Plus: Explore Old Town Chinatown's underground history.
 
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43º | Showers | 54% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:49 a.m. | Sunset 4:46 p.m.
 

Turning it back to the ‘30s

Portland decades: the 1930s
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Cast-iron buildings line Front Avenue in this photo taken in 1939. | Photo by Minor White via Oregon Historical Society
The dawn of the 20th century’s third decade was rife with hardships. As the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties soured under the onset of the Great Depression, Americans were forced to muddle through years of economic strain and restructuring.

Portland wasn’t immune to the Great Plains’ misfortune; development slowed, unemployment skyrocketed, and New Deal programs worked to rekindle the American Dream. It was a time of unprecedented difficulty — and yet, Portland endured.

📈 Population: 301,815

🗳️ Mayor: George L. Baker (1917-1933), Joseph K. Carson (1933-1940)

1930 — Portland high schools started selecting a Rose Festival princess from their senior classes.

1931 — A young orca swam into the Columbia Slough, attracting widespread local attention for two weeks as local leaders debated its fate, but the creature ultimately met a tragic end. Its remains are buried in Clark County.

1932 — Veterans led by Sgt. Walter W. Waters amassed in Portland under a political movement dubbed the Bonus Army, then headed east to Washington, DC, where they unsuccessfully petitioned Congress to pay their enlistment bonus 10 years early.

1933 — The “Great Renumbering” effort to mark every house and business with an official address was completed after nearly two years of steady work, eliminating longstanding confusion — particularly for postal workers.

Public Works Administration (Archival) - Public Works Administrator - Photographs - A2005-001.667 NE Union Ave [Martin Luther King Jr Blvd] looking north from Alberta St.JPG

Banners and wires crisscrossed Portland streets in 1937.

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Photo via Portland City Archives

1934 — On the morning of May 9, more than 12,000 union workers with the International Longshoremen’s Association sparked a months-long strike up and down the West Coast, bringing commerce to its knees and costing some 15,000 Portlanders their jobs.

1935 — As growing pains overwhelmed Portland’s still-new Swan Island Municipal Airport (and modern aircraft were barred from using it), the city of Portland went looking for a solution, purchasing 700 acres along the Columbia River.

1936 — A German cruiser flying a Nazi flag sailed into Portland on a training tour where it remained moored for over a week, marking the ship’s only US mainland stop; officers met with local leaders while crewmembers played soccer and attended events organized in their honor.
The rest of the decade
 
Events
Wednesday, Jan. 10
  • “Orcas: Our Shared Future” | Wednesday, Jan. 10-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $0-$19 | Dive into the science and stories surrounding this apex marine predator, from the impacts of ecological activism and pop culture to each population’s unique physical and social traits.
Thursday, Jan. 11
  • Learn to Play Pickleball | Thursday, Jan. 11-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Sellwood Community House, 1436 SE Spokane St., Portland | $70 | See what the craze sweeping the nation is about by learning the basics; all equipment is provided.
  • Portland Old Time Music Gathering | Thursday, Jan. 11-Sunday, Jan. 14 | Times vary | Locations vary, Portland | $0-$50 | From honky tonk jam sessions and square dancing to banjo picking workshops and sing-alongs, the 25th anniversary of this local event will get your feet a’ tapping.
Friday, Jan. 12
  • FAN EXPO Portland | Friday, Jan. 12-Sunday, Jan. 14 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland | $12-$119 | Dress up as your favorite character, shop for fan merch, attend exclusive Q+A sessions, meet celebrities, authors, and artists, and revel in the ultimate people-watching spectacle.
  • Portland’s Folk Festival | Friday, Jan. 12-Sunday, Jan. 14 | Times vary | McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., Portland | $35-$90 | This annual showcase of folk, Americana, and roots music will shine a spotlight on local and regional artists like Glitterfox, The Parnells, and Brad Parsons.
Saturday, Jan. 13
  • Pet-Safe Indoor Plants | Saturday, Jan. 13 | 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Center, 10006 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver | Free | Cultivate a safe home for your furry friends by learning about a variety of indoor plants that are nontoxic in case your pet decides to take a bite.
Events calendar here
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Active

5 ways to up your workouts
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Focused on movement this month? Increase comfort and results with beloved gym staples.
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News Notes
Travel
  • Dozens of flights were either canceled or delayed yesterday at PDX airport as the investigation continued into the in-air blowout of a section of Boeing 737 Max 9 fuselage. Most of the impacted flights were with Alaska Airlines, but Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and United travelers were also left in limbo. (KOIN)
Eat
  • Dos Hermanos Bakery recently opened a cafe within its new facility at 1005 SE Stark St. where tens of thousands of loaves are baked each week. Cafe customers will find breads and Yucatecan pastries by owners (and brothers) Gabriel and Josue Azcorra, alongside coffee and sandwiches served on fresh baguettes. (Eater Portland)
Theater
  • After pausing programming last summer, Oregon Children’s Theatre is ready for the show to go on. The organization opens its 2024 season this month with “Goodnight Moon” and “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” Performances start Sunday, Jan. 14, at Winningstad Theatre and Sunday, Jan. 21, at Newmark Theatre, respectively. (Portland Tribune)
Biz
  • A local, women-owned company wants to help Portland homeowners take development into their own hands and put their properties to work. Shortstack aims to offer designs for mix-and-match housing structures — from one-bedroom layouts to small, multi-unit apartment buildings — to “focus on ‘missing middle ’-scale infill development.” (Portland Monthly)
Edu
  • The city of Vancouver is developing a climate leadership program for high school students. While organizers assemble the program (which is expected to launch sometime this fall), Mountain View High School environmental club president Isaac Segal encourages young people to get involved with local climate projects now. (The Columbian)
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Digging into the past

Digging deeper in the Shanghai Tunnels
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The ghost of Nina is said to linger in the underground passageways. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
A network of subterranean passageways once existed beneath Portland’s turn-of-the-century hotels and bars, connecting Old Town Chinatown establishments to the Willamette River. Their original purpose was to facilitate an efficient transfer of goods from ships docked at the waterfront, avoiding the traffic and muddy streets above.

Today, these catacombs are referred to as the Shanghai Tunnels (a term rooted in racism, related to nefarious activities surrounding the historic opium trade). No underground tunnel networks exist today, but some connected basements are still accessible, providing glimpses into the past.

City Editor Cambrie recently explored the passageways — including 4,400+ sqft of newly-added space — on the Haunted Underground Shanghai Tunnels Tour. A guide shared stories, both historical and ghostly, along the way. The experience ended at an underground speakeasy where guests enjoyed beer tastings before returning to the world above to claim a complimentary pint — and wash away any lingering jitters.
Learn more
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Cambrie
From the editor
Working for a company that publishes newsletters in 26 cities across the country means I get to interact with coworkers who live in places I’ve never visited — and we often discover that things many of us grew up with are foreign to others. This week, a city editor for 608today shared a “recipe” for a maple syrup snow cone. Now I’m crossing my fingers for snow.
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