Portland's Lost Waterfront

Portland, Oregon, is a city renowned for its majestic bridges that gracefully span the vast expanse of the Willamette River. A century ago, riverboat pilots would have witnessed a bustling scene of stevedores and longshoremen rushing along the wharves. Serving as the gateway to sea lanes and railroads, Portland’s strategic location provided easy access to the wheat fields, sawmills, and dairies of the Willamette Valley. 

Local author Barney Blalock, drawing on primary source material, previously unpublished photographs, and thirty-three years of waterfront experience, recounts the city’s vanished waterfront in these captivating tales of sea dogs, salty days, and the ever-changing tides of the river.