Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Grace Community Church, Gresham, OR He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. Psalms 23:2 We are still in the midst of holiday celebrations. Happy 2023 everyone! The quadrants and neighborhoods of Portland can be a bit confusing. East Portland was once a separate city in the 1800’s before the towns on the east and west sides of the Willamette River merged. Now "east" can mean areas we have already covered in Southeast or Northeast Portland. Today we are referring to the area just to the east of the city of Portland, around Gresham and Troutdale, just before I-84 takes us into the Gorge and Hood River County. Much of my father’s family was based in this area, beginning in the early 20 th century, so this is familiar territory. Gresham was established in the mid-1800’s and was first known as Powell Valley. A school was established in the valley in 1857 and a religious camp meeting ground in the 1870’s. This led to it being a popula...

  Peacock Lane, Portland, OR Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:14 This is written just a few days before Christmas, and we wish everyone a happy holiday. We planned to take a quick look at Southeast Portland. This is fitting as Peacock Lane is in Southeast Portland, known for its amazing displays at Christmas that are more than just lights, but can be elaborate productions. This street between SE Stark and SE Belmont, is lined with mostly Tudor-style homes and has been having a non-commercial, voluntary Christmas display since 1932. The street can be driven through, although there is usually a queue at the beginning, and several nights are reserved for pedestrians only. A free cocoa booth is on-site, and no soliciting, selling, or flyer hand-outs are permitted. Southeast Portland, OR Around the same time Peacock Lane started their display, another part of Southeast Portland in the area near Reed College, was being introduced to Lambert...

Roses in South Park Blocks Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9 In the early days Portland was made up of four quadrants: The city is divided by the Willamette River east and west, while Burnside Street divides it north and south. Later North Portland was added, making five, and more recently, in 2020, a section of Southwest Portland was split off into South, giving the city six “quadrants” – or, more accurately, sextants. Those are official designations used to determine addresses in the various areas of Portland, but we plan to look at Southwest as one section with the Eastern portion of the city, bordering Southeast and Northeast, as the sixth. (Totally clear, I'm sure. This is why we include maps.) Southwest is the heart of Portland and contains Downtown, which includes the cultural, governmental, retail, and educational resources of the city: South Park Blocks, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland Art Museum, Portl...

One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.  Psalm 145:4 Burnside Street divides the Northeast and Northwest quadrants of Portland from the Southeast and Southwest areas. The western edge of Northwest Portland includes Forest Park and residential areas such as Northwest Heights, Hillside, and Sylvan Highlands. The NW also contains Goose Hollow, the Downtown, the Pearl District, and Old Town China Town. The very earliest history of Portland is contained here.   In 1840, John Cushing, a Massachusetts merchant who had made his fortune in China, turned his attention to the Pacific Northwest. He saw the potential and began using his political and financial influence to have Oregon claimed by the United States. In support of this, he hired twenty-eight-year-old Captain John Couch to sail around the Horn, up the Columbia to Willamette Falls and Oregon City. Captain Couch did this a few times, then settled in Oregon City as a merchant and too...

  Portland Convention Center With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 We could spend so much time on the Northeast quadrant of Portland. This district of Portland shares the N. Williams Avenue boundary with North Portland to the west; the Columbia River is on the north and E. Burnside Street to the south. Along the eastern edge there is a dog-leg border along NE 162 Avenue and NE 185 th Drive. The top section of Northeast Portland is occupied by the Portland Airport. The neighborhoods in the middle of the quadrant are an interesting mixture of old, wealthy neighborhoods and blue-collar areas. Many of the older neighborhoods evolved from claims made during the Homestead Act, which was passed in 1862 or the even earlier Donation Land Act. The affluent areas include Irvington, Alameda, Grant Park, and Sullivan’s Gulch. Northeast Portland I n 18 91 the City of Portland lay along the west side of the Willamette River. On the east side was the town of Ea...