The Oregon Primary was May 21, 1948. From Wikipedia: “Stassen stunned Dewey in the Wisconsin and Nebraska primaries, thus making him the frontrunner. He then made the mistake of trying to beat Senator Taft in Taft’s home state of Ohio; Taft defeated Stassen on his home turf and Stassen earned the animosity of the party’s conservatives. Even so, Stassen was still leading Dewey in the polls for the upcoming Oregon primary. However, Dewey, who realized that a defeat in Oregon would end his chances at the nomination, sent his powerful political organization into the state. Stassen also agreed to debate Dewey in Oregon on national radio – it was the first-ever radio debate between presidential candidates.”
Originally posted here April 23rd 2012. Great photo though.
What a busy scene!
Richfield Lubrication certainly had ambitious marketing. Can anyone give some context to the advertising tower? Wonder where that eagle is today.
Stassen’s political ambitions were unrelenting! Ran for president 13 times among a dozen other campaigns!
This photo was part of the Clue game that was run on this site for a time. The clue from this photo run was April 17th 2020.
Not historical exactly – but this intersection was such a major route for me growing up it’s burned into my mind. I was in Portland last week and drove through here. It’s SO changed I didn’t recognize it! Had to see the Greek deli to be sure I was really on Burnside.
I see that Harold Stasson is running for the White House!
Memorable, tricky intersection from my early childhood. Always lots of traffic. Definitely remember it. Before my parents moved to the Westside. Great photo capturing the spirit of the late ’40s with lots of activity.
The Stassen billboard is certainly getting a lot of attention – here’s his obituary from TNYT.
The placard advertisement for Portland Motors on the side of the trolley makes reference to the new “Step-down Hudson” (Commodore) being offered in 1948 for $2,371.
Back in these days, this intersection was complicated on the ground as well as in the air; just look at the network of tangled electrical wires heading off in all directions – amazing.
June 2019 image:
Yup. This has been run before maybe more than once.
Thorn— The tall Richfield tower may be part of a network of airway beacon towers that Richfield erected in the late 1920’s to aid aircraft pilots flying at night. This network followed US 99 (Grand or Union ave. in Portland) from Mexico to Canada and were spaced out approx. 50 miles apart, and I have seen that the towers were between 50 & 125 tall and often located at service stations, I have seen other images of these towers with the same lettering, but none had a eagle at the top.
In trying to get the answer to what this tower was I learned that in 1928 that Richfield built the largest sign in the world atop Healy Heights in Portland.
Oregonian September 29, 1928 Page 20
In selecting Healy Heights as the site of a gigantic new air beacon for the Northwest, the Richfield Oil Company has given Portland the distinction of having the largest electric sign in the world. Each letter is 60 feet high, while the entire sign is more than 725 feet long and uses more than 3000 feet of Claude Neon tubes, giving it a visability of more than 100 miles.
The new Richfield sign was switched on by Portland Mayor Baker at 10 pm and the signs lettering could be read from 7 miles away.
By comparison the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in LA is 325 feet wide with 44 foot letters
Thorn– If you go to Google images and enter :Healy Heights Richfield sign” there are few daylight photos of the sign.
Today’s pic was apparently taken within seconds after the related photo from April 23rd, 2012. Although the shadows appear identical, the clouds have nudged right, the westbound train in Sullivan’s gulch has belched more smoke, the bus has just arrived, and Aunt Ivy is taking her seat aboard for the ride to her twin sister’s family.
@Dennis Wow! Besides the appreciated research in reply to my question, the Healy Heights sign story is incredible! Besides little league soccer and baseball in the park, shooting hoops as a youth after a Blazer win, I may have even climbed a tower up there myself once or twice in high school…and I can well imagine that sign! Can you tell me when it came down? Does a pic exist?
@Dennis, you’re too fast, thanks again. Hopefully this isn’t swerving too far off topic, but a great article on the Richfield sign mentioned above:
If the tower lasted another 14 years, I’m guessing the eagle took a brief but glorious flight in the Big Blow of 62′. Maybe Aunt Ivy found it in here yard a few blocks away.
When did the Tik-Tok first open up-and when did it go out of business?
Buried (pun?) in the middle of the picture is the roofline of Colonial mortuary. Originally Holman & Lutz it later was owned by Worth Caldwell Sr. and then his son Worth Jr. Sold to conglomerate Service Corp. International and recently torn down.
our city use to look so nice now it looks like weird boxy modern utopia !
The Tik-Tok at 1230 E Burnside opened 5/17/38 and closed 4/??/71
Vintage Portland 
The Oregon Primary was May 21, 1948. From Wikipedia: “Stassen stunned Dewey in the Wisconsin and Nebraska primaries, thus making him the frontrunner. He then made the mistake of trying to beat Senator Taft in Taft’s home state of Ohio; Taft defeated Stassen on his home turf and Stassen earned the animosity of the party’s conservatives. Even so, Stassen was still leading Dewey in the polls for the upcoming Oregon primary. However, Dewey, who realized that a defeat in Oregon would end his chances at the nomination, sent his powerful political organization into the state. Stassen also agreed to debate Dewey in Oregon on national radio – it was the first-ever radio debate between presidential candidates.”
Originally posted here April 23rd 2012. Great photo though.
What a busy scene!
Richfield Lubrication certainly had ambitious marketing. Can anyone give some context to the advertising tower? Wonder where that eagle is today.
Stassen’s political ambitions were unrelenting! Ran for president 13 times among a dozen other campaigns!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_history_of_Harold_Stassen
This photo was part of the Clue game that was run on this site for a time. The clue from this photo run was April 17th 2020.
Not historical exactly – but this intersection was such a major route for me growing up it’s burned into my mind. I was in Portland last week and drove through here. It’s SO changed I didn’t recognize it! Had to see the Greek deli to be sure I was really on Burnside.
I see that Harold Stasson is running for the White House!
Memorable, tricky intersection from my early childhood. Always lots of traffic. Definitely remember it. Before my parents moved to the Westside. Great photo capturing the spirit of the late ’40s with lots of activity.
The Stassen billboard is certainly getting a lot of attention – here’s his obituary from TNYT.
The placard advertisement for Portland Motors on the side of the trolley makes reference to the new “Step-down Hudson” (Commodore) being offered in 1948 for $2,371.
Back in these days, this intersection was complicated on the ground as well as in the air; just look at the network of tangled electrical wires heading off in all directions – amazing.
June 2019 image:
Yup. This has been run before maybe more than once.
Thorn— The tall Richfield tower may be part of a network of airway beacon towers that Richfield erected in the late 1920’s to aid aircraft pilots flying at night. This network followed US 99 (Grand or Union ave. in Portland) from Mexico to Canada and were spaced out approx. 50 miles apart, and I have seen that the towers were between 50 & 125 tall and often located at service stations, I have seen other images of these towers with the same lettering, but none had a eagle at the top.
In trying to get the answer to what this tower was I learned that in 1928 that Richfield built the largest sign in the world atop Healy Heights in Portland.
Oregonian September 29, 1928 Page 20
In selecting Healy Heights as the site of a gigantic new air beacon for the Northwest, the Richfield Oil Company has given Portland the distinction of having the largest electric sign in the world. Each letter is 60 feet high, while the entire sign is more than 725 feet long and uses more than 3000 feet of Claude Neon tubes, giving it a visability of more than 100 miles.
The new Richfield sign was switched on by Portland Mayor Baker at 10 pm and the signs lettering could be read from 7 miles away.
By comparison the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in LA is 325 feet wide with 44 foot letters
Thorn– If you go to Google images and enter :Healy Heights Richfield sign” there are few daylight photos of the sign.
Today’s pic was apparently taken within seconds after the related photo from April 23rd, 2012. Although the shadows appear identical, the clouds have nudged right, the westbound train in Sullivan’s gulch has belched more smoke, the bus has just arrived, and Aunt Ivy is taking her seat aboard for the ride to her twin sister’s family.
@Dennis Wow! Besides the appreciated research in reply to my question, the Healy Heights sign story is incredible! Besides little league soccer and baseball in the park, shooting hoops as a youth after a Blazer win, I may have even climbed a tower up there myself once or twice in high school…and I can well imagine that sign! Can you tell me when it came down? Does a pic exist?
@Dennis, you’re too fast, thanks again. Hopefully this isn’t swerving too far off topic, but a great article on the Richfield sign mentioned above:
http://multnomahhistorical.com/worlds-largest-sign/
If the tower lasted another 14 years, I’m guessing the eagle took a brief but glorious flight in the Big Blow of 62′. Maybe Aunt Ivy found it in here yard a few blocks away.
When did the Tik-Tok first open up-and when did it go out of business?
Buried (pun?) in the middle of the picture is the roofline of Colonial mortuary. Originally Holman & Lutz it later was owned by Worth Caldwell Sr. and then his son Worth Jr. Sold to conglomerate Service Corp. International and recently torn down.
our city use to look so nice now it looks like weird boxy modern utopia !
The Tik-Tok at 1230 E Burnside opened 5/17/38 and closed 4/??/71