History, News and Stories of Portland, Oregon, USA

Add History/News/Story

•   1851 - January 23 – The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in the Oregon Territory is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning.
  "By 1843, two New Englanders—Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts, and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine—had established a land claim... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1854 - Portland
  Portland, a post-town of Oregon Territory, on the Willamette river, at the head of ship navigation, 15 miles from its mouth. It is the largest and... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1873 - Great fire in Portland destroyed most of town
  
  www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ usstates/ ortimeln.htm
  
•   1884 - December 17 - A three week blockade of snow began at Portland, OR. A record December total of 34 inches was received.
  
  WeatherForYou.com
  December 17, 1884
  
•   January 9, 1888 - Severe cold gripped much of the western U.S. At Portland OR the Columbia River was frozen for two weeks, and in southern California temperatures dipped below freezing in some of the citrus growing areas.
  
  WeatherForYou.com
  January 9, 1888
  
•   1889 - June 3 – The first long distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed, running 14 miles (23 km) between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, Oregon.
  
  www.wikipedia.org
  
  June 3, 1889
  
•   1893 - ELECTRIC CAR RUNS AWAY. THREE MEN KILLED AND MANY INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT AT PORTLAND, ORE.
  Portland, Ore., Feb. 16. - A frightful accident occurred on the City & Suburban Electric Railway Wednesday afternoon in which three persons were... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1894 - June 6 - One of the greatest floods in U.S. history occurred as the Williamette River overflowed to inundate half of the business district of Portland OR.
  
  WeatherForYou.com
  June 6, 1894
  
• 1895 - Portland
  Portland, the most populous city of Oregon, a port of entry, and the capital of Multnomah co., is situated on the left (W.) bank of the Willamette... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1901 - Portland - The Metropolis of the Pacific North-West by Thomas L. Cole
  One autumn evening in 1843, A. M. Overton and A. L. Lovejoy, two residents of Oregon City, on their way home from Vancouver, landed from their canoe... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1903 - Laid Low By Fire. Mills on Water Front Destroyed. Total Loss Is $260,000. Flames Spread From Their Origin in a Dry Kiln. Firemen Hurt-No Lives Lost
  Easter & Western Lumber Co., J.A. Martin & Co. and Portland Union Stockyards Are the Heaviest Losers.
  
  Loss - Insurance
  Easter & Western Lumber... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1905 - June 1 - Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition opens in Portland, Oregon
  
  historyorb.com
  
  June 1, 1905
  
• 1906
  Portland, the most populous city of Oregon, a port of entry, and the capital of Multnomah co., is situated on the Willamette River (here crossed by... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1916 - Funeral Is Halted While 14 Months Old Boy Is Carried Home.
  Nick Falotico, the 14 months old son of Mr. and Mrs. Rocco Falotico, 615 Fourth Street, was possibly fatally injured by being struck by Finley &... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1922 - March 21 - KGW-AM in Portland OR begins radio transmissions
  
  historyorb.com
  
  
•   1922 - FOUR ARE DEAD IN HOTEL FIRE.
  Portland, Oregon, Dec. 1. - Four men lost their lives in a fire today in the Ben Hur Hotel formerly known as the Oak Hotel in the business district... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1925 - June 25 - The mercury hit 101 degrees at Portland, OR, their earliest 100 degree reading of record.
  
  WeatherForYou.com
  June 25, 1925
  
•   1942 - June 30 - The temperature at Portland, OR, hit 102 degrees, an all-time record for that location.
  
  The Weather Channel
  June 30, 1942
  
• 1948 - Mill Ends Park in Portland, the world's smallest official park, measures two feet across. It was created in 1948 for the leprechauns, and a place to hold snail races on St. Patrick's Day.
  
  www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ oregon.html
  
•   1948 - FLOOD CRASHES DENVER, UNION AVE. DIKES - Water Spills Into Kelso, Woodland - Vanport Homes Swept Eastward in Low Area, Man Plunged to Death
  Cracking under the weight of water covering flooded Vanport, the Denver avenue and Union avenue roadway dikes washed out Monday night and spewed a... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1952 - October 1 - 1st ultra high frequency (UHF) television station, Portland Oregon
  
  historyorb.com
  
  October 1, 1952
  
• 1955 - Portland - "Operation Greenlight"
  In 1955, their city government completed "Operation Greenlight"—a drill to evacuate the city center. Hospital patients were packed into semi-trucks, ... Read MORE...