Well well. That is a ’46 Ford leading this parade, followed by (I am guessing now) a ’36 and then a ’41.
Nice and clean, wish it looked like this today. Why cant we have nice things?
Oct 2019
Interesting to see the catenaries on Grover indicating that this whole interchange used to accommodate streetcars going through it to Corbett Ave. Today’s view you’d never guess they had been there.
House seen in the distance on SW Woods is still around.
That interchange was brand spanking new in ‘48. Interesting to see the power lines and eaves for (electric bus?) running into South Portland.
Houses and building that once housed “Lectro Speed” is still there.
Still around and, for sale.
That 1938 Chevrolet 1/2 Ton Pickup looks like a solid, dependable workhorse vehicle.
Apt. building behind where the billboard used to be, is still there.
Lectro Speed was a brand of electric water heaters, and newspaper ads from the time of this photo show their address as 3025 SW 1st.
Newspaper stories on Lectro Speed detail that the company was founded in south Portland in 1948 where they manufactured electric water heaters. In March of 1951 they moved to a former Kaiser building at Oregon Shipyard in St. Johns and were manufacturing tanks from 3-1000 gallons, and had contracts with the US Air Force. In March of 1955 the plant that employed 27 was destroyed by a large fire that was difficult to put out due to the used of magnesium in their manufacturing process. News reports indicated the business was insured for $175,000, but the estimated loss was set at $250,000. This fire looks to have ended Lectro Speed with only a mention of a former owner working somewhere else a few years later.
Nic-
When you mention “the catenaries on Grover ” are you talking about the particular curve of the road?
I’m surprised SW Ross Island way is a named street which it looks like on Google maps it still is. Seems more like just an on ramp to the bridge.
@Stanley Catenaries are the poles and overhead support for the electric car system. The light rail has catenaries. Those are placed in the center of the dual tracks.
The overhead wire in this pic appears to be for the trolley bus system.
Purists may argue the point several ways but for the general public the term “catenary systems” can be used for the overhead wire systems that served streetcars, interurban/electric railways and trolley buses. Neat shot – I always seem to experience it from the other direction so like seeing this perspective.
1 SW Woods back in (late 40s or early 50s, unsure of exact date) was at one time owned by Frank Croft, one of the Croft family who owned the Croft Trailer business in PDX and a friend of the family. We moved, but later on I often wondered what happened to both he and the Croft Trailer Company (think it was a family business, being a subteen I didn’t pay a lot of attention to such things). I recall the home being well-kept but dated.
wploulorenziprince: the big brick bldg in the background of your photo’s was the Neiborhood house. Across the street from Lair Hill Park and the Children’s Museum.
mike: The Thomas Street Guide (2010) doesn’t list any Ross Island Way, in the Index or on the map itself.
wploulorenziprince, I believe that truck is actually a 1938 International (I owned a ’38 Chevrolet pickup for years). The International is also quite a workhorse. 🙂
Regarding the electric bus wires…if you hunt around on Google Street View (use the above linked location as your starting point) you can still see the mounting points for the wires on the underside of the overpass that crosses Grover.
I got this from References in Word: “Catenary. The curve a hanging flexible wire or chain assumes when supported at its ends and acted upon by a uniform gravitational force. The word catenary is derived from the Latin word for ‘chain.'” So I thought it was the shape rather than the system. When I used Cantenary System it started talking about attachments to electric wires. Learning something new every day… or, every often anyway.
Vintage Portland 
Well well. That is a ’46 Ford leading this parade, followed by (I am guessing now) a ’36 and then a ’41.
Nice and clean, wish it looked like this today. Why cant we have nice things?
Oct 2019
Interesting to see the catenaries on Grover indicating that this whole interchange used to accommodate streetcars going through it to Corbett Ave. Today’s view you’d never guess they had been there.
House seen in the distance on SW Woods is still around.
That interchange was brand spanking new in ‘48. Interesting to see the power lines and eaves for (electric bus?) running into South Portland.
Houses and building that once housed “Lectro Speed” is still there.
Still around and, for sale.
That 1938 Chevrolet 1/2 Ton Pickup looks like a solid, dependable workhorse vehicle.
Apt. building behind where the billboard used to be, is still there.
Lectro Speed was a brand of electric water heaters, and newspaper ads from the time of this photo show their address as 3025 SW 1st.
Newspaper stories on Lectro Speed detail that the company was founded in south Portland in 1948 where they manufactured electric water heaters. In March of 1951 they moved to a former Kaiser building at Oregon Shipyard in St. Johns and were manufacturing tanks from 3-1000 gallons, and had contracts with the US Air Force. In March of 1955 the plant that employed 27 was destroyed by a large fire that was difficult to put out due to the used of magnesium in their manufacturing process. News reports indicated the business was insured for $175,000, but the estimated loss was set at $250,000. This fire looks to have ended Lectro Speed with only a mention of a former owner working somewhere else a few years later.
Nic-
When you mention “the catenaries on Grover ” are you talking about the particular curve of the road?
I’m surprised SW Ross Island way is a named street which it looks like on Google maps it still is. Seems more like just an on ramp to the bridge.
@Stanley Catenaries are the poles and overhead support for the electric car system. The light rail has catenaries. Those are placed in the center of the dual tracks.
The overhead wire in this pic appears to be for the trolley bus system.
Purists may argue the point several ways but for the general public the term “catenary systems” can be used for the overhead wire systems that served streetcars, interurban/electric railways and trolley buses. Neat shot – I always seem to experience it from the other direction so like seeing this perspective.
1 SW Woods back in (late 40s or early 50s, unsure of exact date) was at one time owned by Frank Croft, one of the Croft family who owned the Croft Trailer business in PDX and a friend of the family. We moved, but later on I often wondered what happened to both he and the Croft Trailer Company (think it was a family business, being a subteen I didn’t pay a lot of attention to such things). I recall the home being well-kept but dated.
wploulorenziprince: the big brick bldg in the background of your photo’s was the Neiborhood house. Across the street from Lair Hill Park and the Children’s Museum.
mike: The Thomas Street Guide (2010) doesn’t list any Ross Island Way, in the Index or on the map itself.
wploulorenziprince, I believe that truck is actually a 1938 International (I owned a ’38 Chevrolet pickup for years). The International is also quite a workhorse. 🙂
Regarding the electric bus wires…if you hunt around on Google Street View (use the above linked location as your starting point) you can still see the mounting points for the wires on the underside of the overpass that crosses Grover.
I got this from References in Word: “Catenary. The curve a hanging flexible wire or chain assumes when supported at its ends and acted upon by a uniform gravitational force. The word catenary is derived from the Latin word for ‘chain.'” So I thought it was the shape rather than the system. When I used Cantenary System it started talking about attachments to electric wires. Learning something new every day… or, every often anyway.
Now a graffiti-scarred nightmare.