The First Oregon City Elevator

The following text has excerpted from a brochure called "History of the Oregon City Municipal Elevator," available at the Elevator.

In Oregon City's early years, most of the city was located on the "first level" along the Willamette River. As the city grew, it became apparent that an easier way needed to be found to travel to the upper levels of the town. By 1867, steps were built up the bluff to supplement early Native American trails used by city residents. More steps were constructed over the years, but the climb was still difficult because because the preferred route had 722 steps from the base of the cliff to the top of the bluff.

On May 10, 1912, the City Commission decided to place before the voters a ballot measure asking if the City should be authorized to issue bonds for "A Public Elevator at the Bluff." The first vote on funding a public elevator was defeated on July 8, 1912. Considered again on December 2, 1912 the voters authorized $12,000 in bonds "to construct and operate an elevator from the lower to the upper town at some point to be selected."

By March, 1913, negotiations had started to acquire access between 6th and 7th Streets for the upper portion of the elevator. The City surveyed and platted the vertical "Elevator Street" and entered into a contract with Oregon Bridge and Construction Company to construct the elevator. The elevator could be operated by either electricity or water power.

The elevator, constructed of steel and wood, was placed into service on December 3, 1915, a day on which nearly the entire population of Oregon City rode the elevator. The 89-foot ride to the top involved a wheezing, jerking three to five minutes. Once at the top, it was necessary to cross a 35-foot catwalk that bridged the two sides of the city high above the chasm. When the elevator worked, it generally lowered the water pressure in the surrounding area. When it didn't work, passengers had to wiggle out of a trap door and down a narrow ladder.

By 1924, the hydraulic power was replaced by electricity and the ride was reduced to 30 seconds. Dependability increased with the switchover and the elevator became the preferred method of pedestrian travel. By the 1950's, breakdowns became much more frequent and it was determined that a new elevator was needed to replace the wooden structure.

Getting Started

The first phase of this public artwork is the research phase. The plan is to spend the entire month of January doing historical research and preparing to create the artwork.

I arrived in Oregon City on the first day of the year. Settling-in was the first order of business. I also had to gather supplies in preparation for my first day of research at the Museum of the Oregon Territory.


I made arrangements with museum curator Charlene Buckley (below) to start work on January 3rd. Charlene was and continues to be extremely welcoming and accommodating.



The archives and library at the Museum of the Oregon Territory are fantastic! The photo archive , which I am most concerned with, is well organized and maintained. So far, I have spent probably 70-80 hours pouring over the photographs and scanning those that seem well suited to the project. The work has gone smoothly due to the generosity of the staff at the Museum (more on that later), my handy little laptop, and a beautiful new Epson V700 scanner.

Project Process

During Summer 2007, the Elevator Art Committee reviewed concept ideas submitted by qualified professional artists, gathered through a national search coordinated by the Clackamas County Arts Alliance.

Selection criteria for the finalists included: creative and innovative responses to the stated Goals and artwork materials that are waterproof, weatherproof, easily maintained and consistent with public safety standards.

In the Fall of 2007, artist Michael Asbill was selected by the Committee. The new artwork will be installed by July 2008.

Project Background

In 2006 Oregon City officials recognized that time had left its mark on the Municipal Elevator. Mayor Alice Norris appointed the Oregon City Art Committee to review the challenges and recommend solutions. The Committee discovered that the tile surfaces of the fifty-one year old
lower-level tunnel leading to the Elevator cabin were in poor condition, and the tunnel lighting inadequate. Although the Deck paintings had been popular with residents and visitors, they had significantly deteriorated in their twenty-year lifetime. Condensation is a natural consequence of the Deck wall concrete and stucco construction. Because the paintings were made directly on the walls, constant moisture conditions caused the paint to peel, bubble, and crack over the years.

By May 2007, the Art Committee succeeded in raising $25,000 in grant funds to commission a new artwork for the Elevator. In preparation for installation of new art, the Deck paintings were photo-documented and removed from the walls.

The Committee set three Goals for the future artwork:

1. "Reference lesser-known stories about features within sight of the Elevator's Observation Deck to explain or interpret both the Elevator and the City's rich history and unique qualities"
2. "Support the Elevator's civic role as a gathering place for the pleasure of its residents, employees and visitors"
3. "Create an inviting, pleasant environment for this public space."

Elevations in Transition

The project is called Elevations in Transition and will be created by artist Michael Asbill, selected through a rigorous process led by the Clackamas County Arts Alliance and the Oregon City Municipal Elevator Art Steering Committee. The artwork will consist of a floor etching and 3 separate installations of interactive photographic prints called lenticular prints.

The lenticular prints are interactive and change as a viewer moves through the space. From one vantage point a viewer will see one image and from a different spot the viewer will see a different image.

The first installation of lenticular prints will wrap around the viewing deck just under the windows and will depict then and now images from downtown Oregon City. The second installation will be mounted to the elevator housing and picture people from Oregon City's past and present. The third installation will be mounted in the access tunnel. This set of images will animate the construction of the elevator from start to finish.

Welcome to the Oregon City Municipal Elevator Public Art Project Blog

This blog has been created so that the general public can learn more about the new Municipal Elevator Public Artwork and track its progress as it develops over the next six months.