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West Burnside, looking toward the old Burnside Bridge, in what was the known as Portland’s North End. (Courtesy photo/Doug Kenck-Crispin)

Celebrating the grit and humanity of Old Town

Street Roots
A collection of stories about Portland's oldest neighborhood
by Street Roots | 4 Jan 2019

In this series, Street Roots looks back at the history and diverse voices of Old Town Portland. 

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Old Town: 'The original downtown'

Street Roots reflects on some of the characters that made Old Town what it was – and is today


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When Old Town was the North End

A snapshot of a few blocks of Portland’s past


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The Portland IWW: Revolution and music

Cultural resistance – through graphic design, cartoons and songs – was one of the Wobblies’ most effective tools


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Remembering Portland's Japantown

Portland’s Old Town is well known as Chinatown, but in the late 1800s through 1942, a number of blocks made up Nihonmachi, the largest Japantown in Oregon

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The Oshu Nippo: Translating Portland's Japanese newspaper into English

In the early 1900s, the publication was a way for Japanese immigrants to stay connected


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Lillian and Lena: Two black women from early-1900s Portland

One was a society woman, the other a prostitute. Together, their stories show what it was like to be an African-American woman in Old Town.

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The oldest profession in the oldest part of town

Sex has always sold well, and it’s been business as usual in Old Town for at least 150 years


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What became of Portland's queer hub

Stark Street was once the heart of LGBTQ+ culture, but now ‘we can go anywhere,’ says Walter Cole, better known as the legendary drag queen Darcelle XV


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The legacy of Old Town Portland: An illustrated history

A series of drawings depicts the history of Portland's oldest neighborhood


© 2019 Street Roots. All rights reserved.  | To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org or call 503-228-5657, ext. 404.
Street Roots is an award-winning, nonprofit, weekly newspaper focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. Our newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Learn more about Street Roots

  

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Old Town series
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Old Town/Chinatown series logo: Reflections on Portland's oldest neighborhood

Street Roots Jan. 4, 2019, cover

Street Roots January 11, 2019

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