11 thoughts on “Portland Woolen Mills, circa 1913”
Looks like the core of the factory is still standing near Cathedral Park.
Portland Woolen Mills’ factory was located on Baltimore Avenue just north of the St. Johns Bridge, near present-day Cathedral Park. Traveling north across the bridge it was visible on the left, near the north shore of the Willamette River. It was quite a sizeable layout. In today’s rather hazy photo you can faintly see the West Hills across the river in the ditance.
The Picture needs to be darkened to look better. ________________________________
I was looking at the related posts and found a submission by Doug Hoschek, mentioning a then-forthcoming book he’d written about the Mill. Checking for that I came across the website for the mill, which seems to be thriving still. The site mentions Hoschek’s book and has lot of other info. https://portlandwoolenmills.com/about/
By Unknown author – City of Portland Archives, Public Domain, Link
Oregonian October 16, 1960 page 30 excerpt
Portland Woolen Mills which confirmed Saturday it will go out of business Dec. 1 was founded in 1898 in Sellwood. The original Portland Woolen plant burned down. In 1904 the founders built the first portion of the present plant at 6639 N. Baltimore St. in St. Johns. The mill now covers some seven acres of property, more than five of those acres in buildings, according to Charles H. Carter Jr.
For several years after the closing the building was leased to Northern Specialty sales a distributor of toys.
In 1981 Doug Hoschek and a partner purchased the Portland Woolen Mills, (business name only I believe) and today is owned only by Mr Hoschek, and it is registered at his residence in Sunriver Oregon.
There is a current website for Portland Woolen Mills and their products, which are made in the USA , but where they are made I could not find.
Plywood was invented in the same area. There’s a plaque down there somewhere telling about it.
Baltimore Hill. The number one spot on the Peninsular in St.John’s for sledding. On the first snow of winter every generation of kid in the area for over a hundred years ran their sleds, shovels, inner tubes and old car hoods down this hill.
Baltimore Street or, as it’s known in the area, “Baltimore Hill”, is in the foreground.
Vintage Portland 
Looks like the core of the factory is still standing near Cathedral Park.
Portland Woolen Mills’ factory was located on Baltimore Avenue just north of the St. Johns Bridge, near present-day Cathedral Park. Traveling north across the bridge it was visible on the left, near the north shore of the Willamette River. It was quite a sizeable layout. In today’s rather hazy photo you can faintly see the West Hills across the river in the ditance.
Here’s a better photo of the mills, the West Hills across the river in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55b65871e4b0c3dfa57f6c1f/1563314881849-CIKOWK64N7IS2RDJUYXA/Woolen+Mills+from+Baltimore+and+Decatur.jpg?format=1500w
The Picture needs to be darkened to look better. ________________________________
I was looking at the related posts and found a submission by Doug Hoschek, mentioning a then-forthcoming book he’d written about the Mill. Checking for that I came across the website for the mill, which seems to be thriving still. The site mentions Hoschek’s book and has lot of other info.
https://portlandwoolenmills.com/about/
History of Portland Woolen Mills..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Woolen_Mills.
By Unknown author – City of Portland Archives, Public Domain, Link
Oregonian October 16, 1960 page 30 excerpt
Portland Woolen Mills which confirmed Saturday it will go out of business Dec. 1 was founded in 1898 in Sellwood. The original Portland Woolen plant burned down. In 1904 the founders built the first portion of the present plant at 6639 N. Baltimore St. in St. Johns. The mill now covers some seven acres of property, more than five of those acres in buildings, according to Charles H. Carter Jr.
For several years after the closing the building was leased to Northern Specialty sales a distributor of toys.
In 1981 Doug Hoschek and a partner purchased the Portland Woolen Mills, (business name only I believe) and today is owned only by Mr Hoschek, and it is registered at his residence in Sunriver Oregon.
There is a current website for Portland Woolen Mills and their products, which are made in the USA , but where they are made I could not find.
Plywood was invented in the same area. There’s a plaque down there somewhere telling about it.
Baltimore Hill. The number one spot on the Peninsular in St.John’s for sledding. On the first snow of winter every generation of kid in the area for over a hundred years ran their sleds, shovels, inner tubes and old car hoods down this hill.
Baltimore Street or, as it’s known in the area, “Baltimore Hill”, is in the foreground.