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| (Trolley Map of Portland in 1943) |
I recently just watch a documentary about Vanport City, Oregon that features on Oregon Public Broadcast
(OPB). The city of Vanport was a constructed city of public housing between North Portland and the Columbia River. Vanport city sparked my interest considering that I'm a native Oregonian and I had no idea this city even existed. There were to many questions left unanswered. During my research, I found out the influential power that this shipyard city had in the 1940's was one of the most progressive reasons for the Portland culture and set a tone for the Pacific Northwest or also known as "Portlandia".
(OPB). The city of Vanport was a constructed city of public housing between North Portland and the Columbia River. Vanport city sparked my interest considering that I'm a native Oregonian and I had no idea this city even existed. There were to many questions left unanswered. During my research, I found out the influential power that this shipyard city had in the 1940's was one of the most progressive reasons for the Portland culture and set a tone for the Pacific Northwest or also known as "Portlandia".
Here is the documentary I watched if anyone wanted to check it out :
The city of Portland today as we know it is a friendly place where an average person could spark up an interesting conversation with seemingly anyone. But Portland was not always like this. During the Progressive Era in the 1920's, Ku Klux Klan regalia were common sights in Oregon. The first Klan organizer arrived in Oregon from California and the South in early 1921. Historians estimate that the national Klan attracted more than two million member during the 1920s, and by 1923 Oregon Klan leaders claimed 35,0000 members in more than sixty local chapters and provisional Klans. There were Klans for women, children, and bikers.
I believe is worth a thousand word and this photograph is a prime example. This photograph was published by the Portland Telegram on August 2, 1921, after local reporters were summoned to the Multnomah Hotel in Portland. The room is full of some of the most influential men in the Portland, including the mayor, chief of police and several Senators. The person in the center of the photograph was "King Kleagle" Luther I. Powell. Powell who called the "mysterious" meeting in order to rebuttal the recent negative press against the KKK's illegal activities and to document the supposed collaboration of the Klan members and city officials in retaining "law and order".
I found first hand accounts from the children of Vanport thrived in their cohesive community with mixed cultures By listening to these speakers, I have gained a better aspect of how their society was comparison to modern day.
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| (* "Vanport City", name derived from Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon*) |
I lived here my whole life too and have never heard of Vanport--interesting! When did the KKK officially end in Oregon?
ReplyDeleteSo, what did Vanport do to help create Portland's current culture? Where do it lead to? This is very interesting since I as well have never heard anything about this no longer existing city.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post and subject matter, as well as the above commenter I'm interested to know how this city impacted Portland as we know it. After some research, I've found that the city helped to integrate African-Americans into post-World War II Portland. One of the teachers in Vanport was the first African-American teacher hired by Portland Public Schools. Thanks for the post, it seems that this city had a major role in bringing about the progressive, liberal attitudes that many Portlanders display today.
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