Post Office Construction

The following sequence shows stages in the construction of the Oregon City Post Office that was located on the Southwest corner of 5th & Main. The camera was facing southward looking toward the mills. The Electric Hotel was on the same side of Main Street and is visible in the background.

June 1, 1933

November 1, 1933

February 1, 1934

Then and Now

The research phase of this project has yielded a ton of wonderful and interesting photographs. So many, in fact, that it is hard to know what I should post first. There are wonderful sequences showing the construction of different Oregon City landmarks in stages, through time. There are beautiful 19th century prints made from big glass negatives with spectacular resolution. There are pictures depicting floods and fires. There are people at work in the mills. There is even a whole set of images showing the different downtown locations of a second hand store that moved at least five times.

I promise a sampling of all these wonderful pictures in future posts, but let me start with a couple of images that show familiar Oregon City buildings as they appeared in the past. I will also include a companion photo of the same site as it exists today. This type of photo comparison is at the heart of Elevations in Transition. The lenticular prints being made for the public artwork will change from views of the past to views of the present and back again. The photographs here will probably be included in the final work.


This is a photograph taken of the Barclay Building in 1924. This building sits on the SW corner of 7th and Main. In the lower left part of the frame you can see people walking onto the arch bridge. The bridge opened just one year before this photo was taken.


Here is the same view in 2008 - 84 years later. Quite a lot has changed! The brick and detail work have been covered in stucco. I was eager to get this shot in January. If I had waited until the Spring the little tree in the foreground would have leafed-out and blocked part of the view.


This wonderful exposure was made in 1896. The new bank vault was being delivered and quite a few people came out to have a look. You can clearly see the Bank of Oregon City, McKittrick Shoe Store, and the Oregon City Enterprise Building (OC's newspaper). These businesses were located on the SW corner of 6th and Main.


...and this is the same spot in 2008. Once again, many changes, but the buildings are intact and still in use.

Article in the Clackamas County Weekly

"City elevator getting a makeover" was the title of a short article that appeared in the January 31st edition of the Clackamas County Weekly insert from The Oregonian. Click on the link below to read the article.

"City elevator getting a makeover"

The New Municipal Elevator

A special election in May, 1952 authorized bonds for $175,000 to build a new elevator. Bids were received in November 1953; however, the low bid was over $200,000 so all bids were rejected.

In January, 1954, the firm of Stevens and Thompson submitted a new design proposal that could be built within the bond amount. The new design produced a low bid of $116,000 and a contract was awarded to James and Yost, Inc.

The new elevator was dedicated on May 5, 1955, and the City Commission accepted it on July 13, 1955.

The existing elevator took over 751 tons of concrete and steel to construct, is 130 feet high, and passengers can zip to the top in 15 seconds. Additionally, passengers now walk through a 35 foot long tunnel under the railroad tracks rather than over the tracks.

The Oregon City Municipal Elevator continues to operate as one of only four municipal elevators in the world and "Elevator Street" remains the only "vertical street" in North America.