In 1911 Mrs. Louise Weinhard, widow of Portland brewer Henry Weinhard, donated land near SE Division and 82nd to the German Aid Society for an Altenheim, a retirement home for German-Americans. On August 6, 1911 the cornerstone was laid.
At the ceremony held on the occasion, John Reisacker, president of the society, explained the purpose of the home (Morning Oregonian, 7-August-1911):
The Altenheim, or Old People’s Home, is one of the necessities, brought about by modern civilization and social conditions more than by the ingratitude of children. Among the inmates of this class of institution where is always more or less dissatisfaction, and probably this is more pronounced among the Germans, who are in American institutions, because they do not all understand English and are not accustomed to American ways of living. Therefore we thought it incumbent upon us to provide a home for the old German people, where they can enjoy the companionship of those who speak their own language.
The Altenheim served those purposes from May 19, 1912 through 2003 when the facility ceased operation.
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