Portland, Oregon - City of Roses

Pioneer Courthouse Square

Steel Bridge

My Favorite Vietnamese Food Cart

Portland's roots go back to 1843 on land claimed by Asa Lovejoy, Francis Pettygrove, and John Couch, on the west side of the Willamette River.  A coin toss named the city "Portland."  

By 1860, Portland would become the head of navigation on the Willamette River.  The city was as close as ships could get to productive lands of the Willamette Valley.  

Actual incorporation of the city took place in 1851 when its population was a bit less than 1,000.  The city quickly grew in prominence with the founding of The Oregonian newspaper (1851) and the fledgling Meier and Frank department store (1857).  The population in 1860 was 2,874—the largest community in the new State of Oregon (1859).  

Portland became a thriving port with the establishment of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company in the 1860's.  The 1870's brought the beginnings of railroad construction linking the city to the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys.  In the 1880's, those links were completed south to California and across the continent.  

In 1905, Portland hosted the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, and the fair's success put Portland on a trajectory of growth and prominence.  In 2016, Portland's population was estimated at 639,863; and 2,424,955 live in the metropolitan area, roughly 60% of Oregon's population.

To see the city, click here: Walks in Portland.  Enjoy!

Kelly's Olympian Bar, a popular Portland spot