Dave Knows Portland

Archives for June 2011

June 13, 1931: St. Johns Bridge Dedicated During Rose Festival

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St. John's Bridge, Spans Willamette River at US Highway 30, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

A huge parade preceded the opening of Portland’s newest bridge on June 13, 1931. The procession began at Grand avenue and Hawthorne and snaked its way out to North Portland where Rose Festival Queen Rachel snip-snipped the ribbon after County Commissioner German speechified (The Sunday Oregonian, 14-June-1931):

“It will make possible the starting of a new stream of traffic that would have been impossible before; it marks the surmounting of a barrier,” Mr. German said. “And we hope that the traffic justifies the expenditure. The work speaks for itself – R. Boblow, the resident engineer, is a wizard of bridge construction.”

The St. Johns Bridge, when it opened, was the longest suspension bridge west of Detroit. One of its piers, at a height of 163 feet, was the tallest reinforced concrete pier in the world. The 205′ underclearance above navigable water at the central span was a record as well.

June 12, 1930: Queen of Rosaria Selected From Portland High School Princesses For First Time

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Rose Festival coronation photo (The Oregonian, June 13, 1930)

The Portland Rose Festival tradition of selecting royalty (usually a queen, but for a few years a king, Rex Oregonus) dates from the very beginning of the festival in 1907. In the early years kings and queens were selected from the city’s social, political, and business elite. But that changed in 1930, when for the first time, each Portland high school selected a princess to vie for the crown.

On June 12, 1930, at Laurelhurst Park, princess Caroline Hawn from Lincoln High School was crowned Queen of Rosaria (The Oregonian, 12-June-1930).

Yesterday – One of many Portland high school seniors.

Today – Her Majesty, Queen Caroline I, ruler of Rosaria.

This will be the delightful and extraordinary experience of comely Caroline Hahn, 17-year-old miss, whose assumption of regal authority this morning will signalize the opening of Portland’s famous annual floral ceremonial, the Rose Festival.

Match Day (11-June-2011): Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids

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Portland TimbersThe Portland Timbers (5-5-2) face the defending champion Colorado Rapids (4-3-7) in their first MLS regular season re-match this evening at Jeld-Wen field.

The Rapids, you may recall, embarrassed the young and inexperienced Timbers 3-1 in the season opener for both teams on March 19 in Colorado. Since then, however, the Timbers have improved their play (and changed their lineup) dramatically. Colorado are unbeaten in the eight matches, but the last six have been draws.

Kickoff is at 7:30pm. If you can’t be there, watch on Root Sports, or listen on 750 AM The Game or La Pantera.

Match previews and intrigue

June 11, 1912: Silas Christofferson Flies Plane off Multnomah Hotel Roof

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Silas Christofferson takes off from roof of Hotel MultnomahHaving announced in May that he would fly a plane off the roof of the Hotel Multnomah (now the Portland Embassy Suites) during Rose Festival, pioneering bird-man Silas Christofferson made it clear he would not back down. I have every confidence in myself and will make the flight promptly at 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon just as surely as weather conditions are at all favorable (Morning Oregonian, 10-June-1912).

The 23 year old Christofferson, a native of Watsonville, California, began his aviation career in 1910 when he constructed his own plane, a monoplane. An 850 pound biplane with a Glenn Curtiss engine would be used for the Rose Festival stunt. For take off a 175 foot long, 30 foot wide platform was constructed on the roof of the 120 foot tall hotel.

As promised at 2pm on Tuesday, June 11, 1912 the pilot made history (Morning Oregonian, 12-June-1912):

Aviation science took another stride toward perfection yesterday afternoon when Silas Christofferson, the youthful Portland bird-man, successfully piloted his biplane from the top of the Multnomah Hotel building to Vancouver, Wash. He flew the eight miles, crossing the Willamette and Columbia rivers, in 12 minutes.

Other aviators have made speedier journeys, but it remained for the unlicensed ex-automobile racer to be the pioneer in trusting his heavier-than-air machine in a start from the midst of the business section of a great city.

A crowd of 50,000, scattered along half a dozen streets, lining roofs of dozens of office buildings, and perched precariously at every available point of vantage, witnessed the splendid start of the daring young aviator.

The crowd roared as the machine gracefully and surely left its board footing and soared forth on its journey to Vancouver.