I have to imagine that we’re looking NE up Ankeny. The whole intersection has changed greatly:
I’m pretty sure Echo Spring was a dairy in Eugene in the sixties. 😂
That dumpy parking lot looks like the foundation of an older building that might have been taken down ? The “blank” side of Fishel’s facing the river always looked like there used to be some other building next to it. Don’t know history of that area –
(And thanks to people who post the modern views. It really helps to see where a place is!)
Fishels furniture was in business for 95 years and moved into the building in 1947. They closed in 2016 and it looks like the building became a causality in 2018 to make way for new development. With the Yard building and the Fair-Haired Dumb Bell buildings in place, I’m almost afraid to see what they build next!
The Oregonian has numerous ads for Fishel’s Fine Furniture. In 1941 (Sept. 7, p. 8) an article with the title: New Department Added by Fishel reports: “Leonard Fishel, president of Fishel’s, E. Burnside street at Union avenue, Saturday announced the opening of an additional department featuring carpets, rugs and furniture. Provision for space to house the new line was made possible by the recent completion of a large addition to the company’s building. … “The development of the fine furniture idea,” Fishel said, “came from the results obtained in our garden, lawn,and ratan furniture department… our departments now include awnings.” Later ads seem to emphasize the awnings.
In 1957 (March 17, p. 17) the Oregonian reports that he appeared in dances in the Oriental Theater’s production of “My Fair Lady,” under the sponsorship of the Council of Jewish Women, Portland section. Proceeds of their plays benefited their volunteer work with the “young, aged and handicapped.”
Mr. Fishel’s obituary was printed on March 28, 1962 (p. 19): Leonard Fishel, 4151 NE Laddington Ct., owner of Fishel’s Awning and Supply Company, [he] died in a local hospital Tuesday at the age of 67. … born in Odessa, Russia, April 12, 1894, and came to Portland in 1912. Mr. Fishel was a member of Temple Beth Israel, B’nai B’rith, Willamette Heights Post of American Legion, Tualatin County Club, Aero Club and Rotary Club. He was a past director of the Security Bank of Oregon….” He was survived by his wife Rose, and sons Martin and Howard, both of Portland. Surviving sisters lived in Portland, but his brothers lived in Brazil.
David the billboard in this photo is for Echo Spring straight Kentucky bourbon.
Igor, the map you embedded points the wrong way, but the right intersection. Here it is pointing the other way, from 2016 before the Fishel’s Furniture building was torn down…
Farm implements and bill board ads for liquor. Two things not seen in Portland any more.
The corner of that block way rounded off in order to allow trains the ability to turn the sharp corner. So the billboard sign is actually sitting on a small island in the street. It’s nice to see the new building will reflect the old rail line path.
Debby the dumpy parking lot was the site of a large natural gas storage tank (gasometer) and can be seen in aerial photos of the East end of the Burnside bridge taken in the 1930’s
They did the same block rounding one block east on Ankeny and MLK and there is still a tiny island, interesting.
I can’t figure out why SE Third would be one-way southbound in 1952. But it was. And it’s interesting to note that the apparently original curve of the corner was squared off in 1952, but rounded in 2016, with the original concrete curve still there; and apparently the newest building is following that same curve.
I was always hoping that they would make loft/condos out of the Fisher Building and preserve more of Portland’s early 20th century architecture, but alas not.
Craft beer, breweries in and around Portland and elsewhere have replaced hard liquor as the leading cause of liver disease in America. Portland has seen a huge spike in cirrhosis cases in recent years in younger age groups (25-35) due to excessive beer consumption.
The rounding off of the corners on Ankeny at 3rd and at Union (MLK) was done as part of the Banfield Expressway construction in the 50s. At that time the westbound Banfield ended at, and emptied onto 3rd Ave, which is why it was turned into a one-way southbound. It’s also why the corners were rounded — traffic from westbound Banfield would follow 3rd under the Burnside bridge and then join 99E (Union/MLK) southbound with the left-right rounded-off curves onto Ankeny and then onto Union.
3rd Ave. was changed to a one-way northbound in preparation for the connection of the Banfield to the I-5 ramps in the 60s. At that time 3rd Ave. was changed to lead to an east-bound on-ramp to I-80N/Banfield. You can see that in the photo I’ll link to in another comment below (I think you can only do one link or it triggers moderation — at least it used to).
The 3rd Ave. on-ramp lasted until at least the mid-80s as I remember my dad using it on our way home from games at the Coliseum. You would head down Union, turn right onto Couch and then right onto 3rd, then onto the Banfield eastbound.
Ugh… sorry I must have messed up the photo tag above… I wish there was an edit function on here. Here is a link to the photo I was trying to post above:
In this photo from the you can see 3rd Ave is now one-way northbound leading to the Banfield eastbound.
Cars on Ankeny can be seen taking the curve (with the Banfield sign visible) the “other way” now. The rounded corner onto Union/MLK can still be seen though it is no longer really needed by the time of the 60’s photo as 3rd no longer feeds onto it from the Banfield.
Carter Kennedy: Brian has given you the answer to why SE 3rd is one way Southbound, if you want to see a 1959 photo of a car exiting the Banfield Westbound look at the VP photo from June 28, 2018. The entrance to Eastbound Banfield is still in use at at SE Grand & Everett.
@ Brian- I don’t know how to embed photos, but if you look at the Nov. 25, 2015 VP post you can see those two blocks where rounded off for rail before 1912. Well before the freeway and the current Burnside bridge and its newer alignment. But if I’m wrong I’m wrong.
@Dan S (and everyone else who wishes we knew how to do some of the neat tricks (such as embedding photos) some others in the VP readership can do) — I wish the moderator would establish a “how to” page with the directions for doing those things. It could be linked to from any day’s post, and we’d all have a better chance at contributing more than words and links.
An edit button would also be nice . . . . . . But we’re not complaining!
Thanks, Brian. I remember using 3rd as an on-ramp to the freeway eastbound, but I didn’t realize it was once the only off-ramp westbound.
Thanks, Brian. I was gonna chime in here, but you beat me to it, With links and all!
Also, I was the aforementioned “Chris” who wondered how the WB route of the Banfield Terminated, before I-5 was complete.
Please remember this is a City run blog. Any comment that violates the Social Media Terms of Use will be removed. Thank you for your continued support. We hope to continue to provide content everyone can enjoy.
Vintage Portland 
Not the city’s finest hour
I have to imagine that we’re looking NE up Ankeny. The whole intersection has changed greatly:
I’m pretty sure Echo Spring was a dairy in Eugene in the sixties. 😂
That dumpy parking lot looks like the foundation of an older building that might have been taken down ? The “blank” side of Fishel’s facing the river always looked like there used to be some other building next to it. Don’t know history of that area –
(And thanks to people who post the modern views. It really helps to see where a place is!)
Fishels furniture was in business for 95 years and moved into the building in 1947. They closed in 2016 and it looks like the building became a causality in 2018 to make way for new development. With the Yard building and the Fair-Haired Dumb Bell buildings in place, I’m almost afraid to see what they build next!
The Oregonian has numerous ads for Fishel’s Fine Furniture. In 1941 (Sept. 7, p. 8) an article with the title: New Department Added by Fishel reports: “Leonard Fishel, president of Fishel’s, E. Burnside street at Union avenue, Saturday announced the opening of an additional department featuring carpets, rugs and furniture. Provision for space to house the new line was made possible by the recent completion of a large addition to the company’s building. … “The development of the fine furniture idea,” Fishel said, “came from the results obtained in our garden, lawn,and ratan furniture department… our departments now include awnings.” Later ads seem to emphasize the awnings.
In 1957 (March 17, p. 17) the Oregonian reports that he appeared in dances in the Oriental Theater’s production of “My Fair Lady,” under the sponsorship of the Council of Jewish Women, Portland section. Proceeds of their plays benefited their volunteer work with the “young, aged and handicapped.”
Mr. Fishel’s obituary was printed on March 28, 1962 (p. 19): Leonard Fishel, 4151 NE Laddington Ct., owner of Fishel’s Awning and Supply Company, [he] died in a local hospital Tuesday at the age of 67. … born in Odessa, Russia, April 12, 1894, and came to Portland in 1912. Mr. Fishel was a member of Temple Beth Israel, B’nai B’rith, Willamette Heights Post of American Legion, Tualatin County Club, Aero Club and Rotary Club. He was a past director of the Security Bank of Oregon….” He was survived by his wife Rose, and sons Martin and Howard, both of Portland. Surviving sisters lived in Portland, but his brothers lived in Brazil.
David the billboard in this photo is for Echo Spring straight Kentucky bourbon.
Igor, the map you embedded points the wrong way, but the right intersection. Here it is pointing the other way, from 2016 before the Fishel’s Furniture building was torn down…
Farm implements and bill board ads for liquor. Two things not seen in Portland any more.
The corner of that block way rounded off in order to allow trains the ability to turn the sharp corner. So the billboard sign is actually sitting on a small island in the street. It’s nice to see the new building will reflect the old rail line path.
Debby the dumpy parking lot was the site of a large natural gas storage tank (gasometer) and can be seen in aerial photos of the East end of the Burnside bridge taken in the 1930’s
They did the same block rounding one block east on Ankeny and MLK and there is still a tiny island, interesting.
I can’t figure out why SE Third would be one-way southbound in 1952. But it was. And it’s interesting to note that the apparently original curve of the corner was squared off in 1952, but rounded in 2016, with the original concrete curve still there; and apparently the newest building is following that same curve.
I was always hoping that they would make loft/condos out of the Fisher Building and preserve more of Portland’s early 20th century architecture, but alas not.
Craft beer, breweries in and around Portland and elsewhere have replaced hard liquor as the leading cause of liver disease in America. Portland has seen a huge spike in cirrhosis cases in recent years in younger age groups (25-35) due to excessive beer consumption.
The rounding off of the corners on Ankeny at 3rd and at Union (MLK) was done as part of the Banfield Expressway construction in the 50s. At that time the westbound Banfield ended at, and emptied onto 3rd Ave, which is why it was turned into a one-way southbound. It’s also why the corners were rounded — traffic from westbound Banfield would follow 3rd under the Burnside bridge and then join 99E (Union/MLK) southbound with the left-right rounded-off curves onto Ankeny and then onto Union.
This can be seen on the map on this previous VP post>/a>. Note the photo cuts off at the bridge, but scroll down for the map below the photo where you can see the red principle highway line connecting the westbound Banfield with Union via 3rd Ave southbound and Ankeny.
3rd Ave. was changed to a one-way northbound in preparation for the connection of the Banfield to the I-5 ramps in the 60s. At that time 3rd Ave. was changed to lead to an east-bound on-ramp to I-80N/Banfield. You can see that in the photo I’ll link to in another comment below (I think you can only do one link or it triggers moderation — at least it used to).
The 3rd Ave. on-ramp lasted until at least the mid-80s as I remember my dad using it on our way home from games at the Coliseum. You would head down Union, turn right onto Couch and then right onto 3rd, then onto the Banfield eastbound.
Ugh… sorry I must have messed up the photo tag above… I wish there was an edit function on here. Here is a link to the photo I was trying to post above:
https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/eastbank-banfield-freeway-connection/
And here’s the *other* photo I mentioned above from the 60’s:
https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/burnside-bridge-1963/
In this photo from the you can see 3rd Ave is now one-way northbound leading to the Banfield eastbound.
Cars on Ankeny can be seen taking the curve (with the Banfield sign visible) the “other way” now. The rounded corner onto Union/MLK can still be seen though it is no longer really needed by the time of the 60’s photo as 3rd no longer feeds onto it from the Banfield.
Carter Kennedy: Brian has given you the answer to why SE 3rd is one way Southbound, if you want to see a 1959 photo of a car exiting the Banfield Westbound look at the VP photo from June 28, 2018. The entrance to Eastbound Banfield is still in use at at SE Grand & Everett.
@ Brian- I don’t know how to embed photos, but if you look at the Nov. 25, 2015 VP post you can see those two blocks where rounded off for rail before 1912. Well before the freeway and the current Burnside bridge and its newer alignment. But if I’m wrong I’m wrong.
@Dan S (and everyone else who wishes we knew how to do some of the neat tricks (such as embedding photos) some others in the VP readership can do) — I wish the moderator would establish a “how to” page with the directions for doing those things. It could be linked to from any day’s post, and we’d all have a better chance at contributing more than words and links.
An edit button would also be nice . . . . . . But we’re not complaining!
Thanks, Brian. I remember using 3rd as an on-ramp to the freeway eastbound, but I didn’t realize it was once the only off-ramp westbound.
Thanks, Brian. I was gonna chime in here, but you beat me to it, With links and all!
Also, I was the aforementioned “Chris” who wondered how the WB route of the Banfield Terminated, before I-5 was complete.
Please remember this is a City run blog. Any comment that violates the Social Media Terms of Use will be removed. Thank you for your continued support. We hope to continue to provide content everyone can enjoy.