PlacesPages: Streetcar

Showing posts with label Streetcar. Show all posts

Monday, December 18, 2023

Astoria Riverfront Trolley

The Astoria Riverfront Trolley operates on a 3-mile section of the former Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway's Astoria Line that the city of Astoria purchased from Burlington Northern in 1996, before the remaining 92 miles of the line were sold to the Portland & Western Railroad in 1997.

Trolley #300 was the first of a group of 14 built for the San Antonio Traction Company in 1913 by the American Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri. This group of cars had composite bodies of wood and steel, while an additional 12 cars built in1914 has all steel bodies. In 1917 the San Antonio Traction Company became part of the San Antonio Public Service Company. San Antonio streetcar service officially ended on April 29, 1933, and that same day Trolley #300 was presented to the Witte Museum, a precursor of the San Antonio Museum Association, and was run onto the museum grounds under its own power and parked, where it would remain on outdoor static display until 1948, when it was housed in a structure and superficially restored. After the 1968 San Antonio World's Fair, a new transportation museum was developed at the downtown fairgrounds, and Trolley #300 was placed on outdoor display to rot until 1980. The car was restored in 1980 and 1981 using parts from the body of car #311, which had been used as a residence after its 1933 retirement until 1978. The car was converted to standard gauge using trucks from New Orleans, and the original 4-foot gauge trucks were saved for another San Antonio Trolley under restoration. In October 1982, the restored Trolley returned to operation, providing public rides on a short section of track behind the San Antonio Museum of Art until the operation was discontinued in late 1985 due to a lack of funding and the Trolley was again stored.

Gales Creek Enterprises leased the Trolley from the San Antonio Museum Association and brought it to Oregon in June 1990 for use on the Willamette Shore Trolley line between Portland and Lake Oswego. Willamette Shore Trolley service began July 6, 1990, operated by Paul Class and Gales Creek Enterprises through the end of 1994. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Museum Association was dissolved in 1994 and the San Antonio Museum of Art became the trolley’s new owner.

In 1995, the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society took over the operation of the Willamette Shore Trolley. Trolley #300 left the Willamette Shore Trolley line and was stored outdoors at the Oregon Electric Railway Museum’s Trolley Park in Glenwood, Oregon, remaining there after the Trolley Park closed and the OERHS moved to Powerland Heritage Park in Brooks, Oregon in 1996. Trolley #300 was eventually leased by the Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association in November 1998, and it was moved to Astoria in December 1998 for restoration. Trolley #300 has operated in Astoria since June 8, 1999, and was purchased from the San Antonio Museum of Art by the Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association in August 2005.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

South Park Blocks #19: Portland Streetcar Line

Portland Streetcar #009 on February 15, 2010

The Portland Streetcar line runs down Market Street and Mill Street. Here is one of the streetcars on Market Street, which also marks the boundary of the Portland State University campus, where the rest of the South Park Blocks are.

Portland Streetcar #009 on February 15, 2010

The Portland State University campus from Market Street to Jackson Street was established in the 1950s and the streets were closed off in 1973.

Jay Kenton Station on February 15, 2010

The Portland Streetcar station on Mill Street is named Jay Kenton Station after Dr. Jay Kenton, a professor at Portland State University and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for the Oregon University System.

Continue to 20: Lincoln Hall…

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Milwaukie #1: Milwaukie Museum

3737 SE Adams Street

Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

George Wise was born in 1820. His wife, Sarah Elizabeth Tong was born in 1842. They were married in 1859.

George Wise Farmhouse, Circa 1900

George Wise built the farmhouse that is now the Milwaukie Museum in 1865. It was originally located at what is now 6527 Lake Road.

George & Sarah Elizabeth Wise with second child John

George and Sarah Wise raised 10 children in this house. Their first child, George Bond Wise, was born in 1867. Sarah Wise died in 1881 and George Wise died in 1886.

George Bond Wise

Ownership of the house passed to their son George Bond Wise. He sold the house in 1902, and died in 1905.

John Wise

The house ended up being owned by United Grocers, Inc. The Milwaukie Historical Society was formed in 1936 and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1973.

Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

United Grocers donated the George Wise farmhouse to the Milwaukie Historical Society, who moved it to its current location.

Front Door of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The Milwaukie Historical Society opened the George Wise farmhouse as the Milwaukie Museum on June 7, 1975.

Christa McDonald Plaque at the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The house has a plaque reading "Christa McDonald, A True Friend, June 1, 1994."

Front Room of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

These pictures show the front room of the Milwaukie Museum.

Front Room of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The dark-colored paneling is original to the house. The photos below show a few of the artifacts in the front room.

Lyon and Healy Pump Reed Organ from the 1890s at the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Portable Missionary Organ from 1905-1925, once played at picnics, at the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Writing desk with gavels and a stereograph viewer at the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Transit Box used for collecting museum donations at the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Inside the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

These photos show the room in the middle of the main floor.

Inside the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

I think this room was originally the dining room for the house.

Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

This room leads into the kitchen, which serves at the museum's small gift shop.

Second Floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

This view shows the upstairs of the museum

Children’s items in the front of the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Firefighting and equestrian artifacts on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Antique typewriters and cash registers on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Emergency Call Light on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

This emergency call light hung at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets. In case of trouble, one would turn on the flashing light and the marshal would see it on his route, check with town hall and take care of the problem.

First State Bank of Milwaukie at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets. Note the emergency call light hanging over the street.

Native American artifacts in a display case on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Samples of Ply-wood and Myrtle wood on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The Milwaukie Museum has samples of Ply-wood, which originated at Portland’s 1904 Lewis & Clark Expedition, and Myrtle wood, which is a native Oregon wood.

Display of military artifacts from various wars on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Historic Newspapers on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The Milwaukie Museum has a collection of historic newspapers. The newspapers shown here from the end of WWII (both from the same day) have a variety of headlines.

Captain Frederick Morse tombstone on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Next to a telegraph is the tombstone of Captain Frederick Morse, who was killed on Christmas Day in 1850 in Milwaukie by an exploding cannon during the launch of the Lot Whitcomb, the first steamboat built on the Pacific Coast. Lot Whitcomb was an owner of the steamboat, thus its name. Morse was buried in the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery.

Captain Frederick Morse tombstone on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

Eventually this original tombstone deteriorated to the point that it could no longer remain outside. It was restored by Lambert Florin, who used a photo of it in his book Tales the Western Tombstones Tell.

Picture of the new Captain Frederick Morse tombstone on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

A bronze plaque was placed in the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery to mark the grave, noting that the original tombstone is here.

Historical Photo:
Lot Whitcomb in Oregon City in the 1850s (Salem Public Library)

Sports Memorabilia on the second floor of the Milwaukie Museum on September 27, 2008

The Milwaukie Museum has a collection of sports memorabilia including boxing gloves autographed by Jack Dempsey and a basketball autographed by the 1984 Portland Trailblazers.