Friday, May 30, 2014

Oregon City #30: Amtrak Station

1757 Washington Street

IMG_2923 Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Amtrak Station on August 19, 2006

Oregon City's original passenger depot was located downtown, right next to the municipal elevator. The depot was owned and operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The passenger trains of the Southern Pacific ceased stopping in Oregon City in 1954, though they would continue to pass through, even after being turned over to Amtrak in 1971. The unused passenger depot disappeared, and no trace of it remains today. Even the Southern Pacific itself disappeared into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.

IMG_9080 Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 17, 2007
Oregon City Amtrak Station on September 17, 2007

The city of Oregon City wanted passenger trains to stop there again, and so the city built a new passenger platform across Washington Street from the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. On Friday, April 16, 2004, the new station platform was dedicated and Amtrak's Cascades trains began stopping in Oregon City.

IMG_9079 Oregon City Amtrak Station Plaque in Oregon City, Oregon on September 17, 2007
Oregon City Amtrak Station Plaque on September 17, 2007

A plaque at the depot features a 2005 depiction of an Amtrak Cascades train at the Oregon City station by Darla S. Cole. According to the plaque, the platform was dedicated in honor of John F. Williams, Jr., who was mayor of Oregon City from 1999 to 2002. The project was conceived during his administration and completed during the administration of Alice Norris. The station was designed by David Evans and Associates and built by Bill Erickson Construction. The plaque also includes the names of City Commissioners Edward Allick, Bob Bailey, Derrick Beneville, Gary Hewitt, Dan Holladay, Tom Lemons, Jack Lynch, and Doug Neeley, Members of the Urban Renewal Commission Bill Packus (Chair), Andy Busch, Debra Jones and Wende Sanchez, City Managers Brian Nakamura and Larry Patterson and Public Works Director/City Engineer Nancy Kraushaar.

IMG_2922 Sign at Oregon City the Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Sign at Oregon City Amtrak Station on August 19, 2006

The former freight depot down the street was scheduled to be moved to this location in 2007 to serve Amtrak passengers as Oregon City's historic depot. It was finally moved on April 28, 2010.

IMG_2931 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2932 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2933 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2934 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

The depot was placed on a raised concrete pedestal even higher than the track-level platform to raise the depot above the flood plain.

IMG_2936 Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Amtrak Depot on May 29, 2010

The existing passenger shelter and platform remained, as it was planned to lease out the space in the historic depot for other uses.

IMG_2930 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2927 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2928 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on May 29, 2010

IMG_2935 Under the Pedestal of the Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Under the Oregon City Freight Depot Pedestal on May 29, 2010

IMG_2938 Under the Pedestal of the Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Under the Oregon City Freight Depot Pedestal on May 29, 2010

IMG_2939 Under the Pedestal of the Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Under the Oregon City Freight Depot Pedestal on May 29, 2010

IMG_2929 Oregon City Amtrak Station Parking Lot in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot Parking Lot on May 29, 2010

The project also included a new 50-space parking lot, and was not scheduled for completion until June 2010.

IMG_2937 Oregon City Amtrak Station Parking Lot in Oregon City, Oregon on May 29, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot Parking Lot on May 29, 2010

The following pictures were taken on September 11, 2010, after the project was completed.

IMG_7661 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on September 11, 2010

IMG_7662 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on September 11, 2010

IMG_7663 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on September 11, 2010

IMG_7664 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on September 11, 2010

IMG_7665 Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Freight Depot on September 11, 2010

IMG_7668 Under the Pedestal of the Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Under the Oregon City Freight Depot Pedestal on September 11, 2010

The space under the pedestal was left open, except for chain link fencing to keep people out. Some of the space had a finished concrete pad, some was left as gravel, and some had bark chips. There is no clear intended use for this area. The height is too low for the space to be used as a public space.

IMG_7669 Under the Pedestal of the Oregon City Freight Depot at the Oregon City Amtrak Station in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Under the Oregon City Freight Depot Pedestal on September 11, 2010

This concludes the original content of my Oregon City PLACES page. To see any additional blog entries about Oregon City, click on the Oregon City label.

Oregon City #29: End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

1726 Washington Street

IMG_2919 End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on August 19, 2006

This site was originally called Green Point, and was a gathering place for Native Americans. Upon arriving here on June 2, 1840, George Abernethy took a 640-acre land claim here and built a home here with his wife, Anna. Abernethy's land became known as Abernethy Green. When emigrants began arriving in 1843, Abernethy allowed them to camp on his land until they could obtain a land claim of their own. The number of emigrants who stayed on Abernethy's land increased dramatically in 1846, then the Barlow Road opened, ending at Abernethy Green. An 1861 flood destroyed Abernethy's home. By that time, Oregon City had developed enough to support the incoming emigrants, and Abernethy Green was no longer needed as a camping ground. Abernethy moved to Portland.

IMG_2918 End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on August 19, 2006

In 1978, the United States Congress designated Abernethy Green as the Official End of the Oregon Trail. The large, faux covered wagons were built as the 1993 Preview Center of the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The center officially opened in 1995. Two historical plaques are on the site. One, placed by the Northwest Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association on Saturday, April 7, 2001, gives the history of Abernethy Green. Another plaque was placed in honor of Dan Fowler, Mayor of Oregon City from 1991 to 1998.

IMG_2917 Dan Fowler Plaque at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Dan Fowler Plaque on August 19, 2006

The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, owned by the City of Oregon City, closed in September 2009 when the operators couldn't afford to keep it open. The grounds remained open to the public. The center reopened in July 2013.

Continue to 30: Amtrak Station

Oregon City #28: George Abernethy Memorial Bridge

Interstate 205 at the Willamette River

IMG_2722 George Abernethy Memorial Bridge in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
George Abernethy Memorial Bridge on August 19, 2006

George Abernethy arrived in Oregon on June 2, 1840 as part of Jason Lee's Methodist Willamette Mission at Champoeg. He was involved in the series of meetings to form the Oregon Country's provisional government, and became the first provisional Governor in 1845. Abernethy served two terms as Governor, until 1849, when Oregon became a territory of the United States and the provisional government ceased to exist. Abernethy's home was located on the east bank on the Willamette River near Oregon City.

IMG_2441 George Abernethy Memorial Bridge in Oregon City, Oregon on February 20, 2010
George Abernethy Memorial Bridge on February 20, 2010

This steel plate and box girder bridge opened on May 3, 1970 carrying Interstate 205's 6 lanes across the Willamette River. It was built near the location of Abernethy's home. The bridge is made up of 15 spans and 60 girders. The bridge is 2,727 feet long. The longest span is 430 feet long, and maximum vertical clearance at low river level is 85 feet. The entire bridge is built on a slope such that southbound traffic is going uphill for the entire length of the bridge and for a half-mile beyond. The bridge was built at a cost of $15.9 million, and an $8 million seismic retrofit was done from 1999 to 2002. The bridge was designated the "George Abernethy Memorial Bridge" by the 1979 Oregon Legislature.

IMG_2442 George Abernethy Memorial Bridge in Oregon City, Oregon on February 20, 2010
George Abernethy Memorial Bridge on February 20, 2010

Continue to 29: End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Oregon City #27: Oregon City Municipal Elevator

In Oregon City's early years, the town was concentrated near the Willamette River, but as the city grew, it expanded onto the top of the bluff that the city backed up to. Initially residents used the trails originally built by the Native Americans who originally inhabited the area. By 1867, steps had been built to supplant the trails. Over the years, more steps were built as the search for an easier route continued, but ultimately the preferred route had 722 steps.

In 1899, the idea was advocated of an elevator to connect the two parts of the city. It took a number of years for the idea to gain traction, but on May 10, 1912, the City Commission decided to put to the voters a ballot measure for bonds for "A Public Elevator at the Bluff." The first measure, on July 8, 1912 ballot, was defeated, but when placed on the ballot again on  December 2, 1912, the measure authorizing a $12,000 bond "to construct and operate an elevator from the lower to the upper town at some point to be selected" was approved. A committee of City Commissioners was formed to "investigate the elevator proposition ." They found that while most residents approved of the elevator idea, none of the wealthy residents wanted the elevator near their homes atop the bluff. By March of 1913, the committee had decided that the best place for the elevator would be between 6th and 7th streets at the top of the bluff, but the property owner objected to having the elevator so close to her home and refused to sell access to the city. The case went to the State Supreme Court, who found in the city's favor. The property owner would never ride the elevator.

IMG_2796 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Mural depicting the original Oregon City Elevator

The city contracted with the Oregon Bridge and Construction Company to build the elevator. The choice had to be made of whether the elevator would be operated by water power or electricity. Water power was less expensive, but the City's Water Board was worried that the elevator would affect the integrity of the entire water system. The City Commission solved the problem by appointing a new Water Board made up of City Commissioners. The elevator was able to be constructed and opened on December 3, 1915. Nearly the entire Oregon City population of 3,869 people rode the elevator that first day. The elevator took three to five minutes to rise 89 feet. At the top, a 35-foot catwalk carried passengers from the elevator tower, over the Southern Pacific Railroad, to the top of the bluff. The elevator used an average of 200,000 gallons of water per day and when operating it lowered the water pressure in the surrounding area. In 1924, the elevator was converted to more reliable electric power and the ride was reduced to 30 seconds, but by the 1950s reliability was becoming a problem, as frequent breakdowns led to passengers having to climb out a trap door and down a narrow ladder.

Old & New Oregon City Elevators in Oregon City, Oregon
New & Old Oregon City Elevators

The City Commission spent $7,000 planning a structure that was "as plain as possible, without adornment." A $175,000 bond measure for a new elevator was approved in a special election in May of 1952, but when bids were opened in November of 1953, the lowest was over $200,000. In January 1954, Stevens & Thompson Engineers-Architects submitted a proposal for a new, less expensive design by Portland architect Gordon Trapp, which James& Yost, Inc. General Contractors was awarded the contract for after submitting the low bid of $116,000.

Historical Photos:
Oregon City depot before elevator (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Old and New Elevators and Depot (HistoricPhotoArchive.com)

IMG_1937 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon from Willamette Falls Locks on February 1, 2010
Oregon City Municipal Elevator viewed from the Willamette Falls Locks on February 1, 2010

IMG_2750 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

IMG_2746 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

IMG_7651 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on September 11, 2010

IMG_2821 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

IMG_2820 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

The new elevator consists of over 751 tons of concrete and steel, and is 130 feet high overall. It was dedicated on May 5, 1955, and accepted by the City Commission on July 13, 1955.

IMG_2795 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Plaque in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator Plaque on August 19, 2006

The dedication plaque bears the names of City Manager Robert D. Clute, Resident Engineer Chris Strohmeyer, Commissioners Richard W. Long & C. George Helzer and Mayor Albert Roake.

IMG_2791 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Amtrak Cascades Train near the Oregon City Municipal Elevator

Unlike the original elevator, which was on the west side of the railroad tracks and had a catwalk above them to reach the bluff, the current elevator is on the east side of the tracks, against the cliff, and passengers use a 35-foot-long tunnel to go under the tracks.

IMG_2790 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

IMG_2793 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Tunnel in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator Tunnel on August 19, 2006

IMG_2794 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

The two levels are 90 feet apart, and a one-way trip between them takes 15 seconds.

IMG_2818 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

Although the elevator has always been free, and remains so today, 2,000 elevator passes were printed as keepsakes. To this day, the elevator is manned by an operator. It is one of only four municipal elevators in the world, and is the only one in North America. The elevator carries approximately 10,000 riders every month. It is currently operated by Five Stars International.

IMG_2797 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

In the 1980s, 13 small historical paintings and 4 murals were painted in the observatory at the top of the elevator to create an interpretive center. The interpretive center concept was envisioned by Rick McClung, Director of Oregon City Public Works, with additional concept development by Judi Van Cleave of the Oregon City Enterprise Courier, Oregon City's weekly newspaper. The project was developed as part of the cities of Oregon City, West Linn and Gladstone's "River Cities Arbor Week," chaired by Gerald Herrmann of the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center and co-chaired by Thor Wegner.

IMG_2799 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

The interpretive center was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Overland Migration to Oregon over the Oregon Trail. It was authorized by the Oregon City Commission, made up of Mayor Dan Fowler, Commission President Suzanne VanOrman, Carol Powell, James Ebert & Robert Light, and was funded by a grant from the Oregon City Civic Improvement Trust composed of the Oregon City Commission and Alayne Woolsey, Claire Met, Phyllis Gehring and Dan Daniels, with the support of Oregon City staff members Kate Daschel & Denyse McGriff and with additional funding by the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center, the Smurfit Newsprint Corporation and the Simpson Paper Company. The research and historical photos were from the Clackamas County Historical Society, collected by Executive Director Robert Monaghan, Clee Ann McAllister and Art Torsdahl. The interpretive center was created by Media Master Publications, with design & development by Reid Iford of the Enterprise Courier and surveillance system by Gates Electronics & Security. The artists of the paintings were Jon & Angela Hanley.

IMG_2798 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on August 19, 2006

The Interpretive Center advertises the following Oregon City attractions: the Clackamas County Historical Museum, the McLoughlin House, the Stevens-Crawford Museum, the Ermatinger House, the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, the Rose Farm (where the first Territorial Legislature met in an house built in 1847) and the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center.

Here is a look at the 13 small paintings that are around the elevator observatory.

IMG_2800 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
IN 1843, THE OVERLAND MIGRATION BEGAN BRINGING PIONEERS TO THE OREGON TERRITORIES.
ORIGINAL PAINTING BY JOHN & ANGELA HANLEY

IMG_2801 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
PIONEER WOMEN ENDURED GREAT HARDSHIP ON THE TRAIL, AND PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN BRINGING WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO OREGON.

IMG_2802 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
WILLAMETTE FALLS STATION “A” FROM LOWER RIVER. 1895.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2803 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
FIRST STREET CAR (HELEN) INTO OREGON CITY AT SIXTH AND MAIN STREET. 1893.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2804 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
PADDLEWHEEL STEAMBOATS RACE UNDER THE OREGON CITY-WEST LINN BRIDGE. 1936.

IMG_2805 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
OREGON CITY CELEBRATED THE NATION’S BIRTHDAY WITH A PARADE DOWN MAIN STREET ON JULY 4, 1891.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2806 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
THE ORIGINAL OREGON CITY-WEST LINN BRIDGE AND CLACKAMAS COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
A COMPOSITE PAINTING FROM PHOTOS TAKEN APPROXIMATELY 1891.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2807 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
A STEAMBOAT PASSES THROUGH THE WEST LINN LOCKS IN 1873.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2808 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
REGULARS GATHER AT “THE OLD LOG CABIN,” LOCATED AT 4TH AND MAIN ST. IN 1905.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2809 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
PAPER AND WOOLEN MILLS AT WILLAMETTE FALLS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2810 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
…LEWIS…BOARDWALK…, 1891.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

IMG_2811 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
EARLY OREGON CITY, FROM A “SPY SKETCH” BY BRITISH CAPTAIN SIR HENRY WARRE.
ORIGINAL IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

IMG_2812 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Mural in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
COMPOSITE PAINTING OF WILLAMETTE FALLS PRIOR TO DEVELOPMENT.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

Some of these paintings deteriorated considerably over the years. On November 17, 2006, Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris announced that the city had received a $13,000 grant from the Clackamas County Tourism Development Council (with another $2,500 pending) to artistically upgrade the interior and exterior of the elevator, including restoration of the paintings and murals. Mayor Norris appointed the Oregon City Art Committee, chaired by Chuck Clemans and made up of local professional artists, representatives of the McLoughlin Neighborhood, public works staff and former members of the Oregon City Arts Commission, to guide the art selection decisions. The city has retained Cheryl Snow of the Arts Action Alliance of Clackamas County to coordinate the project. By May 2007, the Art Committee had raised a total of $25,000 in grant money and was originally to select an artist or artists to complete the work by the beginning of summer 2007, but the selection was pushed back to September 2007 with the project to be completed by July 2008.

IMG_2423 Oregon City Municipal Elevator in Oregon City, Oregon on February 20, 2010
Oregon City Municipal Elevator on February 20, 2010.

The new elevator art by Michael Asbill is titled Elevations in Transition and was dedicated on September 27, 2008. It consists of 68 panels under the windows with lenticular images that change as the viewer walks by them. Each panel contains historic and modern views of downtown Oregon City taken from the same vantage point, and part of a panorama of Willamette Falls that runs through all the panels. Around the elevator enclosure are eight panels, each with three pictures depicting resources, people and industries associated with Willamette Falls. On the floor of the observation deck is a map based on an old Oregon City plat map.

IMG_7652 Oregon City Municipal Elevator Tunnel in Oregon City, Oregon on September 11, 2010
Oregon City Municipal Elevator Tunnel on September 11, 2010

Additional lenticular images are in the entry tunnel.

Continue to 28: George Abernethy Memorial Bridge

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Oregon City #26: Jacobs Memorial Square

IMG_2874 Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

The Oregon City Manufacturing Company, established in 1864, was the third oldest corporation in Oregon, and operated the largest woolen mill west of the Mississippi River on the banks of the Willamette in Oregon City. In 1867, brothers Isaac and Ralph Jacobs, immigrants from Germany, owned the owned the mill. It was later passed on to Ralph's son Adolf, under whose leadership the company became known throughout America for its high-quality woolens.

IMG_2875 Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

The company shut down in 1954. That year, Frances and Hilda Jacobs established the Ralph and Adolf Jacobs Foundation in memory of their father and brother, dedicated to education and other charitable causes. Oregon City's Block 62, on the southeast corner of Sixth and John Adams Streets, was purchased by the trustees of the foundation and given to the people of Oregon City. The square is dedicated as Jacobs Memorial Square in memory of the Jacobs family to "be forever used for the recreational, education and/or civic purposes of the residents of the city." The plaques at the square were placed by the city of Oregon City in 1974.

IMG_2873 Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

Continue to 27: Oregon City Municipal Elevator

Oregon City #25: Andersen’s Gun Shop

IMG_2911 Andersen's Gun Shop in Oregon City, Oregon on August 19, 2006
Andersen’s Gun Shop Storefront on August 19, 2006

I don't know how long it has been since Andersen's Gun Shop has occupied this storefront on Seventh Street in Oregon City, but it has clearly been many years since this sign was painted by hand; I am guessing since the 1940s or 50s. The sign has since disappeared.

Continue to 26: Jacobs Memorial Square