Archives West Finding Aid
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1890 Portland flood and street scene photographs, circa 1890
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- 1890 Portland flood and street scene photographs
- Dates
- circa 1890 (inclusive)18901890
- Quantity
- 0.10 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box)
- Collection Number
- Org. Lot 1423
- Summary
- Collection consists of 18 photographs of Portland, Oregon, taken circa 1890. The primary subject of the photographs is flooded streets in downtown and inner East Portland during the 1890 flood. Other subjects depicted in the photographs include cable cars, the bark Coloma, Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, the Riverside Hotel, the Morrison Bridge, and other unflooded street scenes from Portland.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Excessive rainfall and snowmelt from unusually warm weather in February 1890 caused the Columbia and Willamette rivers to rise rapidly, resulting in flooding throughout the Willamette Valley. The water level in Portland crested at 22.3 feet on February 5, 1890. The resulting inundation area from this flood was used to establish the base floodplain for sections of the Willamette River used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for land management and flood insurance.
Sources: Gregory, S., L. Ashkenas, S. Jett, and R. Wildman. "Flood Inundations/FEMA Floodplains." In Willamette River Basin Atlas, 2nd ed., 28–29. Corvallis, OR: PNW Ecosystem Research Consortium, 2002.
Taylor, George H. The Oregon Weather Book: A State of Extremes. 1st ed. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1999.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection consists of 18 photographs of Portland, Oregon, taken circa 1890. The photographs are primarily scenes of flooded streets in downtown and inner East Portland during the 1890 flood. Other subjects depicted in the photographs include cable cars, the bark Coloma, Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, the Riverside Hotel, the Morrison Bridge, and other unflooded street scenes from Portland. The photographs are mounted on 9 loose album pages and include handwritten image captions. The photographer or photographers for these items is unknown.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
The photographs are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
1890 Portland flood and street scene photographs, Org. Lot 1423, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Materials in this collection are in the public domain.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Buildings--Oregon--Portland--Photographs
- Floods--Oregon--Portland--19th century--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--Photographs
Form or Genre Terms
- photographs
