the chapters of mt. tabor - oregon state...
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Introduction
Today the Mt. Tabor area in Southeast Portland is home to charming
houses and a 200-acre city park. Without knowing anything of its past it is
hard to imagine this neighborhood being much different. The beautifully kept
houses seem to fit well with the lush coniferous groves and interspersed
clearings reminiscent of native forest found on the hill; everything seems
settled. The park itself accommodates runners, bikers, dog walkers,
picnickers, children, and is highly utilized by all of them. The two younger
reservoirs serve as a resting point for anyone wishing to take in the grandeur
of either the reservoirs or the view of the city. The older and much smaller
reservoir hides behind towering Doug firs and is falling into disrepair. I
never see people gazing at this site, for there is not much to look at now. If
people knew the history of this place, I wonder if they would look at this
crumbling concrete differently, with more imagination?
My interest in Mt. Tabor began as a desire to better understand the
place it is today. As a frequent patron of the park, I wanted to see more in
the landscape than the quotidian scenery of every other walk in the park.
Though some of the many chapters of Mt. Tabor are long past and have left
little or no physical evidence of their presence, simply knowing of their
existence adds appreciably to the landscape. And it is likely that without the
very sequence of occurrences that happened upon the hill, the landscape might
look very differently today. The appropriate baseline for this study is the
period of pioneer settlement since it initiated development of the area that
has led to its modern landscape. Thus the reconstructing of this landscape
began with a thorough inquiry into the origins of settlement.
Origins of Settlement
The history of Mt. Tabor is directly linked to the formation of the city
of Portland and its subsequent geographic and economic development. Portland
was established in 1844, after several attempts by other men to settle in the
clearing amongst the dense forest on the west side of the Willamette River.
The Chapters of Mt. Tabor Lori Summers March 19, 2008
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Two cadastral maps from the 1850’s cropped and connected to show East Portland from the river to Mt. Tabor. Notice the land claims of Stephens, Kelly, and Prettyman.
Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy succeeded in laying out the initial
townsite. A year later James B. Stephens bought the only inhabited land on the
east side of the river in that area from John McLoughlin, of the Hudson Bay
Trading Co., and commenced setting down a townsite later known as East
Portland. His plot abutted the river across from Portland and did not extend
very far east. Stephens later established the Stark Street Ferry between his
land and Portland in 1850.
Perry Prettyman, in 1846, was the first resident to move to the Mt.
Tabor area, settling on the western side of the hill. The initial extent of
his claim stretched from modern-day Stark to Division and 39th to 60th. In 1848
Reverend Clinton Kelly staked a claim on the east side of the river, southwest
of Mt. Tabor. Though his land was not in the Mt. Tabor area, he figured
prominently in its history.
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By the 1850’s several more inhabitants had settled in East Portland. The
U.S. Census of 1850 put the combined population of both rivers towns at
13,294. Mt. Tabor had its own small school by 1852. The first teacher, Hicks,
made the astute assertion that the hill was an extinct volcano, a fact that
was not verified until 50 years later when excavation for gravel hit upon a
volcanic vent.1 Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, both sides of
the river produced crops to generate a flourishing trade between California
and Southern Oregon gold miners and Willamette Valley farmers. By 1855, all of
the land in the vicinity of Mt. Tabor was claimed by farmers.2
Early Terrain
The farmers at Mt. Tabor were primarily involved in growing fruit. Most
of the fruit shipped from Portland to California was grown in the area. The
high demand made many of these farmers prosperous. In 1856, exports of apples
alone totaled 20,000 boxes, which sold for nearly $2 per pound.3 Prior to
settlement, most evidence attests to the heavily forested nature of East
Portland. However, in 1846, a forest fire known as the “Big Burn” began on the
slopes of Mt. Scott, southeast of Mt. Tabor, and spread north to the wetlands
of the Columbia River.4 This event lessened the work for pioneers in much of
East Portland by creating desirable agricultural land, largely cleared of
trees and dominated by grasses. General Land Office Surveys from the 1850’s
show evidence of “timber burnt and fallen” around the area.5 The recorded
vegetation on the same map shows fir stands typical of this region, with an
understory of maple, alder, and hazel surrounding Mt. Tabor. A few records
tell of new species brought in by farmers and newcomers. Perry Prettyman, a
doctor from Delaware turned farmer, studied medicine at the Botanic Medicinal
1 Grant Nelson, “The early years of Mt. Tabor,” Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association History, p. 2. 2 Ibid. 3 Liza Mickle, “Historic Context: Hawthorne Boulevard from SE 20th to SE 55th Avenues,” City of Portland, Bureau of Planning (February 2003), p. 5. 4 Ibid. 5 GLO Survey (1854).
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The vegetation labeling on this 1954 cadastral map shows “timber burnt and fallen”.
School in Baltimore.6 He brought with
him the dandelion to use for medicinal
purposes. The current vegetation at Mt.
Tabor also hints at the historic
vegetation.
There are only a few remnants of
the orchard trees that covered the area
in the park today. A few scattered pear
and crabapple trees can be found around
the reservoirs. The rest of the park is
composed of a dominant Doug fir stand,
interspersed with native and invasive
plants. Around the youngest reservoir
there are remnants of a formal garden
called the Terrace Garden including
witch hazel, rhododendron, and juniper.7 The presence of many mature non-
native trees such as true cedars (found throughout the park and in a row along
60th Avenue), sequoias (dispersed throughout the park and surrounding
neighborhood), hawthorns (found around both reservoirs 5 and 6), and other
well-established decorative species such as English ivy and Japanese cherry
suggest that landscape alteration occurred early in Mt. Tabor’s history. In
the 19th century, Portland was considered unique in the matter of private
residences for the ability of elegant and costly dwellings to possess equally
beautiful gardens and grounds year-round. A requisite for high civilization
was the emulation of New England sophistication. West coast publications in
the 1880’s claimed that “beautiful lawns and profusion of choice and carefully
cultivated flowers speak more loudly of the culture and refinement of the
6 Nelson, “The early years of Mt. Tabor,” p. 1. 7 National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (January 2004), p. 132.
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people than do palatial residences.”8 One such high-class residence on Mt.
Tabor in the early 20th century was that of Bennage Josselyn, president of the
Portland Railway Light and Power Co. who bought the Massachusetts Building
from the Crystal Springs Sanitarium (originally from the 1905 Lewis and Clark
Exposition) and remodeled it into a residence.9 A drawing of the Josselyn
House shows the ornate gardens and significant landscaping.
Naming and Toponymy
Stepping back, the naming of the actual hill and subsequent neighborhood
and street toponymy can shed light on the activities, occupation, and
establishments in the area. In 1853, there were 10 families in the area that
formed a Methodist-Episcopalian congregation with Reverend Clinton Kelly as
the pastor.10 When deciding the name of their church, they wanted to
incorporate an area name. Though the group had been leaning towards calling
8 E. Kimbark MacColl, The Shaping of a City: Business and Politics in Portland, Oregon 1885 to 1915 (Portland: Georgian Press Company, 1976), pg. 58. 9 “A vanished house still bears its traces,” Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association Newsletter, Summer 2004, pg. 5. 10 Nelson “The early years of Mt. Tabor,” p. 2.
Drawing of Josselyn House at Mt. Tabor, date unknown.
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the hill Mt. Zion, Kelly’s son, Plympton Kelly, had been reading about the
battle fought at the base of Mt. Tabor, Palestine. While he was impressed with
the bellicose aspect of Mt. Tabor, the congregation was most likely convinced
by the fact that it had traditionally been recognized as the place of Christ’s
transfiguration. Thereafter, both the hill and the church were named Mt.
Tabor.
When all the land surrounding the hill was claimed and the neighborhood
established, the name Mt. Tabor came to represent the entire area. As
development of East Portland increased, more neighborhoods east of the urban
core and near Mt. Tabor became established. By this time, Mt. Tabor was a very
desirable area with scenic amenities, newly built reservoirs, and streetcar
access. Many neighborhoods and subdivision developments professed the
connection to Mt. Tabor by incorporating the name into their own neighborhood.
Mt. Tabor Villa (later shortened to Montavilla), North Mt. Tabor, East Tabor
Villa, Tabor Heights, Tabordale, and Mt. Tabor Place all capitalized on Mt.
Tabor amenities. New residents wanting to live in the desirable suburban
properties that had access to the urban core filled these neighborhoods. The
most rapid development occurred after two major catalysts: bridges and
streetcars.11
Transportation and Development
By 1860, nearly 20 families occupied the Mt. Tabor area. Original
holders of donation land claims began selling off parts of their plots in
smaller parcels. Most new residents to the area were typically orchard
laborers. However, new occupations emerged in the area. The 1860 census
affirmed that blacksmiths, carpenters, and doctors appeared along with the
predominant occupation of farmer. One new resident, Richard Price, who
purchased 45 acres on the west side of Perry Prettyman’s plot, instigated the
selling of land in a piecemeal fashion that established the path for the
future formation of the modern Mt. Tabor neighborhood. He extended roads
11 MacColl, The Shaping of a City, pg. 119.
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through his property and sold off all but 6 acres. The farmers-turned-real
estate agents that followed in Price’s footsteps profited immensely from the
increasing value of the Mt. Tabor area.
Price had been one of the farmers for the state asylum in Portland.12 He
supplied produce to the sanitarium and the hospital was located on one of the
parcels that Price had sold off. The exact location of the early sanitarium is
hard to pinpoint. The sanitarium underwent several name and location changes
before ending up on Belmont and 60th (still in the Tabor area) as the Portland
Adventist Sanitarium, which changed its name to the modern-day Portland
Adventist Hospital in 1964.13 The first version of this sanitarium was
12 Nelson, “The early years of Mt. Tabor,” p. 3. 13 Adventist Medical Center: Our History, http://www.adventisthealthnw.com/AboutAMC_History.asp (March 2008).
The hill in the background shows Mt. Tabor. Asylum St. (now Hawthorne) runs out to the hill through Price’s land (once Prettyman’s).
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established in a rented eight-bedroom house that could hold only six patients.
It is likely that this property was rented from the lucrative Richard Price
before he sold it to the institution. A map from 1879 shows the beginnings of
Price’s subdivision and newly added roads through the property. The name of
modern-day Hawthorne Blvd. is labeled Asylum St. and extends beyond 39th St.
(the handiwork of Price) where is had previously stopped when the land was
owned by Perry Prettyman. Dr. J. C. Hawthorne later ran the asylum, which by
1873 had become a major employer of east side population, making up 18 to 20
percent of the jobs in the area.14
In the 1870’s the Mt. Tabor area experienced a doubling of population
since 1860. More varied trades entered the area, exhibiting the
diversification of economy. Machinists, hotelkeepers, gardeners, and county
ambassador were some of the non-conforming vocations found in the area during
the decade. The rural farming community was looking more and more like a city.
There was a growing cluster of public and private enterprises at the corner of
Mt. Tabor Ave. and Baseline Rd. (modern 60th and Stark) in the 1870’s and 80’s.
Stores, a school, a post office, a fire station, and a church lined the
streets.
Portland in general was experiencing development in the form of land
subdivision, road building, and in 1972, the genesis of horse and mule drawn
railways, which provided the first public transportation system.15 Though this
system was initially limited to the west side downtown district, it eventually
reached East Portland via bridge. After some resistance from west side
residents that lived north and south of the proposed bridge site, ferry
owners, and river-boat owners, the first bridge connecting East and West
Portland over the Willamette was built in 1887. The Morrison Bridge was
strongly supported by most east side residents, and especially by railway
companies and real estate developers that had bought up many acres of cheap
14 Mickle, “Historic Context,” p. 6. 15 Alfred Staehli, “Preservation options for Portland neighborhoods: A report on the history of Portland’s neighborhoods and the historic centers,” Prepared for 1974 City Options Program, Portland.
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land.16 The bridge was a toll bridge until 1895, charging “five cents for foot
travelers, loose sheep, and hogs; ten cents for loose horses, cattle, and a
lone horse with rider; fifteen cents for a wagon with a single horse and
driver; and twenty cents for a wagon with two horses and one driver.”17 Some
Mt. Tabor residents were instrumental in gathering support for bridging the
Willamette and eliminating the barrier to trade that the Willamette River once
presented.
In 1889, Willamette Bridge Railway Co. extended service to the Tabor
area, and Mt. Tabor Railway Co. opened line from 39th to 69th street along
present-day Belmont St, which later
extended a bit further east and across the
river to downtown and northwest Portland.
Both the bridging of the Willamette in
1887 and the rapid expansion of street
railways starting in 1888 caused sudden
east side population growth and
development. In 1891, East and West
Portland were consolidated and known simply as Portland. By 1897, five bridges
were built and the city had expanded geographically. As increasing
urbanization led to scarcity of public natural areas, the value of Mt. Tabor
as a de facto park increased. As mentioned earlier, the naming of several
neighborhoods near the Tabor area was kept closely linked to the original hill
name, which was associated with pastoral orchards and natural amenities. This
was advantageous for real estate agents trying to allure new residents out to
the suburban areas, even though by the early 1900’s when most Tabor-related
neighborhoods were forming, open fields were largely consumed by roads.
16 E. Kimbark MacColl, The Shaping of a City: Business and Politics in Portland, Oregon 1885 to 1915 (Portland: Georgian Press Company, 1976), pg. 119. 17Jewel Lansing, Portland: People, Politics, and Power; 1851-2001 (Corvallis; Oregon State University Press, 2003), pg. 189.
Picture from 1908 of a Mt. Tabor Railway Co. car at the base of Mt. Tabor.
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Another major cause for development of Portland was the 1905 Lewis and
Clark Exposition. This event boosted Portland’s economy and put Portland on
the map as a bona fide city. Over 2,500,000 people passed through Portland,
135,000 of them from east of the Mississippi.18 Property prices soared with the
population
increase after the
exposition and
many farmers at
Mt. Tabor saw
their land value
increase
dramatically. Not
only did the
financial profits
from the
exhibition reach
Mt. Tabor indirectly, but also one of the buildings ended up settling on the
hill. The elaborate gardens of the Josselyn House, mentioned earlier,
surrounded a mobile building that originated at the 1904 St. Louis Centennial
and traveled to the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. The Massachusetts
Building was disassembled and sold first to the Crystals Springs Sanitarium,
which located at Mt. Tabor from 1905 to 1910, and then Bennage Josselyn bought
the building in 1910.19 The surprising history of sanitariums at Mt. Tabor does
not allude to the benevolent outcome that ensued: public reservoirs to supply
pristine water to Portland and a wildly popular public park.
Bull Run Reservoirs to Mt. Tabor Park
18 Carl Abbott, The Great Extravaganza: Portland and the Lewis and Clark Exposition (Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 1981), pg. 64. 19 “A vanished house still bears its traces,” pg. 5.
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In 1894 the first and second reservoirs were built on Mt. Tabor
simultaneously with the Bull Run water system that drained water from the
pristine wilderness of the Bull Run watershed east of Portland.20 Reservoirs
three and four were built in Washington Park (called Central Park at the time
of construction) in 1894 along with the first two Mt. Tabor reservoirs. Before
the population pressure was great enough, Portland’s municipal water was taken
from the Willamette due to its accessibility. Personal wells were also common
in the 1850’s until drainage from a burgeoning city contaminated many wells.
With increasing population and multiple uses of the river such as water for
drinking, transportation, industry, and sewage disposal, water quality was a
health and sanitation concern. Another issue was the increased demand for
pumping, which was prohibitively expensive. Facing increasing demand for water
and the need for a new water source, Portland created its own public Water
Committee in 1885. The committee had bought out all other private water
companies in the area by 1886.21
The forward-looking development of a completely gravity-fed water system
“involved the active channeling of water…to provide power for pumps (and
eventually for the generation of electricity) making the system fiscally
responsible.22 The 600-ft. elevation of Mt. Tabor was an ideal stopping point
for the system’s reservoirs. The novel and attractive, yet functional,
construction of the reservoirs used patented reinforced concrete and
decorative finishing techniques. The distinctive characteristics of the
reservoir architecture have qualified them for the national register of
historic places today. The historic structures may be categorized as Late
Victorian-Romanesque Revival style of architecture.23
The construction of the reservoirs and Bull Run system brought
employment to many laborers during a depression in 1893 and 1894. At the time,
the economic state was not considered a depression, but a “hard time.”
20 National Register of Historic Places, pg. 28. 21 MacColl, The Shaping of a City, pg. 66. 22 National Register of Historic Places, pg. 18. 23 National Register of Historic Places, pg. 28.
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Nonetheless, it allowed thousands of men to be employed by the construction of
the water system. Pipelines and a road had to be installed over heavily
forested terrain over 24 miles from Bull Run Lake to Mt. Tabor. Land was
cleared by hand because the forest was too thick for horses.24 The work of
building the system began in 1893 and was completed in 1894. Water flowed from
Bull Run to city for the first time in 1895.
In 1905, Mt. Tabor was incorporated into the city of Portland. There was
interest in building two more reservoirs on Mt. Tabor to enlarge the water
system. The combination of the two already established reservoirs and the
probability of building two more aided the movement to turn Mt. Tabor into an
official city park. The city purchased the land at Mt. Tabor in 1909. In 1911,
the second two reservoirs at Mt. Tabor were built (reservoirs five and six)
and Mt. Tabor Park was formalized. In 1913 the Bull Run water system came
under direct control of city of Portland, water being the sole municipality
owned by the city until mass transit was acquired in mid-20th century.
Works Cited Abbott, Carl. The Great Extravaganza: Portland and the Lewis and Clark Exposition (Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 1981). Adventist Medical Center: Our History, http://www.adventisthealthnw.com/AboutAMC_History.asp (March 2008). “A vanished house still bears its traces,” Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association Newsletter, Summer 2004, pg. 5. Lansing, Jewel. Portland: People, Politics, and Power; 1851-2001 (Corvallis; Oregon State University Press, 2003). MacColl, E. Kimbark. The Shaping of a City: Business and Politics in Portland, Oregon 1885 to 1915 (Portland: Georgian Press Company, 1976). Mickle, Liza. “Historic Context: Hawthorne Boulevard from SE 20th to SE 55th Avenues,” City of Portland, Bureau of Planning (February 2003). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Mt. Tabor Statement of Significance, (January 2004). Nelson, Grant. “The early years of Mt. Tabor,” Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association History.
24 Ibid, pg. 98.
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Staehli, Alfred. “Preservation options for Portland neighborhoods: A report on the history of Portland’s neighborhoods and the historic centers,” Prepared for 1974 City Options Program, Portland.