Linnton, Portland, Oregon Explained

Linnton
Settlement Type:Neighborhood
Map Alt:Linnton neighborhood boundaries
Coordinates:45.5858°N -122.7729°W
Coordinates Footnotes:PDF map
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Oregon
Subdivision Type2:City
Subdivision Name2:Portland
Leader Title1:Association
Leader Title2:Coalition
Unit Pref:US
Area Total Km2:4.77
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:541
Population As Of:2000
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Demographics Type1:Housing
Demographics1 Title1:No. of households
Demographics1 Info1:256
Demographics1 Title2:Occupancy rate
Demographics1 Info2:92% occupied
Demographics1 Info3:188 households (73%)
Demographics1 Title4:Renting
Demographics1 Info4:68 households (27%)
Demographics1 Title5:Avg. household size
Demographics1 Info5:2.11 persons

Linnton is a Portland, Oregon neighborhood located between Forest Park and the Willamette River along U.S. Route 30 (NW St. Helens Rd.), close to the agricultural community of Sauvie Island. It borders the neighborhoods of Northwest Industrial on the south, St. Johns and Cathedral Park via the St. Johns Bridge across the Willamette on the east, and Forest Park (with which it overlaps substantially) on the west. The neighborhood extends north somewhat beyond Portland city limits into unincorporated Multnomah County, ending at the Sauvie Island Bridge.

History

According to Oregon Geographic Names, the Town of Linnton was platted in 1843 by Peter Burnett (later, the first governor of California) and Morton M. McCarver. The two named the community for U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Missouri, a proponent of settling the Oregon Country.[2] Linnton had its own post office from 1889–1975. Industrialization began in 1889 when the Portland Smelting Company started to build a smelting plant, followed by the Linnton Manufacturing Company starting in 1892.[2] Columbia Engineering Works arrived in Linnton in 1910.[2]

Linnton was incorporated on October 5, 1910, after a vote on September 12.[2] At that time it was a company town for Clark-Wilson and West Oregon lumber mills, and the Columbia Engineering Works shipyard.[3] In 1913, the Portland Gas & Coke Company moved its manufacturing plant to the town's southern border large oil refiners began to purchase sites for shipping and storage.[4] Linnton was soon annexed by Portland in 1915, bringing with it much of today's Forest Park.[2]

In 2006 there was talk of secession following a rejection by Portland Mayor Tom Potter and two other city council members of a waterfront revitalization plan over toxic industrial waste concerns.[5]

Parks

Popular culture

Walter W. Cole, known as Darcelle XV, is from Linnton. The train hopping scenes from the movie Paranoid Park (2007) were filmed around the NW 107th Ave grade crossing. Leave No Trace (film) follows the real-life story of a father and daughter living above St. Helens Rd. in Forest Park, a part of Linnton.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.portlandmaps.com/detail.cfm?action=Census&x=7620287.614&y=707863.512 Demographics (2000)
  2. News: Terry. John. Linnton: The little town that tried to best Portland, then joined it. October 5, 2011. The Oregonian. October 1, 2011.
  3. Web site: Lee . Rob . Historical Linnton . Linnton Neighborhood Association . November 4, 2019.
  4. Book: MacColl , E. Kimbark . The Growth of a City: Power and Politics in Portland, Oregon 1915-1950 . 1979 . The Georgian Press . . 0-9603408-1-5 .
  5. News: Linnton's town center dream dies in 3-2 vote . Fred Leeson . . August 25, 2006.
  6. Web site: The Inspiration for Leave No Trace. 2021-02-17. bleeckerstreetmedia.com. en.