The Goldest West was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
Scattered across the City of Roses are places with stories to tell about the Black experience in Portland. You may pass some of these spots on your morning commute to work, or admire them on a jog, but do you know the legacies behind the landmarks?
🛎️ Golden West Hotel | Pearl District
In 1906, an entrepreneur by the name of William D. Allen establishedPortland’s first hotel for Black patrons. The Golden West offered 100 rooms for railroad workers, and housed several Black-owned businesses(including a bar, a barbershop, an ice cream parlor, and an athletic club). Sandwiched between Bethel AME Church and Mount Olivet Baptist Church, the Golden West served as a social hub for the Black community for 25 years until the Great Depression triggered hard times. It closed and changed hands several times, eventually becoming what it is today: a low-cost housing development.
Home Forward commissioned the mural of Beatrice Morrow Cannady.
Oregon’s “most noted civil rights activist” of the early 20th century lived and worked in Portland. Beatrice Morrow Cannady came to the city in 1912, where she joined The Advocate — Oregon’s only Black newspaper at the time. She later took over as editor and owner, co-founded Portland’s NAACP, and became the first Black woman to practice law in Oregon. Mauricio Ramirez painted a five-story mural honoring Cannady in 2021. Look for it at the top of Schrunk Riverview Tower on North Syracuse Street.
Dean’s Beauty Salon & Barber Shop was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Photo by Another Believer
💈 Dean’s Beauty Salon & Barber Shop | Eliot
What may be the oldest Black-owned business in Oregon is in Northeast Portland’s Lower Albina neighborhood. Benjamin and Mary “Rose” Dean opened Dean’s Beauty Salon & Barber Shop in 1956 at a time when Black Portlanders had few options for finding financial and professional fulfillment under white employers. The salon was handed down to the couple’s daughter, who in turn passed it on to her daughter, Kimberly Brown, who operates the business to this day.
2023 Portland International Auto Show | Thursday, Feb. 2-Sunday, Feb. 5 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland | $8-$50 | Get behind the wheel of a test-drive vehicle, watch live custom car builds, try a virtual reality simulator, and explore the latest advancements in autonomous technology.
“Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook” | Thursday, Feb. 2-Sunday, Feb. 19 | Times vary | Broadway Rose Theatre Company, 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard | $30-$50 | Composer Stephen Schwartz’s hit songs take center stage in this story that follows two empty-nesters on a journey through their shared past.
Friday, Feb. 3
Portland Winter Light Festival | Friday, Feb. 3-Saturday, Feb. 11 | 6-10 p.m. | Locations vary | Free | “The Light of the Stars” will illuminate Rose City with pop-up installations sprinkled across neighborhoods while the downtown district hosts large, dynamic light-art sculptures and performances.
Ariel Gore in Conversation With Laura Stanfill, Vanessa Veselka, Leni Zumas | Friday, Feb. 3 | 7 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Hear the author discuss “The Wayward Writer,” a book that aims to answer the question: how do you succeed at being a creative writer without selling yourself short?
Saturday, Feb. 4
PSU Farmers Market | Saturday, Feb. 4 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | Southwest Park Avenue and Montgomery Street, Portland | Price of purchase | Find local honey, hot meals, seasonal produce, and more at this year-round outdoor gathering featuring dozens of vendors.
Sunday, Feb. 5
Marvel Universe of Super Heroes | Sunday, Feb. 5-Tuesday, April 25 | Times vary | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $24-$30 | Avengers, assemble! From film props and interactive displays to original comic book pages and a life-sized Hulk, fans of the Marvel universe will be super-charged by this traveling exhibit.
Monday, Feb. 6
Tree Time! Preschool Walk | Monday, Feb. 6 | 10-11:15 a.m. | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland | $3-$5 | Get outside with your little one for a story and guided walk along the trails where you’ll learn about plants, trees, insects, mushrooms, and more.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
The US Department of Transportation awarded PBOT$20 million for safety improvements to one of the city’s most dangerous roadways. PBOT will match $5 million to support the project, which will focus on a 5.5-mile stretch of 122nd Avenue between Southeast Foster Road and Northeast Sandy Boulevard. 🚸
Portland City Council approved a request from the city’s police bureau to buy a new patrol plane to the tune of $1.5 million. One of the Portland Police Bureau’s two Cessna aircraft reportedly needs to be retired from service after flying more than 10,000 hours. ✈️ (KOIN)
Plan Ahead
Over the hills and through the woods, to Hillsbrew Fest we go. Hillsboro’s“biggest beer fest” returns for a second year, Friday, Feb. 24-Sunday, Feb. 26, to Wingspan Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Craft brewers and cider makers will offer up to 60 brews on tap, including some exclusive suds. 🍻
Outdoors
A California condor at the Oregon Zoo’s Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation has laid the center’s first egg of 2023. If/when it hatches in March, the chick will be the third in three years for condors No. 492 and 432. 🥚
Try This
Ready to take your relationship to new heights? Starting today, iFLY Indoor Skydiving(there’s a location at 10645 SW Greenburg Rd.) is offering a special “Love Is in the Air” package for first-time visitors that includes four flights and two videos for two people. The deal is available through Sunday, Feb. 19.
Kids
Registration is now open for OMSI’s upcoming summer camps. From robotics labs here in Portland to fossil hunts in the high desert, there’s a program for every young explorer. Day camps cost ~$450 for a full week, while overnight camps are roughly double. 🧭
Today Is
National Tater Tot Day. You have 18 hours and counting to devour as many of the delicious, crispy golden potato pieces as possible. At any McMenamins location, you can get all-day happy hour pricing on Cajun tots, plus special tot-chos slathered with chile con queso and other fixings. 🥔
Cause
Making a donation to Meals on Wheels People not only ensures homebound seniors receive proper nutrition, but also gives them the friendly chats + social connections they need to thrive. Your generosity will be felt by many older adults who need our support more than you know. Give here. 🤝 *
Traffic
What we’re buying for our cars:dash cams. The REDTIGER Dual Dash Camera captures both the front and rear of your car and can be a lifesaver when it comes to contesting traffic violations and recording evidence of collisions. Plus, it connects to your mobile device. 🚦 *
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QUIZ
Let’s get quizzical
There’s a lot going on in Portland — let’s see how well you’re keeping up with it.
Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
Okay, PDXtoday readers, let’s test your memory skills.
We bring you roughly seven news notes each day, which amounts to nearly 150 pieces of news every month. Can you remember the stories we shared in January?
If you...
☕ are caffeinated just reading about coffee
🏀 keep tabs on all things Rip City
🥜 heard about the new donut in town
... then we’re betting our little test will be a piece of cake. 🍰
Show off your skills by clicking the button below — we’ll give high-scorers a shoutout in an upcoming newsletter.
Editor’s pick: Did you know there are thousands of materials (books, audiobooks, movies, periodicals, music, and more) relating to the African American experience at North Portland Library? I found the library’s Black Resources Collection while working on today’s story and recommend exploring the materials housed there, both digitally and in person.
Missed yesterday’s newsletter?Learn to curl — who knows, maybe we’ll see you at the Winter Olympics one day.
Connect with us.
Editorial:Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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