The plan, on Saturday, December 4, 1915, was to lift the first of twelve Columbia River interstate bridge spans into place, while the crowd of Chamber of Commerce members and other prominent Portland citizens cheered and listened to dry speeches (Morning Oregonian, 4 December 1915). Only part of that plan, however, was carried out that day (The Sunday Oregonian, 5 December 1915).

VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec. 4. – (Special.) – The ceremony of dedicating the first great span of steel for the Columbia River interstate bridge was held today on the Northern Pacific dock, and everything was carried out according to programme with the exception of floating out the span. When a high wind arose it was decided by the contractors, McCreary & Willard, to postpone the moving of the span until about 1 o’clock Monday afternoon.

The crowd of hundreds, however, stayed and listed to music by the Twenty-first Infantry band and speeches by enthusiastic boosters of the bridge.

On Monday, December 6, 1915 the span, resting on several barges, was steamed into place by the tugs Paloma and Hustler and connected (Morning Oregonian, 7 December 1915).

Ground had been broken on March 6, 1915 and the bridge opened on February 15, 1917 with a toll of 5 cents. A trolley trial run was conducted on January 24, 1917, and the streetcars ran regular between Portland and Vancouver until the 1940s. The second span opened to traffic on July 1, 1958.

After a 41 year absence, regular trolley service returned to downtown Portland on Friday, November 29, 1991 (The Oregonian, 27 November 1991)

The burgundy cars, with brass fittings, wicker seats and oak interiors, are replicas of the Council Crest street car that ran in Portland until 1950.

Built by Gomaco Trolley Co. in Ida Grove, Iowa, the cars ride on wheels and motors from old Chicago street cars.

“Basically, this technology is all more than 100 years old,” [Bill] Naito [president of Vintage Trolley Inc., the non-profit corporation formed to operate the service] said. “Steel wheels, steel rails, direct electric current and overhead wires.”

Four cars ran daily during the 1991 holiday season.

The new Portland Vintage Trolley service followed a decade of planning and two years of construction. The trolley traveled a 2.3 mile route on the existing light rail line between downtown and Lloyd Center.

The vintage trolley is still running today, offering free rides every 30 minutes from roughly 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, July 3, September 4, November 27, December 4, 11 and 18, stopping at all MAX stations on 5th and 6th avenues between Union Station and PSU.