Dave Knows Portland

Archives for April 2011

April 13, 1886: Oregon Supreme Court Admits First Woman Lawyer, Mary Leonard, to State Bar

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Mary LeonardOregon’s first woman lawyer Mary Leonard was a colorful character.

Born Marie Gysin in France to Swiss parents in the mid-1840s, she emigrated to Portland, Oregon when she was in her 20s. Eventually finding her way to Central Oregon, she married the proprietor of a hotel east of Wasco named Daniel Leonard in May, 1875.

The marriage did not go well however, and two years later Daniel sued for divorce, charging Mary with adultery. Mary countersued, charging Daniel had reneged on a promise of a large sum of money, physically abused her, and was cruel. They were separated already, and the court ordered Daniel to pay for Mary’s maintenance until the trial. He refused. Mary wrote him a letter demanding he pay and threatened she had the spirit to get even with him.

On January 4, 1878 Daniel Leonard was found dying with a gunshot to his head. He lingered several weeks, never declaring who had shot him (he may have been incapable of speaking). Mary was charged with the murder. Though she had a motive, there was no real evidence against her, and the jury found her not guilty. She was Daniel Leonard’s sole heir, and used the money to buy several boarding houses in Portland.

Mary moved to Seattle in 1883 to study law, and in 1885 became the first woman admitted to the Washington Territory bar. She returned to Portland to practice law – the state generally recognized lawyers who had passed the bar in other locales – but she was refused admittance. After much legal and legislative wrangling the Oregon Supreme Court ruled April 13, 1886 in her favor and Mary Leonard became Oregon’s first woman lawyer.

Additional sources:

OMSI Science Pub (13-April-2011)

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Omsi Science PubMega Quake: What Lies in Wait for the Pacific Northwest and What You Can Do About It is the topic of the latest OMSI Science Pub, which takes place on Wednesday, April 13, 2011:

The news from Japan is devastating: whole towns destroyed in the recent earthquake and tsunami, thousands missing, the country in chaos. It may not seem like it, but the entire Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a fault that, when it goes, could cause the same level of damage, or more. Yes, that’s WHEN it goes, not IF. The Cascadia Subduction Zone lies right off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and Canada, and when it slips, the entire PNW will likely suffer damage and the coastal communities could have as few as 20 minutes before a tsunami rushes ashore.

After a program including clips from the National Geographic feature Mega Quake, Geotechnical engineer Yumei Wang, Geohazards Team Leader from the Oregon Dept of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and Allison Pyrch, senior engineer from Shannon & Wilson Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants, will host a Q&A.

This science pub takes place at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) from 7pm until 9pm, but arrive early (5pm doors open) to secure your beer, grub, and a seat! There’s a $3.00 suggested donation/cover charge. Minors with adults are welcome, otherwise this event is 21 and over.

Offbeat Belly Dance Third Anniversary Extravaganza (15-April-2011)

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Offbeat Belly DanceEvery third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts a show by the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This third Friday, April 15, 2011 is no exception, and it’s a special occasion: Offbeat Belly Dance Third Anniversary Extravaganza!

My oh, my good citizens! Can it be? Has it really been three long years since we set sail on this fantastic voyage?

Yes! Yes, it apparently has! Three long and glorious years have passed as the plucky folks of Offbeat have plumbed the briny depths of creativity to bring forth wondrous glittering specimens of awesomeness, unexpected fusions of delightfulness and kickassedness, lavish spectacles of the unexpected and the arcane!

But… we are not done yet, noble fans of belly dance! No! We have yet more awesome to bring you – the charming and supportive fans of our merry little show!

Come join us!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7pm until 10pm.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance

April 12, 1887: First Morrison Street Bridge Opening Ceremony

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Morrison Bridge 1889Though the bridge had been completed and accessible for a day or two prior, on April 12, 1887 the first Morrison Street Bridge officially opened with a little celebration that included a procession and free crossings:

This forenoon at 10 o’clock the Morrison street bridge will be opened to the traveling public, all necessary work having been finished. At 10 o’clock sharp the bridge will be opened, and for two hours – until 12 M. – it will be free to all. After the noon hour the collector will commence taking fares. It was the purpose of the company to have the formal opening of the bridge celebrated in some fitting manner appropriate to such an event in the history of Portland. (Morning Oregonian, 04-12-1887)

In an early display of Portland’s patented passive aggressiveness, the article continues:

Some public demonstration was talked of, in which the mayor and members of the common council and other city officials of Portland, should unite with the officers of the municipal government of East Portland; that there would be a procession, music and congratulatory speeches made, and that the event would partake somewhat of the nature of a gala-day. However, as the project did not seem to meet with a very responsive spirit, the matter went by default and it was concluded to quietly open the bridge without any public demonstration.

The full length of the $200,000 bridge was 1650 feet, from the east line of Front street to the west line of Water street, with an 808 foot long iron draw. The movable span, which required about 90 seconds to open and close, was 26 feet high and 40 feet long. The roadway was 25 feet wide with 5 foot wide sidewalks on either side (sorry, no bike lanes). The toll rates were $.05 cents for pedestrians (but you could get 8 tickets for $.25!), $.10 for horsemen, and anywhere from $.15-$.25 for vehicles with sundry additional charges depending on load size and passenger count (Morning Oregonian, 04-07-1887). Built by the Willamette Iron Bridge Company, when it opened the Morrison street bridge was the largest span west of the Mississippi (Insiders’ Guide to Portland, Oregon, page 12).

Morrison Bridge #1 was replaced with Morrison Bridge #2 in 1905, and #3, the Morrison Bridge we know today, was opened in 1958.

Stumptown Comics Fest (April 16-17, 2011)

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Stumptown Comics Fest 2011The 8th annual Stumptown Comics Fest takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17, 2011 at the Oregon Convention Center (777 NE MLK), and this one’s the largest ever:

The Northwest’s largest creator-focused comic arts festival returns to Portland for its 8th year! Over 200 exhibitors and publishers and more than 40 hours of panels and workshops make this the largest Stumptown Comics Fest in our history! Come join special guests Eric Powell (The Goon), Rick Remender (Venom, Punisher), Jeffrey Brown (Unlikely, Incredible Change-Bots), Sarah Glidden (How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less), Brandon Graham (King City), Ethan Nicolle (Axe Cop) and many more!

Visit the website for full list of guests and exhibitors, the schedule, and ticket information.