Pillars of the American dream

Northwest Portland’s Lovejoy Columns: one immigrant’s lasting legacy

Cement towers stand in a courtyard covered with photographic reproductions of original art.

“Sometimes, when I’m not finished, the train wait a minute. I paint — then climb down and wave her on,” Tom said in a 1967 interview. | Photo by PDXtoday

Two columns stand in Northwest Portland’s Pearl District, rising to meet a viaduct that no longer exists. Their tops are ragged, cleaved from the cement they once supported — prongs of rebar still jutting forth like rusted tendons. The value of these columns lies not in their bygone strength, but in the art encircling them.

These are the Lovejoy Columns. Their story is tied to the legacy of one man — an immigrant who came to Portland to nurture a dream. His name was Athanasios Efthimiou Stefopoulos, but he went by Tom.

Tom reached the US in 1910, hoping to land a career in the arts and send money back to his family in Greece. Instead, he worked most of his life as a night watchman in the SP&S railyards of Northwest Portland, while taking odd jobs as a sign painter and penmanship teacher.

At the railyards, Tom passed the idle hours doing what he loved: painting. Standing atop parked boxcars, he drew Greek mythology and American imagery on the columns supporting the Lovejoy Viaduct, which carried the western approach to the Broadway Bridge over the freight tracks. Tom used chalk and later painted over the lines, creating what’s thought to be one of the earliest — if not the first — recorded examples of graffiti in Portland.

PDX Lovejoy Columns — Tom’s original artwork on the Lovejoy Viaduct columns.

His calligraphic designs depicted owls, landscapes, and even the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope navigating the streets of Athens. Tom is thought to have painted roughly a dozen murals from 1948-1952.

The viaduct was demolished to make way for the Pearl’s expansion in the late 1990s, but a group of local architects and artists successfully lobbied to save 10 of the painted columns. Most languished in a storage yard long enough for the weather to wash away Tom’s work — but two were preserved. A developer resited the pair in a courtyard on Northwest 10th Avenue between Everett and Flanders streets.

Today, the original paintings on the columns are encased beneath full-size photographic reproductions. A sign states that the art “will be restored by a professional conservator in the spring and summer of 2006” and directs visitors to make tax-deductible donations for the restoration effort at a defunct website.

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Tuesday, October 11

Expensify & PNW LGBTQIA2S+ Art Show | Tue., Oct. 11 | 4-7 p.m. | Bank of Expensify, 401 SW Fifth Ave., Portland | Free | Enjoy drinks and snacks while looking at art from local creators in honor of National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ+ History Month.
Sphinx Virtuosi Orchestra: Songs for Our Times | Tue., Oct. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, 12625 SW Crescent St., Beaverton | $14.00 - $66.50 | Eighteen professional chamber orchestra musicians will take listeners on a sweeping journey showcasing contemporary and historical voices.
Dine the Couve | Now-Mon., Oct. 31 | Times vary | Participating restaurants in Clark County, WA | It’s officially dining month in Vancouver, Washington — enjoy 3 for $25 and 3 for $35 specialty menus at participating restaurants.*

Wednesday, October 12

Portland Film Festival 2022 | Now - Sun., Oct. 23 | Lloyd Center, 1241 Lloyd Center, Portland | $119.00 - $450.00 | The festival’s 10th anniversary will bring 300 artists representing 407 independent films to town.

Thursday, October 13

Cascadian Bluegrass Caravan | Thu., Oct. 13 | 8 p.m. | Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland | $15.00 | Three bands — Quattlebaum, The High Seagrass, and The Muddy Souls — put on their first annual event reminiscent of bluegrass traveling road shows of the past.
Live Wire with Luke Burbank | Thu., Oct. 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland | $5.00 - $45.00 | Attend a live taping of “the fastest growing entertainment show on public radio.”

Friday, October 14

Snack Fest | Fri., Oct. 14 - Sat., Oct. 15 | 5-10 p.m. | Alder Block, 100 SE Alder St., Portland | Free | Enjoy live entertainment, demos, and the chance to meet local food makers — all while sampling Portland’s finest treats and drinks.
Black Community Science Night | Fri., Oct. 14 | 6-10 p.m. | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $8.00 - $12.00 | Celebrate Black culture and communities while exploring the museum at night, enjoying science demos, and more.
Midsummer Night’s Dream | Fri., Oct. 14 - Sun., Oct. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland | Magic and merriment abound in this joyful fall program. As the curtain rises, we meet a family of circus performers in the OBT premiere of Christopher Bruce’s Hush.
Portland Retro Gaming Expo | Fri., Oct. 14 - Sun., Oct. 16 | 12-10 p.m. | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Portland | $15.00 - $95.00 | Fans of 8-bit side-scrollers and top-downs from the early days of console, computer, and arcade gaming will level up at this event where all the games are set to free play.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

LEVEL UP YOUR WEEK

Celebrating what makes PDX healthcare great 🩺

Presented by a PDXtoday Partner

Discover the good work our local healthcare professionals do for you and your loved ones. | Photo via Pexels

This week is National Healthcare Quality Week — a time to celebrate the sacrifice + hard work that healthcare professionals do everyday to keep us healthy. From mending broken bones and healing our loved ones to being there through life’s challenges and transitions, Portland healthcare professionals have our backs. 🩺

Check out what some local providers are doing to deliver excellent healthcare quality for all Portlanders:

Content marked with a ^ is created by our Branded Content Studio — see more of their work + learn how they can create engaging paid content for your brand here.

Weather

71º | Some morning clouds, sunny afternoon | 7% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:21 a.m.
Set: 6:32 p.m.

Environment

A wildfire burning near Larch Mountain in Clark County had consumed 150 acres less than a day after starting on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 9. No evacuation orders have been issued and officials expect the blaze — named the Nakia Creek Fire — to not grow any larger. (KOIN)

Closed

Yes Please Smashburger, a food truck at Southeast Hawthorne and César E. Chávez boulevards, has permanently closed. Yes Please announced the news on social media, saying that its sale to a new buyer had fallen through. Owner Tai Pfeifer put the cart up for sale after he stopped eating beef. (Willamette Week)

Development

Clark County’s tallest building is nearing completion. When it opens by May of 2023, the 14-story hotel at ilani in Ridgefield will offer a spa, indoor pool, rooftop restaurant, and nearly 300 rooms, including 28 suites. The blue glass and aluminum making up the hotel’s exterior facade were sourced domestically. 🏗️ (The Columbian)

Family

Families with young children are invited to a day of learning about local activities, services, and more at the Family Resource Fair on Sat., Oct. 15 at Beaverton City Library. Parents and caregivers can get to know 20+ local nonprofits and other community organizations from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Beaverton Valley Times)

State

Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes partnered with Travel Oregon to produce the new “Travel Guide to Oregon Indian Country.” Readers will find information about each tribe and the locations of tribal museums, along with details on public events and activities. 📍 (OPB)

Eat

The fried chicken sandwiches, patty melts, and sassy Instagram captions are trending at Jojo’s newly opened brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Pearl District. Many meals first offered at Jojo’s food cart are on the restaurant’s menu, along with gluten-free and vegan options, milkshakes, cocktails, and whimsical soda creations. 🍔 (Portland Monthly)
D’Artagnan is a farm-to-table pioneer, serving top chefs + home cooks nationwide since 1985. Their small farms provide a wide range of high-quality meat — think: duck, organic poultry, grass-fed beef, heritage pork + more. And because they offer overnight delivery, everything stays super fresh (and super delicious). 🥩 *

Outdoors

Portland is home to two new — very fluffy — faces. Red-tailed monkeys Indi and Chichi are settling into their new digs at the Oregon Zoo after being moved from the Louisville Zoo in accordance with their Species Survival Plan. Visitors can find the playful climbers in the Africa Treetops habitat. 🐒

Ranked

Three Oregon wineries are among the top 13 in the US, according to a new list compiled by The Daily Meal. Hiyu Wine Farm in Hood River took the top spot for its holistic approach to wine production; Remy Wines and Willamette Valley Vineyards placed ninth and 11th, respectively. 🍷 (The Daily Meal)

DYK

Did you know you can set up shop in our online retail store? We’re looking to support local brands in our PDXtoday shop. We want to work with you. Send us an email to get started.

Real Estate

The outcome of the generational battle between baby boomers and millennials just might wage on these very survey results. Learn more about how each generation feels about finances + real estate in this Financial Wellness Study. 🏡*

Trending

Fast-track those holiday shopping plans. For the first time, Amazon is hosting a second Prime Day with the Prime Early Access Sale running today, Oct. 11 and tomorrow, Oct. 12. Snag tech like earbuds or kitchen appliances at Black Friday prices — 45 days in advance.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Many hands make light work

The Sunshine Division gets a helping hand

Several people stand around a conveyer built surrounded by stacks of boxes in a warehouse.

“It’s a great way to not only volunteer in the community but also bond with coworkers outside of the typical work day,” said Emmy Thomas with Logical Position | Photo by Logical Position

12,160. That’s how many pounds of food volunteers recently packed into 640 boxes for families in need. Nearly two dozen digital marketers from Lake Oswego-based Logical Position helped pack the boxes for the Portland Police Bureau’s Sunshine Division — a program that’s been providing food and clothing in the metro area since 1923.

There are multiple ways to lend a helping hand at the Sunshine Division’s facility in Wilsonville, like packing food boxes with a group or sorting food donations for distribution. Businesses, schools, clubs, churches, and other organizations can host food drives as well.

We also put together a list of 41 local volunteer opportunities with options for a range of skills and interests (read: mentoring young people, fostering shelter animals, and more).

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: It’s just about time for our October Hike of the Month. It’s my turn to put boots on the ground but I haven’t yet picked a trail. What’s your favorite hike this time of year? Drop us a line.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? From an unfortunate orca to a walk-up wedding window, we dug up 15 of Portland’s wildest facts.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Terri Kiesenhofer | Advertise with us.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

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