in the Oregonian.
Shoe Repair Shop, Landis finished, Champion curved needle & Champion straight needle stichers, patchers, neon sign, cash register, jacks, stock, etc. $600 takes everything. Village Smithy 1658 NE 75th KE7112. Could they have been The Village Cobbler also ?
The railroad tracks were laid down sometime in the early 1880’s.
Dennis: are you able to link to that Nov. 1952 classified ad? We just moved into a house right around the corner from that location on 76th, so we are going to print and frame this photo to hang on our wall, and that ad would complement it nicely!
That’s either a 46, 47 or 48 dodge.
Doug, attached is the link to the classified ad (far left column) – give it a try!
https://proxy.multcolib.org:2489/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AMNEWS&req_dat=0D10F2CADB4B24C0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Aimage%252Fv2%253A11A73E5827618330%2540EANX-NB-12B9D234B4A1F7FC%25402434340-12AEFE0A2B2EDB99%254051-12AEFE0A2B2EDB99%2540/hlterms%3ASmithy
Sorry Doug looks like it only would link to the library. This classified ad appeared in the Oregonian 11/23/52 page 52 under the machinery listings.
VP Moderator — It would be really helpful if you posted the directions to how to get images (such as Dennis’ ad) and Google current views, in a section of your website. That way we could all help each other see things better. (Re: Google current view, I’ve tried the directions posted long ago by one reader, but can’t seem to get it to cooperate as well as Mike D. does, for instance.)
Emily M: I looked at a 1951 aerial photo of The Village Smithy building in today’s photo, and there was building just North that is 6 to 8 times larger, and looks like it extended almost to the railroad tracks. This building and many more were demolished for the excavation of the freeway roadbed.
Ah, very interesting. Thanks Dennis!
I grew up just a block away at 1624 NE 76th. In 1952 I was 12 years old and still residing there and for the life of me I can not remember this scene. I know the date is right. We are looking East and in 1952 the Lockwood Planning Mill, and the Montavilla Ice & Coal Co. coal dump must have just been demolished to make way for I 80 N. Those firms occupied the area between NE Broadway and the railroad cut and were both rail served via a switch just east of NE 77th with a steep incline. I thought right of way clearance did not begin till mid 1953 but this scene proves me wrong. I would have the roof of the large house built and occupied by Red Nickles at the NW corner of 76th would have been visible as well.
@Doug. We must have been neighbors.
@Rod We would be if you still lived there! 😉 We just moved in about 6 months ago. Greg and Kathy Beck (and their family) owned our house for 72 years before we bought it so I’m sure you knew them!
@Doug. Ahh I misunderstood. I do remember the Becks. Nice folks. My mother owned the house at 1624 until her death in 1977. Thank you for that reminder.
My brother who is 3 years younger and has a better memory says this building was demolished in 1952. That may have been the occasion for this photo, a, valuation record. They left a vacant concrete slab for two years before building the current duplex.