In 1848, the California gold rush created a market in San Francisco for Oregon wheat and lumber. Thus the opportunity was created for an Oregon port town to profit from ocean trade. Milwaukee was founded in 1848, 6 miles north of Portland, on the Willamette River. But it was not successful in cornering the ocean trade because steamboats scraped bottom or bent propellers on the Ross Island sandbar. The river at Ross Island was too shallow to navigate, and Milwaukie became too risky a port for the expensive steamers.
St. Helens was 30 miles closer to the ocean on the Columbia River. St. Helens competed for trade by building a road over Cornelius Pass to the Tualitin wheat farms. But Portland “one-up’d” St. Helens by building a paved road along the Sunset corridor. Then, St. Helens lost its ocean-going trade when the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. terminated its California-Oregon service to St. Helens because of the Swan Island sandbar. When Pacific Mail could not make full cargos at St. Helens, it began direct service between San Francisco and Portland.
Portland not only controlled the ocean trade to California, it also controlled travel to eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho on the Columbia with the Oregon Steam Navigation Co. In addition, Portland connected to the transcontinental railroad with the Northern Pacific RR in 1883. Portland had won the right to be called Oregon’s most important city and economic center.
How do the two regional cities, Seattle and Portland, contrast with one another?
Historically, Seattle has looked outward toward the ocean and international markets, while Portland has looked inward toward continental domestic resources and markets. Seattle’s approach to growth has been “project-centered, entrepreneurial, and expansive”, while Portland’s approach has been “process-oriented, cautious, and localized”. (p. 45) After the ship-building boom of WWII, Portland rested with its geographical advantage, whereas Seattle took entrepreneurial risks. Seattle created an incredibly successful world’s fair, revitalized its ports, supported the aerospace industry created by Boeing, surpassed Portland in shipping and international trade, and developed a major research university. Portland did everything on much more cautious and regional scale, almost clinging to the past.
According to our author, which city did the better job promoting growth and commerce? Why? What strikes you as satire on pages 49-51?
According to Abbott, Seattle has done a far superior job in promoting growth and commerce. He implies that Seattle was much more forward-looking and willing to take risks in its economic plan. Portland is described as conservative, regarding “public debt as a flaw of civic character.” (p. 46) For example, Portland was “cheap and slow” in modernizing its port, whereas Seattle spent $100 million to modernize its marine terminals and industrial land to bypass Portland in trade with Oakland. They succeeded. Portland is described as a northwest city, while Seattle is a “networked” city, building long-range networks of finance, investment, tourism and trade to link it to Asia and the world economy. One element of satire is Abbott’s comment that the legacy of Portland’s Oregon Centennial was a 31-foot effigy of Paul Bunyan.
How many people lived in the PMSA in 2000? What does PMSA stand for?
The Portland PMSA population in 2000 was 1,886,150. PMSA stands for Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Abbott makes a reference to an “unresolved tension” on page 57 in regards to the Oregon outdoors. What is the cause of the tension?
The tension derives from the fact that the Portland region is both playground and workplace. While Portlanders champion efforts to protect the wild environment, Oregonians must also depend on the natural resources of the outdoors for crops and trees to support rural jobs and communities.
What is the Great Consolidation? What made it happen?
The Great Consolidation of 1891 was the merger of Portland, East Portland, and Albina into a single supercity. It was brought about by industrial growth and the first Willamette River bridges. The Chamber of Commerce promoted consolidation in response to news that Seattle was growing and about to become the second largest city on the west coast.
Give one example of Portlanders manipulating the natural landscape.
Dredge spoils and fills were used to extend the Willamette River shoreline in several areas, turning wetlands into buildable real estate. Port of Portland dredges straightened the Willamette River at Swan Island, and readied another tract for an airport and massive industrialization.
What does Abbott mean when he says “Common wisdom in the 1990’s defines not one but two Portlands” ?
The Willamette River, dividing East and West Portland, is also a political, economic, and social divider. The west side is populated by “haves” and the east side by “have nots”. The west side ranks higher for education, income, and professional-managerial employment. On the negative side, housing prices on the west side are higher as well. The west side has a waterfront park on the river, while the east side has a freeway. The east side has a reputation for being lower class and more dangerous.
