We humbly acknowledge, that the Portland metropolitan area, rests on the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Indian Tribes, who made their homes along the Columbia (Wimahl), and Willamette (Whilamut) rivers, for thousands of years.
The city grew slowly until the early 1900s.
Here in front of us is Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland's living room, and the very center of downtown Portland.
Pioneer Courthouse Square has seen many changes since the city founding in 1843.
The dense forest originally on this site, and surrounding it, was shipped as timber to California, during the eighteen forty eight Gold Rush.
The resulting stumps, painted white to prevent pedestrians from tripping over them in the dark, won Portland the disparaging nickname, "Stumptown on the Willamette.", or just Stumptown.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Stumptown.
See Picture, Stumptown.
This block dates from eighteen fifty six, when the city purchased it for the site of the 1st public schoolhouse in Portland, Central School.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Central School.
In the lower left, in the picture, is Pioneer Courthouse.
The school was moved in eighteen eighty three to make room for the Hotel Portland, Portlands Grandest hotel, which stood at this site from eighteen ninety, to nineteen fifty one, & housed 11 presidents. Built by the Northern Pacific Railroad, in the style of a Queen Anne Chateau, it was Portlands most interesting and gracious building.
The building captured the look and the feel of the city as no other building has before or since...
And it served as a hotspot, for elite Portlanders, and wealthy visitors.
60 years later in nineteen fifty one, the poorly constructed foundations began to deteriorate, causing the building to become run-down. Eventually, the luster of the Hotel Portland was lost forever, and was demolished in the 1950s.
All that remains of the Hotel Portland, is the original iron front gate.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Hotel Portland.
See Picture, Hotel Portland.
In this picture, the Pioneer Courthouse is in the bottom right.
One final thought about the Hotel Portland.
"It's hard to imagine a building being built with such artistry today"
The city grew slowly until the early 1900s.
Here in front of us is Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland's living room, and the very center of downtown Portland.
Pioneer Courthouse Square has seen many changes since the city founding in 1843.
The dense forest originally on this site, and surrounding it, was shipped as timber to California, during the eighteen forty eight Gold Rush.
The resulting stumps, painted white to prevent pedestrians from tripping over them in the dark, won Portland the disparaging nickname, "Stumptown on the Willamette.", or just Stumptown.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Stumptown.
See Picture, Stumptown.
This block dates from eighteen fifty six, when the city purchased it for the site of the 1st public schoolhouse in Portland, Central School.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Central School.
In the lower left, in the picture, is Pioneer Courthouse.
The school was moved in eighteen eighty three to make room for the Hotel Portland, Portlands Grandest hotel, which stood at this site from eighteen ninety, to nineteen fifty one, & housed 11 presidents. Built by the Northern Pacific Railroad, in the style of a Queen Anne Chateau, it was Portlands most interesting and gracious building.
The building captured the look and the feel of the city as no other building has before or since...
And it served as a hotspot, for elite Portlanders, and wealthy visitors.
60 years later in nineteen fifty one, the poorly constructed foundations began to deteriorate, causing the building to become run-down. Eventually, the luster of the Hotel Portland was lost forever, and was demolished in the 1950s.
All that remains of the Hotel Portland, is the original iron front gate.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, Hotel Portland.
See Picture, Hotel Portland.
In this picture, the Pioneer Courthouse is in the bottom right.
One final thought about the Hotel Portland.
"It's hard to imagine a building being built with such artistry today"
NEXT
The Square has a number of fun features...including...
...the "Allow Me" sculpture (the man with the umbrella),
an amphitheater "Echo Chamber",
...And the musical & mechanical Weather Machine, both behind the Starbucks.
(In keeping with Portlands motto, "Keep Portland weird") the Weather Machine forecasts the next day's weather...installed in 1988.
At exactly noon each day, the following days weather is announced with a fanfare of trumpets, flashing lights, and a spray of mist. The orb opens to reveal one of the following:
a golden leaf sun, for a clear day,
or a silver great blue heron to forecast a drizzly, misty, or overcast day,
or an open-mouthed copper dragon when storms are forecast.
Light bulbs on the side of the machine are reminiscent of a mercury thermometer and light up progressively as the temperature increases.
Also present, there's a waterfall, and Portlands 1st Starbucks from nineteen eighty nine. Under the Starbucks is a public restroom.
Also here, are Benson Bubbler drinking fountains on each corner. Be sure to check them out,
and request, to get out to take a sip.
Let me know if you want to get out and take a sip from a Benson Bubbler, Highly recommended!
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES
See Picture, drinking from a Benson Bubbler.
See Picture, drinking from a Benson Bubbler.
More about those in a moment.
This square is ranked, as the world's 4th-best public square, by Project for Public Spaces, bested only by two squares in Venice, and one in Siena Italy.
...The iconic Benson Bubbler drinking fountains are dotted throughout the downtown.
The 4 bowl fountains are right there on each corner.
The Benson Bubblers came about in 1912, when a man named Simon Benson, a wealthy entrepreneur, felt very strongly about keeping his working loggers out of the saloons and bars at lunch hour. With that intent in mind, he presented the city of Portland with $10,000 for the construction of 20 bronze, four-bowl drinking fountains, warmly known as Benson Bubblers. All of the originals are 4 bowled.
Now there are 52 Benson bubblers within downtown, & 1 in our sister city, Sapporo Japan...
Let me know if you want to get out and see any of the sights here, or to use the restroom, the best opportunity to do so.
Beyond the Hotel Portland front gate, and across the street, is the historic Pioneer Courthouse, our next sight.
NEXT, PIONEER COURTHOUSE
With many more
