Above: the corner of NE 30th and Killingsworth 1954 vs now.
Northeast Portland is rich with history: from hosting a large Jewish immigrant population in the early part of last century, to becoming a predominantly black enclave following an influx of black Southerners to the Kaiser shipyards during World War Two, it has always been steeped in culture and activity.
It is also the area that has seen the most gentrification of any other in Portland, and its rich history often collides with present-day growth, creating a complex and ever-changing landscape. As Northeast has seen perhaps the most drastic changes in a rapidly changing city, now's a better time than ever to get acquainted with its past.
The list below is a collection of resources about the history of Inner North and Northeast Portland. We are in the process of updating the content here. To suggest resources for this page, contact communications[at]necoalition.org.
Multimedia
- Boise Voices Oral History Project.
“A creative collaboration between youth and elders in Northeast Portland to record the stories of how the Boise neighborhood has changed over time.”
Articles
- Vanport, Oregon (1942 – 1948). BlackPast.org.
- Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment, 1940-2000. Dr. Karen Gibson, Portland State University. 2007.
- Roots of gentrification: Key moments in North and NE Portland’s transformation during the past 24 years. The Oregonian. August 24, 2014 (w/ links to previous articles).
- The dynamics of change among community development corporations in Inner North/Northeast Portland, 1987-2006. Dr. Louisa Jenkins Brown, Portland State University. 2011.
- Albina Community Plan. Portland Bureau of Planning. 1993.
- Alameda Old House History
“Connecting Past and Present in Northeast Portland’s Historic Homes”
Books
- The History of Albina. Roy Roos. 2008.
- Vanport. Manly Maben. 2000.
“The story of Vanport City, which was conceived in 1942 as temporary housing for shipyard workers and disappeared in a flood on Memorial Day 1948.” - African Americans of Portland. Kimberly Stowers Moreland. 2013.