Forgotten Oregon

Richard Thompson, April 21, 2022

Wonderful picture but probably dating from much later than 1904.

Mark Kelly, April 21, 2022

Portland woolen mills in Sellwood burned down in 1901. And they built new mills in St John's 1904.

Mike Williams, April 21, 2022

True. This is in St Johns about 1915. Look at the cars. Certainly not 1904.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ForgottenOregon/posts/3198208397113743 (Accessed: May 5, 2022)

Wikipedia: Portland Woolen Mills

The Portland Woolen Mills were a wool textile manufacturer in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. By 1950, they had become the largest wool manufacturer west of Cleveland, Ohio. The origins of the factory started in Sellwood in 1901 but after a fire destroyed the mill two years later owners decided to rebuild in St. Johns. Portland Woolen Mills offered several worker programs including baseball, basketball and bowling teams; a cafeteria and a library.

Labor disputes started during the 1934 textile workers strike when Portland Woolen Mills employees walked-off the job for two days. Two years later works held a strike and were granted representation by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) labor union. The factory filled contracts for the United States Federal Government during much of its history, primarily making blankets for the armed forces. For their work in producing blankets during World War II, the Portland Woolen Mills won an Army-Navy "E" Award. The factory closed in 1960 after almost 59 years of service.

See Also: Pendleton Woolen Mills

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Woolen_Mills (Accessed: May 5, 2022)

Vintage Portland: Portland Woolen Mills – Mystery Location

Comment by Chad, March 31, 2010

St Johns, just north of the bridge. The facade was ‘modernized’ probably in the 60s when it served as a toy warehouse until the 80s. In the 90s it was home to Columbia Sportswear. Today, with a fresh coat of paint, and presumably some mechanical upgrades, it now serves as Cathedral Park Place: an artist studio and small warehouse hive.

Comment by Scott, April 1, 2010

Chad is correct. The sawtooth building in the foreground was the Columbia Sportswear location. My grandfather worked for Portland Woolen Mills from the mid 1920’s through the early 60’s. Jordan Schnitzer’s had a toy distribution company that worked out the old Woolen Mills building in the late 70’s-early 80’s

https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/portland-woolen-mills-mystery-location (Accessed: May 5, 2022)

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