Gadsbys closed closed and there was a auction of remaining inventory in July 1953. The Beebe Company moved to 4444 SW Macadam in July 1956, and the buildings in this area were demolished for the west ramps for the Morrison Bridge..
As far as I can tell, in this view the only extant building on 1st Ave. is where the Raven’s Manor bar is on the northwest corner of Oak and first.
The weathered & faint block letters on the side of the brick building on the left prompted an online search for Nation[al] Bank, and I came across this site with lots of detailed Portland bank history. http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/portland_banks.html
Great photo. The building at front right of the photo is Greene’s Building which stood at 1st and Alder. Across the street on the next block down is the Corbett Building on 1st between Alder and Washington. I believe Gadsby’s was in the 1870 Dekum block.
First building on the left is Corbett’s Building, 1870-1956. https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/corbett-building-1954/
The next building to the north, mostly a 2-story, was built in 1858 by A. D. Shelby and is the oldest building in the picture. It was significantly remodeled in 1928.
The narrow 3-story was originally part of Shelby’s Block. In 1886 Alexander Mayer rebuilt the building which was mostly known as a railway ticket office. It too was torn down in 1956.
Across Washington Street is the Dekum Building, 1871-1954. https://oregondigital.org/sets/building-or/oregondigital:df67jc12q
The Holmes’ Building, 1868-1955, is the 3-story in the middle of the block, once home of J. K. Gill’s and Ladd & Tilton’s Bank, 1868-1955, 2-stories, is on the corner of 1st & Stark.
Across Stark Street is Union Block.
On the other side of First Avenue can be seen the Beebe Company in the old First National Bank Building, 1882-1956. And in front of that, as Jim mentioned, is George F. Greene’s building, 1883-1956.
So, where was the picture taken from?
i would love to see someone try to get city approval for that gadsbys sign today. or insurance coverage for it!
The first building on the left is the first Corbett Building erected in Portland, Shortly after H.W.Corbett and the Failings (Josiah and son Henry) acquired the bank it moved into the Corbett Building here, completed in 1870. The Corbett Building on SW 1st Avenue between Alder and Washington was the first fully cast-iron fronted building in the city.
The three-storey building had floor to ceiling windows, an advanced innovation. Its cast-iron frontispieces where manufactured in Baltimore and shipped around Cape Horn. It would have stood in the island between the approach ramps of the Morrison bridge.
The bank subsequently moved into a new bank building built by H.W. Corbett. The present First National Bank Building at 401–409 SW 5th Avenue, designed by Coolidge and Shattuck of Boston, was built in 1916 when the bank outgrew both these earlier quarters. It was by then subsequently under the ownership of H.W.Corbett’s grandsons).
The First National moved to the new Corbett Building at First and Alder that was subsequently occupied by The Beebe Co. after the bank moved again to the present marble First National Bank Building at 401–409 SW 5th Avenue, designed by Coolidge and Shattuck of Boston in 1916. This second Corbett Building, by then signed The Beebe Co, can be seen in Dougie’s link as the second rendering down on the Beebe website. Also some of the banking hall, as Beebe’s ground floor etc. It was a grand expensively fitted out banking building originally. The side of course can be seen in today’s photo on the right. Very interesting photo today with all these historic buildings. https://thebeebeco.com/pages/about
Vintage Portland 
Gadsbys @ SW 1st & Washington
The Beebe Company @ 504 SW 1st
Gadsbys closed closed and there was a auction of remaining inventory in July 1953. The Beebe Company moved to 4444 SW Macadam in July 1956, and the buildings in this area were demolished for the west ramps for the Morrison Bridge..
As far as I can tell, in this view the only extant building on 1st Ave. is where the Raven’s Manor bar is on the northwest corner of Oak and first.
The weathered & faint block letters on the side of the brick building on the left prompted an online search for Nation[al] Bank, and I came across this site with lots of detailed Portland bank history.
http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/portland_banks.html
Regarding the “Gadsby’s” sign, this was a furniture business founded in Portland in 1889. Its history is below.
https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/walter-gadsby-obituary?id=15954512
The dark car at the bottom right looks like it is being backed up & angled in, too park.
Regarding The Beebe Company, see their history & products below (with pictures).
https://thebeebeco.com/pages/about
Great photo. The building at front right of the photo is Greene’s Building which stood at 1st and Alder. Across the street on the next block down is the Corbett Building on 1st between Alder and Washington. I believe Gadsby’s was in the 1870 Dekum block.
https://thebeebeco.com/pages/about
First building on the left is Corbett’s Building, 1870-1956.
https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/corbett-building-1954/
The next building to the north, mostly a 2-story, was built in 1858 by A. D. Shelby and is the oldest building in the picture. It was significantly remodeled in 1928.
The narrow 3-story was originally part of Shelby’s Block. In 1886 Alexander Mayer rebuilt the building which was mostly known as a railway ticket office. It too was torn down in 1956.
Across Washington Street is the Dekum Building, 1871-1954.
https://oregondigital.org/sets/building-or/oregondigital:df67jc12q
The Holmes’ Building, 1868-1955, is the 3-story in the middle of the block, once home of J. K. Gill’s and Ladd & Tilton’s Bank, 1868-1955, 2-stories, is on the corner of 1st & Stark.
Across Stark Street is Union Block.
On the other side of First Avenue can be seen the Beebe Company in the old First National Bank Building, 1882-1956. And in front of that, as Jim mentioned, is George F. Greene’s building, 1883-1956.
So, where was the picture taken from?
i would love to see someone try to get city approval for that gadsbys sign today. or insurance coverage for it!
The first building on the left is the first Corbett Building erected in Portland, Shortly after H.W.Corbett and the Failings (Josiah and son Henry) acquired the bank it moved into the Corbett Building here, completed in 1870. The Corbett Building on SW 1st Avenue between Alder and Washington was the first fully cast-iron fronted building in the city.
The three-storey building had floor to ceiling windows, an advanced innovation. Its cast-iron frontispieces where manufactured in Baltimore and shipped around Cape Horn. It would have stood in the island between the approach ramps of the Morrison bridge.
The bank subsequently moved into a new bank building built by H.W. Corbett. The present First National Bank Building at 401–409 SW 5th Avenue, designed by Coolidge and Shattuck of Boston, was built in 1916 when the bank outgrew both these earlier quarters. It was by then subsequently under the ownership of H.W.Corbett’s grandsons).
There s a better photo of this first cast iron fronted building in Portland at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_W._Corbett
There is also a good rendering of the Union Block, the building occupying the third block on the left in the photo at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_W._Corbett
The First National moved to the new Corbett Building at First and Alder that was subsequently occupied by The Beebe Co. after the bank moved again to the present marble First National Bank Building at 401–409 SW 5th Avenue, designed by Coolidge and Shattuck of Boston in 1916. This second Corbett Building, by then signed The Beebe Co, can be seen in Dougie’s link as the second rendering down on the Beebe website. Also some of the banking hall, as Beebe’s ground floor etc. It was a grand expensively fitted out banking building originally. The side of course can be seen in today’s photo on the right. Very interesting photo today with all these historic buildings.
https://thebeebeco.com/pages/about