Portland’s historic Forestry Building, billed as the world’s largest log cabin, burned to the ground on August 17, 1964 (The Oregonian, 18 August 1964).

The log cathedral at NW 28th Avenue and Upshur was built for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, and served as a city owned museum of forestry until that fateful Monday.

Designed by architect Ion Lewis, who also contributed to the designs of Portland City Hall and the Multnomah County Courthouse, the building was constructed with huge unpeeled Douglas Fir tree trunks. It was 206 feet long, 102 feet wide, and 72 feet tall.

After the fire the city donated land at Washington Park for a replacement. The new World Forestry Center opened in 1971.

The grand, Queen Anne-style Portland Hotel opened in 1890 on the block where Portland’s Central School once stood, and where Pioneer Courthouse Square now stands. After six decades as Portland’s crown jewel the hotel ceased operating on Wednesday, August 15, 1951 (The Oregonian, 15-August-1951).

It’s too bad there’s no social security for hotels.

But there is none, so it’s over the hill and to the junkpile for the one-time pride of Oregon, the old and revered Portland hotel, where a dwindling staff supervised the moving Tuesday of the corps of permanent guests and the final closure of the 61-year-old building.

Wednesday is August 15, the date set several weeks ago for The End.

The Portland Hotel sported 326 elegant guest rooms distributed over 8 floors, parlors and sitting rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a ballroom, dining rooms, etc. It also, way back in 1890, boasted steam heat and gas and electric lights.

Railroad man Henry Villard, who also spearheaded efforts to build Union Station, began constructing the hotel in the 1880s, but ran out of money. A group of Portland business men raised money to finish construction by selling subscriptions, and the hotel was completed.

It was torn down to make way for a parking lot – it was the 1950s after all.