"The northeast side of the butte also hosted a rock quarry, which gave rise to its current name; previous to this, it was known as Wiberg Butte. Stone from the quarry was used in the construction of the former Multnomah County Jail, located nearby and demolished to make way for the freeway."

Stone from the demolished jail were used to make the walls at the Horsetail Falls Viewpoint.

Gateway Green: Rocky Butte Jail History

In the 1940s, a large quantity of rock was removed from the quarry on the east face of Rocky Butte for use in building the new Multnomah County jail. The jail had an antiquated, fortress-like edifice constructed of huge basalt blocks. Rocky Butte Jail began receiving prisoners in 1942 and served as the primary county jail until was demolished in 1983 to make way for I-205 construction. Most of the stonework in the jail was repurposed for restoration of the Columbia River Highway.

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