NE History: Dawson Park, Shipyards
Sabin is a neighborhood with very few public spaces, commercial activity or institutions. It is a community of homes, mostly single family homes.
The people who have lived in Sabin reflect the shifts in power, economics and culture outside of the neighborhood boundaries. To understand the
changes in our community, we must look to the city, state and larger county. This section examines some of the events that have influenced Sabin.
The people who have lived in Sabin reflect the shifts in power, economics and culture outside of the neighborhood boundaries. To understand the
changes in our community, we must look to the city, state and larger county. This section examines some of the events that have influenced Sabin.
Dawson Park is a green oasis that has been an anchor in a sea of change. Beginning as a pasture used for impromptu ball games, it was formalized as a park in the 1920’s. At that time the working class neighborhood was composed of mostly Irish and Russian families. But WW II, the 1948 Vanport flood and the demolition of Afro-American homes to construct the coliseum transformed the neighborhood. In the 1940’s Albina became the center of the growing Afro-American community. Dawson Park was one of the few public gathering places and it witnessed many Sunday picnics, ball games and family gatherings.
Cultural history is often embedded in place. But when the place has been altered beyond recognition, it is challenging to evoke a community without the familiar landmarks. The refurbishing of Dawson Park is an opportunity to acknowledge the loss caused by urban renewal in the 1960’s and 1970’s and to look toward to better future.
There is a plaque in the gazebo but some additional context would be beneficial. The cupola was rescued from the Hill Building. The distinctive dome built at the turn of the century reflects the architecture of Russian immigrants living the Albina neighborhood. In the 1950’s the building became the center of the Afro-American community with the Porters Club, Citizens Lunch, and Paul’s Paradise in the same city block.
At Dawson Park, I believe that the story that must be told is the one of social justice and the hubris of our grand urban planning schemes. There was a time in the recent past when economic development focused on the automobile and ignored the lives of the citizens. In Portland the sweep of the pen decimated the small Afro-American community three times. This is an opportunity honor the families who lost their homes and businesses as we look toward a more sustainable future.
Cultural history is often embedded in place. But when the place has been altered beyond recognition, it is challenging to evoke a community without the familiar landmarks. The refurbishing of Dawson Park is an opportunity to acknowledge the loss caused by urban renewal in the 1960’s and 1970’s and to look toward to better future.
There is a plaque in the gazebo but some additional context would be beneficial. The cupola was rescued from the Hill Building. The distinctive dome built at the turn of the century reflects the architecture of Russian immigrants living the Albina neighborhood. In the 1950’s the building became the center of the Afro-American community with the Porters Club, Citizens Lunch, and Paul’s Paradise in the same city block.
At Dawson Park, I believe that the story that must be told is the one of social justice and the hubris of our grand urban planning schemes. There was a time in the recent past when economic development focused on the automobile and ignored the lives of the citizens. In Portland the sweep of the pen decimated the small Afro-American community three times. This is an opportunity honor the families who lost their homes and businesses as we look toward a more sustainable future.
Kaiser Shipyards and Vanport
“Liberty Ships”, the ocean freight liners that became the lifeline for England and foundation of the Allies supply lines in World War II were in demand. On January 10, 1941, the US Maritime Commission approved the development of the Oregon Shipbuilding Company. The company had a manufacturing site located on 87 acres of land on the east bank of the Willamette River near the confluence with the Columbia River.
On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed and the US was at war. Kaiser acquired control of the company and developed 2 more yards – Swan Island and one on the Northern bank of the Columbia near Vancouver. The Oregon Shipbuilding (Kaiser) Corporation was soon the nation’s largest producer of the “Liberty Ships”.
The Kaiser soon emptied the rural counties of Oregon and Washington. The labor shortage was acute and help wanted ads were distributed in eleven states and workers both black and white began to arrive. Many rode the 17-car trains called the “Kaiser Karavans”. The war and the shipbuilding industry changed the course of Portland history.
In two years, the population swelled by a third as 160,000 poured into the sleepy port town. About 25 percent of the new arrivals were black in a community that was until 1942 had an Afro-American population of approximately 2,500 people and a deep history of racism.
There was an acute housing shortage exacerbated by regional and racial tensions. Portland Neighborhoods did not want workers’ dormitories in their backyards. White residents of Albina organized against the construction of worker housing on NE Flint Street fearing an influx of Afro-Americans. Eventually, the decision was taken without direct knowledge of the City Council or the Planning Commission. Behind closed doors Edgar Kaiser signed a contract with the Maritime Commission to build the housing and town soon known at Vanport. Kaiser purchased 650 acres of wetland bounded by the diked Denver Avenue and the Columbia Slough on August 1942. Three days later 5,000 workers layer the foundations for 700 identical units and the City of Vanport was born.
The population of Vanport rose to 42,000 people making it the second largest city on Oregon. It had it’s own school, churches, police and fire departments, as well as a cafeteria, commissary and 24 hour day care. Men and women worked night and day and the production schedule was rigorous. Soon the Kaiser Shipyards was producing one ship every day!
The population of Vanport rose to 42,000 people making it the second largest city on Oregon. It had it’s own school, churches, police and fire departments, as well as a cafeteria, commissary and 24 hour day care. Men and women worked night and day and the production schedule was rigorous. Soon the Kaiser Shipyards was producing one ship every day!