N Interstate & Larrabee, 1950

Portland street crews work on N. Interstate Avenue in this 1950 photo. We’re looking northwest; Interstate curves around to the right and N. Russell Street is just around the corner. Harding Avenue comes in from the left and Larrabee continues straight ahead toward the railroad yards; the Union Pacific smokestack can be seen behind the tree on the right. The little burger joint straight ahead is on the northwest corner of Larrabee and Russell and would be under the edge of the Fremont Bridge today.

(City of Portland Archives)

Union Depot, 1905

Some things change very little over the years. Union Depot, now Union Station, looks today much the same as it did in this 1905 photo. The biggest difference is that the people seen here would now be standing under a pedestrian bridge over the tracks.

(City of Portland Archives)

I-5 Freeway Through North Portland, 1964

A newly-opened I-5 freeway cuts a wide swath through North Portland in this 1964 photo looking northwest. NE Weidler and Broadway go east-west, while N Williams, Vancouver and Flint cross north-south over the freeway.

(City of Portland Archives)

NW Lovejoy Ramp, 1938

A lovely old photo of the Lovejoy Street ramp looking east. The Broadway Bridge, Steel Bridge and Union Station are easily identifiable. Most of the ramp is gone now and this vantage point, at about 9th Avenue, is now at ground level where it rises sharply to meet the Broadway ramp. See an aerial view of the ramp here.

(City of Portland Archives)

Eisenhower in Portland

President Dwight D. Eisenhower is riding down SW Broadway in this undated LIFE magazine photo. I believe this is 1956, as he made a west coast swing in October of that year during the presidential campaign. He’s riding in the “bubbletop” 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan limousine which I don’t think would have been available to Ike in 1952.

The cross street immediately behind him is Washington Street. The Plaza Hotel is now Hotel Vintage Plaza and the Bank of California building replaced the Union Pacific and Liberty Theater block on the left.

(LIFE)