Category: History

Community, Entertainment, History

Trolley Art Installation Honors Montavilla Roots and Draws Visitors to Present-day Community

On November 12th, crews completed the installation of a roughly 5-by-10-foot art display within the Montavilla Street Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. The artistic representation of a historic streetcar is part of a grant-funded program titled “Meet Me in Montavilla,” with a focus on celebrating the town-turned-Portland-neighborhood’s diverse history while attracting present-day Portlanders to its vibrant community. A December 3rd ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially introduce the outdoor art exhibit to the public, but it is now open to visitors at the center of Montavilla’s historic main street.

The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) developed the interactive art and history project with a $50,000 Major Impact Grant from Venture Portland. METBA President Neil Mattson explained that the Meet Me in Montavilla District Activation Project idea originated from board member Becca Clover’s work at a board retreat, seeding the idea for a successful grant application in 2024. The awarded funds originate from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations directed by Prosper Portland and the Portland City Council. Mattson said that the Meet Me in Montavilla project will complete its first phase with the launch of the Plaza art installation and subsequent launch of the meetmeinmontavilla.com website.

A person unloading a small streetcar model from the back of a red van onto a street in Montavilla. The van's doors are open, and there are greenery and a storefront visible in the background.

The art installation features a historically inspired streetcar profile produced by High Order fabricators, incorporating optical elements to create a three-dimensional perspective from its relatively flat representation. Yaqui-Mexican-American artist Marilyn Shawe led the project’s art direction and designed the trolley with cutout windows, allowing inclined visitors to pose for pictures “inside” the streetcar. Local historian and Montavilla News contributor, Patricia Sanders, assisted with the streetcar’s color accuracy and researched information for the piece. Its scale and interactive elements encourage youthful play around the artwork, while the backside of the piece offers information on the trolley line’s influence in shaping Montavilla. “The trolley was one of five primary themes of significance to our community,” said Mattson. The transit availability in this remote area allowed the town to grow from a community outside the Portland City limits into a prosperous neighborhood that officials quickly annexed in the early 1900s. “The trolley became symbolic of the community,” said Mattson. Although the project will have other phases of work across the neighborhood, he explained that the Meet Me in Montavilla project team decided to focus early work at the SE 79th Avenue Plaza because it has become the current center point of the community in Montavilla and is just one block from where the original streetcar spur line terminated on 80th Avenue.

Local lumber company Mr. Plywood donated the weather-resistant building materials for the trolley installation, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) contributed to the project, which resides within one of the bureau’s 20 Public Street Plazas. Mattson explained that PBOT’s partnership was helpful because the installation resides within a public street’s parking lane that is currently part of the car-free plaza space, but still needs to adhere to City policy. “It is physically bolted to the street, which requires a certain amount of engineering, approval, permitting, and insurance,” said Mattson. He also noted that METBA can remove the trolley and store it if needed. It was essential for the team to preserve these community investments, allowing for relocation if the plaza were to reopen to vehicle traffic.

Similar to the trolley installation, team members will design the other Meet Me in Montavilla project elements with a sense of permanence and strong historical ties. Future installations in Phase Two will highlight other themes that significantly shaped the area. They include contributions by Japanese American berry farmers, Montavilla’s Black community, and Dehen Knitting Mills. Public installations around those formative community elements, along with others, will roll out in 2026.

A person working on a colorful, wooden streetcar model labeled 'MONTAVILLA' in a plaza setting, with trees and outdoor seating visible in the background.

For 14 months, the Meet Me in Montavilla project team of Rebecca Clover, Brenda Dunn, Leah Kohlenberg, Neil Mattson, Patricia Sanders, and artist Marilyn Shawe, collaborated with contractors to bring the neighborhood’s newest public art to the streets, allowing everyone to enjoy and learn from it. Look for specifics on the December 3rd ribbon-cutting event on the METBA website. People are free to stop by anytime to take their own pictures with the Montavilla Trolley, now on display in the Street Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update November 20, 2025: The art installation’s ribbon cutting ceremony in the plaza will take place on on Wednesday, December 3rd at 3:30 p.m. Attendees can meet the artists and team members responsible for the artistic streetcar representing Montavilla’s first trolley line dating back to 1891.

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Streetcar Lines

Q – Did Montavilla ever have streetcar service?

A – Montavilla was actually served by two separate lines, plus one very short-lived one. These routes were part of the expanding streetcar service east of the Willamette to provide transit for the Portland area’s rapidly growing population of the 1880s. 

Montavilla’s first subdivision—and its namesake Mount Tabor Villa Addition—went on the market in 1889. Buyers probably assumed that rail service would soon arrive. After all, advertising for the Addition included a map that showed a streetcar line to and from downtown Portland on Villa Avenue (now NE Glisan Street) and going directly through the subdivision.

A historic map from the Hart Royal Company featuring real estate details in Portland, including streetcar lines and subdivision layouts.
These details of the 1889 Hart-Royal Company broadside for Mount Tabor Villa Addition show an extension of the Morrison Street Bridge Motor Line going through the subdivision (the red rectangle on the right). Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society

A streetcar line did not reach Montavilla until 1892. It was an extension of the City and Suburban Railway’s East Ankeny line to Montavilla. It traveled east on Glisan to what is now 82nd Avenue, but it did not go south through the Mt. Tabor Villa subdivision. Service began on July 26, 1892. The fare was then five cents for residents or property owners who had contributed to the construction, and ten cents for everyone else.

A vintage streetcar ticket for Montavilla, featuring a map of the streetcar line with stops including Stark, Glisan, Ankeny, Morrison, and Yamhill.
Ticket for a Montavilla streetcar Courtesy of the City of Portland Archives
Historic street scene featuring a streetcar and vintage cars lined along a cobblestone road, flanked by old buildings and storefronts.
The Ankeny line to Montavilla was a convenient way for riders to get to downtown Portland. Montavilla car 472 is on the left. Courtesy of the City of Portland Archives
A historic black and white photograph of a streetcar motorman standing outside a trolley car. The motorman is wearing a uniform with a cap and a bow tie, holding a hand near his waist, with another person visible in the background inside the car.
Motorman standing next to a Montavilla car. Courtesy of the City of Portland Archives

Streetcars can be powered in various ways. The type that came to Montavilla was electricity-powered and called a trolley. The name comes from the wheel that travels along an electrified overhead wire. The trolley collects electricity and transmits it down a pole to the car’s motor.

A close-up view of a trolley pole and wheel connected to overhead wires, with a building and trees in the background.
Left: a trolley wheel and pole. Right: a trolley wheel. Source: Wikipedia

The Glisan car line had one problem. It was a bit of a hike for commuters living south of Stark. They did have rail service briefly after the Mt. Tabor & Eastern Railroad Company built a 2.5-mile track from the Mount Tabor terminal at 69th and Belmont to 102nd and Stark in Russellville. The service was available only in 1892 and 1893. The Oregonian of June 29, 1900, explained that the railway failed because Mt. Tabor’s steep incline made it too expensive to operate. The iron tracks were then removed and sold.

A historical map detailing the planned route for the Mount Tabor and Eastern Railroad line, featuring street names and neighborhood designations.
This detail from the 1891 Atlas of the City of Portland shows the planned route for the Mount Tabor and Eastern Railroad line. Source: Portland City Archives

Montavilla’s south-of-Stark residents had to wait until 1900 for more convenient trolley service. Until then, traveling to downtown Portland meant either walking to Glisan Street or trudging up Mt. Tabor to the 69th Avenue terminal. In 1899, The Oregonian declared that Montavilla needed better trolley service and recommended that the City & Suburban Railway Company build an extension from Glisan to Stark along 80th Avenue (then known as Hibbard Street).

The railway company agreed to build an extension (called a spur) on 80th. To reduce costs, they took track from Glisan between 80th and 82nd and used this for part of the construction. (In 1911, operators extended the Glisan Street rail to NE 90th Avenue.) The 80th-Avenue spur opened in October 1900.

The new spur rail did not satisfy the south-of-Stark folks for long. In 1912, pressure mounted for easier access to downtown Portland. They wanted an extension of the Mount Tabor line, which then still ended at 69th and Belmont. On September 11, 1912, Father James B. Fitzpatrick told the Portland City Council the need was urgent. Hundreds of his parishioners, he said, had to walk great distances through mud and dust to get to a streetcar. The South Montavillans prevailed. In early December 1912, crews extended the Mount Tabor line from 69th Avenue to SE 88th Avenue and Yamhill. Property owners paid $14,000 for the extension, and the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company paid approximately the same amount.

Map showing the routes of streetcar lines serving Montavilla, including the Glisan Street line and the Mount Tabor line, with street names and landmarks indicated.
Detail of a 1943 Trolley Map of Portland showing the two lines that once served Montavilla. At the top (marked MV) is the Glisan Street line, with its 80th Avenue spur and the extension to 90th Avenue. At the bottom is the Mount Tabor line (marked MT) extended to Yamhill and 88th. Source: Vintage Portland, May 4, 2010

In 1948, streetcar service ceased in Montavilla and other lines. Road crews covered rails with asphalt. Buses replaced trolleys. It was the end of Portland’s streetcar era. But if you look closely at the street on NE 80th between Glisan and Stark, you can detect where the tracks are buried. A small section of the rail used to be visible before the latest resurfacing of 80th Avenue.

By

Patricia Sanders

Main article image “East Ankeny Line Streetcar.” Photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society

This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post.

Construction, Demolition, History, New Residence, Renovation

Four Affordable Townhouses on NE Hassalo

Crews will soon begin work preparing the vacant lot at 8425 NE Hassalo Street for a quartet of new townhouses. The seller will offer the new homes under an affordability program that exempts buyers from paying reassessed property taxes for a decade, cutting their monthly escrow payments. The developer will use the Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) process to split the parcel into four distinct lots for individual sale. The frontmost home’s door will open onto the street, with the back three accessed by a shared walkway along the western edge of the properties. The attached units will provide buyers with three bedrooms in around 1,200 square feet of living space spread across two floors.

Aerial view of a vacant lot at 8425 NE Hassalo Street, surrounded by residential properties, outlined for future development of townhomes.
Portland Maps image showing 8425 NE Hassalo St outlined in red

Area developer Rees Bettinger purchased the 15,700-square-foot investment property at 8413 NE Hassalo Street in May, splitting its two linked lots. NW Development bought the undeveloped tract east of the existing house for this housing project. That company’s owner, Brett Barton, explained that he and Bettinger are longtime friends, working cooperatively when possible. Another developer purchased the corner lot and is using Cascade Homes NW to construct an additional four townhouses off NE 84th Avenue, as well as renovate the existing 1908-era two-story home that originally occupied the site. In the 1930s, a plumbing permit for the century-old property listed the “World War Veterans’ State Aid Commission” as the owner of this home, possibly indicating that a past resident was a World War I or Spanish-American War veteran who received the supportive organization’s loan to purchase the house. Although the house on NE Hassalo Street has used the adjacent property as a side yard for decades, the original platting of this block indicates that its subdividers intended the undeveloped 5,650-square-foot parcel to serve as a distinct property, and this current project is likely its first housing development.

Architectural floor plan for a development featuring four townhouse units, showing first and second floor layouts with labeled storage spaces.
8425, 8427, 8429, 8431 NE Hassalo St, floor plans courtesy NW Development

The 50-by-114-foot lot offers considerable space for the new housing. Barton said his project will utilize the same architect who designed Rees Bettinger’s townhouses, located a block over on NE Holladay Street. However, with the increased property size, the NE Hassalo Street units will offer their owners a few extra feet in critical spaces, such as bathrooms. The main level’s open layout places the “L” shaped kitchen in the back corner near the rear sliding door that leads to a patio space on the east side of the homes. An outdoor storage closet, located near the back patio, provides space for seasonal outdoor furniture or other deck items. A kitchen island has space for counter seating from the living room side and helps define the kitchen space from the rest of the open main room. The northern walls support a pantry, a half-bath washroom, and an under-staircase storage area containing the water heater. The second floor features two standard-sized bedrooms, each with a shared bathroom located in the hallway near a stacked laundry closet. An “owner’s” third bedroom features an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet.

Architectural rendering of a row of four townhouses showing modern design elements, large windows, and a symmetrical facade.
8425, 8427, 8429, 8431 NE Hassalo St, renderings courtesy NW Development

Barton said the new homes will also have more yard space, thanks to the deeper and wider lot. However, development plans will not allow for attached onsite vehicle storage. He explained that he registered the development in the “Homebuyer Opportunity Limited Tax Exemption” (HOLTE) program, which grants a property tax exemption of up to ten years to single-unit homes, as long as the property and owner remain eligible according to HOLTE Program requirements. Owners remain responsible for paying the original assessed value of the land without a building during the exemption period. This program only applies to housing with at least three bedrooms or some Two-bedroom homes within transit-oriented areas. Buyers must remain below the Median Family Income (MFI) restriction levels, and the home sale price for this program cannot exceed a maximum price currently set at $455,000. Barton intends to sell the houses for under $400,000 and expects the HOLTE option to make this obtainable for people qualified for loans in the $330,000 to $370,000 range.

A partially renovated house with wooden siding and a new roof stands on a lot that has been cleared of vegetation and debris. Surrounding trees and shrubs are visible in the background under a blue sky.
Renovation work underway at 8413 NE Hassalo St with 8425 NE Hassalo St seen behind it

New changes to Portland’s System Development Charges (SDCs) will also have a positive impact on this project. Barton said he would have needed to enroll in other affordability programs to reduce the fees the City charges builders to pay for new infrastructure. Those expenses can make some projects too costly. In July 2025, the Portland City Council adopted an ordinance that temporarily exempts newly created housing units from SDCs. With that change, Barton said prospective buyers will face fewer restrictions when qualifying for these affordable units. For other market-rate projects, it could keep costs within the profit margins needed to undertake a development.

City staff are still reviewing permits for the new housing. When construction crews complete work on these concurrent developments, the land that once supported a single home will now contain at least nine residences. People can expect significant progress on this project in 2026.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Vestal School’s Namesake

Q – Who is Montavilla’s Vestal School named after?

A – Vestal School is named after John L. Vestal (1852-1925). In 1925, he bequeathed the vast majority of his estate to the Portland public school district. It was the largest donation ever given to the district, according to The American School Board Journal of May 1925. Vestal left assets then valued at $200,000—equivalent to nearly $3,700,000 today and twice the size of Simon Benson’s $100,000 gift to Benson Polytechnic School.

Vestal‘s will did not stipulate how the school board should use his donation. He trusted the board of directors to put it to its best use. Portland’s population had been expanding for several years, and schools had become overcrowded. Montavilla School on SE 76th Avenue was one of these schools. So, the board decided to allocate the bulk of Vestal’s bequest to building a new school in Montavilla that would be larger and more centrally located.

The board also decided to name the new school after Vestal, in gratitude for his generosity. But this may not have been to John Vestal’s liking. According to the Oregon Journal of March 22, 1925, he was a “modest and retiring” man and would not have wanted a school to be named for him. Nevertheless, his name—in large letters—was inscribed atop the school’s east facade.

Facade of the John L. Vestal School, showcasing its name on a brick and stone wall.
Photos of John L. Vestal School. Photo by Jacob Loeb

Today, John L. Vestal’s name is still an everyday sight in Montavilla. But who was he? What is his story? And why did he give almost his entire fortune to benefit generations of Portland school children?

Historic portrait of John L. Vestal, featuring a man with a beard and mustache, dressed in 19th-century clothing.
Photo of John L. Vestal.  Source: Portland Public Schools

Little is actually written about John Vestal. And it requires a lot of digging to gather just a few verifiable facts.

John Vestal first appears in public records in the 1860 U. S. census. At that time, John was nine and living with his mother, Elizabeth M. Fowler Vestal (1826-1874), in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. John was attending school. His mother was a seamstress. Both were born in Indiana. John’s father, Benjamin Elwood Vestal (1820-1892), was absent from the household. No other children appear in the 1860 census or in other records. John was apparently an only child. 

While John and his mother were living in Lafayette, an event occurred that probably lodged in John’s memories. On February 11, 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped briefly in that town on his way to Washington, D. C. He gave a brief speech from the back of his railroad car before heading off to nearby Indianapolis. Maybe John and his mother were in the crowd — or, if not, surely heard about the exciting event. Later, when John registered to vote in Portland, he consistently identified as a Republican, then the party of Lincoln.

Illustration of Abraham Lincoln with a quote about unity, titled 'Lincoln in Lafayette'. The image includes historical context about Lincoln's visit to Lafayette, Indiana, mentioning his speech on February 11, 1861, and details about his funeral train.
Proposed “Lincoln in Lafayette” plaque.  Source: Lafayette Journal and Courier

Digging deeper into John’s family history, I found that he descended from a long line of Quakers. His father probably told his son about how he and his siblings joined the multitude of Quaker farmers who left North Carolina in the 1830s in opposition to slavery. Most of the Vestal family settled in Indiana.

Whether John was a practicing Quaker, I could not determine. I found only a few hints of an association. One is John’s relationship with his cousin, James Vestal, and his family. They were among many Quakers who moved to Newberg, Oregon, in the late 19th century. The James Vestal family arrived in 1889. From 1891, notices in the Newberg Graphic newspaper indicate that John was a frequent visitor. The Newberg Quaker church records show that John also made several small donations. Perhaps on his visits to Newberg, he was impressed by the community’s commitment to education. On his first visit in 1891, he probably noticed the recently built Pacific College. That college was later renamed George Fox University, in honor of the founder of the Society of Friends.

For his time, John Vestal was a well-educated man. Neither of his parents had attended school, and most people only attended elementary school. John, however, went to both elementary and high school. He attended elementary school in Lafayette, Indiana, and—for some unknown reason—went to high school in Decatur, Illinois. In 1870, John was one of only eight to receive his high school diploma.

By 1873, John and his mother had reunited with John’s father in Portland. Benjamin Vestal had been working there as a butcher since around 1865.

In Portland, John discovered another source of mental stimulation: the newly formed Philomathean Society. The Oregon Journal of October 9, 1923, described it as “a serious group of young men bent on self-improvement.” They met weekly to discuss challenging subjects, such as parliamentary law and current issues. Sometimes they debated other serious-minded groups. John was one of the surviving members who gathered to celebrate their 50th Anniversary in 1923.

By 1875, John was working as a clerk in Portland’s oldest drugstore, S. G. Skidmore. He worked there until 1886, when he opened his own drugstore on First Street in downtown Portland. 

I found out little about John’s life as a drugstore owner, just regular listings in Portland’s city directory. But I did come across his light-hearted contribution about a druggist’s life in The Spatula, a magazine for pharmacists. The February 1907 issue included six illustrations about an incident involving a bored pharmacist and a potential female customer. Readers were invited to provide appropriate captions. John sent in a few humorous, rhyming lines, and they appeared in the April issue. 

A comic strip depicting a humorous interaction between a pharmacist and a woman customer in a drugstore setting.
Illustrations 1, 2 and 6 published in the February 1907 issue of The Spatula. 
Excerpt from a humorous poem by John L. Vestal, detailing a dull day at a drugstore with a customer.
Above is a portion of John Vestal’s winning text published in The Spatula’s April 1907 edition.

The same year Vestal opened his drugstore, he married Ruth Almira Culver (1855-1889). Like John, she was a Decatur High School graduate. She received her diploma in 1873, but their attendance overlapped slightly since Decatur High required three years for a diploma in John’s time there and four years in Ruth’s. 

After Ruth graduated, she taught third grade in Decatur for several years. Then, in 1882, she moved to Portland with her mother and brothers, where she taught at Failing and Couch elementary schools. Very likely, Ruth shared her teaching experiences and philosophy with her husband. Perhaps when she was teaching at the old Failing School, she described the school’s deplorable conditions, such as the dirt floor in the basement that served as a play area and the lack of ventilation requiring windows to be perpetually open to the elements.

Unfortunately, John and Ruth’s marriage was short-lived. Ruth died in childbirth on March 26, 1889, and John never remarried.

Gravestone of Ruth Almira Vestal, wife of J. L. Vestal, engraved with her birth and death years, 1855-1889.
Grave marker for Ruth Almira Vestal in Riverview Cemetery, Portland, Oregon. Photo by Thomas Tilton

John experienced other close losses in Portland: his mother died in 1874 and his father in 1892. Perhaps John referred to these and other losses in his poem, “The First Violin.”

A poem titled "The First Violin" by John L. Vestal, featuring themes of nostalgia and childhood memories, typed in an old newspaper format.
Excerpt from “The First Violin,” published in the May 30, 1920 Oregonian, one of several of his poems this newspaper published in 1920.

Vestal closed his drugstore in 1907, but he did not leave the pharmaceutical trade. He went on to build a fortune by operating a string of drugstores and augmenting his wealth by investing in real estate and tax-exempt securities.

John Vestal died at age 73 on March 18, 1925, in Portland’s Glen Haven Rest Home. He was buried next to his wife, his mother, and his father in Riverview Cemetery. As soon as his bequest to Portland’s public schools became known, it made headlines in the Portland press. The Oregon Journal of March 22, 1925, for example, declared that his magnanimous donation was likely to make his name “a perpetual landmark in Portland.” 

Newspaper headline announcing John P. Vestal's $55,000 bequest to Portland schools, following his death.
Page-one headline in the Oregon Journal, March 20, 1925. The total value of Vestal’s gift is underestimated; it took some time to calculate the full value of his assets.

Vestal had no immediate heirs. He left a few small donations to friends and relatives, but most of his wealth went to the public-school board.

Vestal’s generous gift to public schools did not go unchallenged. Three of his second cousins claimed to be his rightful heirs. They filed a lawsuit in 1926, alleging that Portland’s school board could not legally receive real or personal property. They lost their suit and appealed. On May 22, 1928, the Supreme Court of Oregon ruled against the plaintiffs. Now, the Portland school district board was free to allocate the Vestal donation.

In 1928, the board proposed building a new school to replace the old Montavilla School and decided to name it the John L. Vestal School. In 1929, the board hired architect George Howell Jones (1887-1950) to design the school building. It was ready for students in April 1930. On April 4, the cornerstone was dedicated, and some 800 children marched to the music of the school orchestra from Montavilla School to the new Vestal School. 

Close-up of the stone inscription for John L. Vestal School, featuring the text 'JOHN L. VESTAL SCHOOL ERECTED 1929' against a brick wall.
John L. Vestal School cornerstone, erected in 1929. Photo by Thomas Tilton

Within months, the old Montavilla School was demolished and the salvage offered for sale in local newspaper want ads.

In February 1929, the school board authorized a monument commemorating John Vestal and his generosity. It was erected next to his grave in Riverview Cemetery. The monument is inscribed “He loved children and for their education gave his fortune to the public schools of his city.”

A gravestone dedicated to John L. Vestal, inscribed with a message highlighting his generosity towards the public schools of his city. Surrounded by a cemetery environment with grass and trees.
Monument honoring John L. Vestal.  Photo by Thomas Tilton

After the completion of Vestal School, John’s bequest was used for additional public-school needs. The school board set up an interest-bearing fund with the residuals of the original donation. This money was used periodically for other projects, such as the psychiatric clinic established in 1932 to assist school children.

One thing I never discovered in my research: what does the “L” in John L. Vestal’s name stand for?

By

Patricia Sanders

This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post on this page.

Food and Drink, History

Possibly Montavilla’s Last Farm

In the days before Montavilla became a popular suburb in the early 1900s, it was largely farmland. Gradually, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and other crops were displaced by houses and commercial buildings. But as late as the 1920s, there were still pockets of arable land in sections of northeastern and southeastern Montavilla. I recently learned about the Newell and Matsen cut-flower farm on NE 87th Avenue that may deserve the distinction of being Montavilla’s last farm.

Three men stand in front of a building after a snowstorm, holding shovels. In the background, greenhouses are visible, and there is a large accumulation of snow around them.
The Newell and Matsen floral nursery after a snowstorm with owners Harry Newell (left) and Hank Matsen (right) and long-term employee Mel Wilkinson (center). Photo courtesy of the Matsen Family Photo Archive

Harry L. Newell (1891-1976) and Hank F. Matsen (1894-1962) established the business in 1922. Hank’s son, Kenneth H. Matsen (1921-2024), continued it until 1973.

I learned about this business from two of Kenneth Matsen’s daughters, Nancy Palomino and Marje Rhine. They suggested that I speak with their mother, 100-year-old Janice Urquhart Matsen, who knew a great deal about it. So, I interviewed Janice, and she generously shared her memories and allowed me to use photos from the extensive family collection. 

Janice Urquhart and Kenneth Matsen in a Newell and Matsen greenhouse shortly before their marriage in 1946.

Janice has a remarkable memory. She has stories to share about her life in Montavilla and about the flower business. She lived in Montavilla for most of her life, and her memories go back to her earliest years. She remembers, for example, entering Vestal School‘s first kindergarten class in 1930. In the 1930s, she walked to school along Glisan Street, and she can tell you stories about nearly every business on her route. She also told me about a Depression-era “shanty town” just west of NE 67th Avenue and how her father gave food to the men who knocked at the back door of their nearby home.

Janice’s memories of the Newell-Matsen flower farm date back to her marriage to Ken Matsen in 1946. At that time, he worked on the farm, and for a time, the newlyweds lived in his parents’ house located on the farm property. Ken worked on the farm until it closed in 1973. So even though Janice did not work in the business—although she lent a hand from time to time—she was in a position to know how it operated.

The business was founded by two young men, Harry Newell and Hank Matsen, just after their service in World War I. The two men had known each other for several years, and Newell married Matsen’s sister Rose in 1920. Newell had been employed in the floral business for several years, but Matsen had established himself as a dentist after the war. Somehow, Newell convinced his new brother-in-law that a flower business was worth trying.

Newell knew there was money to be made in this trade. He had worked for Rahn and Herbert, one of the largest nurseries in Oregon, with greenhouses in Clackamas. The flower trade was growing, according to the 1920 U.S. census. So, Matsen gave up his dental practice and purchased a large plot of land on 87th Avenue, just north of Glisan from his mother Christina Matsen Tranberg (1852-1934).

Historic photograph of a early 20th-century house with two people standing on the porch, surrounded by a fenced yard and landscape.
Christina Matsen Tranberg’s house and property before the Newell-Matsen greenhouses were built. Photo courtesy of the Matsen Family Photo Archive
Construction site of Newell and Matsen glass greenhouses with scattered building materials and trees.
Newell and Matsen glass greenhouses under construction. Photo courtesy of the Matsen Family Photo Archive
A plumbing permit dated September 18, 1922, for the Newell-Matsen greenhouses located at 750 NE 87th Avenue, detailing its construction and plumbing specifications.
This 1922 plumbing permit establishes a beginning date for the Newell-Matsen business. It shows that the dry well and rain drains needed for the greenhouses had been approved on September 30, 1922. Source: Portlandmaps

The 1928 Sanborn map below indicates the location and scale of the Newell and Matsen greenhouses. It was opposite another farm, the Benedict Nursery, which grew shrubs and trees. The Benedict Nursery, by the way, is now the eastern portion of the Multnomah University campus.

  • The 1928 Sanborn map above shows the Newell and Matsen Nursery in the upper right
  • Detail of the 1928 Sanborn map 

The Newell and Matsen nursery sold its flowers in a variety of ways. They supplied local florist shops. They did wholesale business through the Oregon Flower Growers Association warehouse on Grand Avenue. Some flowers were shipped by train to other locales. And they also created funeral sprays.

Ken Matsen continued working in the business after his father died in 1962, and he became the sole proprietor when Newell retired in 1967. He renamed the business Matsen Greenhouses.

The interior of a greenhouse filled with yellow snapdragons and pink carnations.
Newell and Matsen grew yearly crops. In this photo, the crops are carnations (left) and snapdragons (right). Photo courtesy of the Matsen Family Photo Archive

In the early 1970s, Ken faced at least two significant challenges. One was the deadly tornado that swept through Portland and Vancouver on April 5, 1972. Vancouver suffered greater losses — in both lives and property — but the Matsen greenhouses were among Portland’s few damaged properties. When the Portland tornado touched down on his property, it struck the greenhouses, breaking so much glass that it took months to repair, and lifted a tree into the air.

Newspaper clipping titled 'Portland Riverfront Hit Hard By Storm' describing the damage caused by a freak wind in Portland.
The Oregon Journal, April 6, 1972, page 6

Janice told me about another challenge to the Matsen business: the increasing competition from California flower growers, who did not have the expense of oil heating required during Oregon’s colder winters. By 1973, petroleum prices had skyrocketed due to OPEC’s oil embargo against the U.S. Consequently, California growers could ship flowers by rail and undercut Oregon prices. 

Ken Matsen closed the nursery business in 1973, but he stayed in the flower trade, working for flower wholesalers on Swan Island.

An elderly man resting in a wheelbarrow, wearing a blue hat and a blue t-shirt, with a garden in the background.
Kenneth Matsen resting from greenhouse work. Photo courtesy of the Matsen Family Photo Archive

If you want to see a remnant of the Newell and Matsen flower farm, you can find the remodeled 1908 Matsen farmhouse at 750 NE 87th Avenue. Now it’s surrounded by mostly single and multifamily housing. But a bit of the more open, rural land is preserved in Montavilla Park and the Multnomah University campus.

The remodeled Matsen home at 750 NE 87th Avenue, featuring a green-trimmed gabled roof, surrounded by well-maintained landscaping and flower pots.
The remodeled Matsen home at 750 NE 87th Avenue today. Photo by Thomas Tilton

Note:

Some of you may remember when Montavilla still had open spaces other than parks and school playgrounds. Please feel free to share your memories about remnants of Montavilla’s rural past. You can email them to me at history@montavilla.net.

Acknowledgements:

Much of the information in this story was generously supplied by Matsen family members. I want to thank Janice and her daughters for their help. Janice shared her invaluable memories with me in two interviews. Her daughter Marie Matsen sorted through thousands of family photos and selected most of the ones appearing in this article; she also provided additional details about the Newell-Matsen business. Janice’s daughters, Marje Rhine and Nancy Palomino, brought my attention to the Newell and Matsen flower business, setting me on this quest.

by

Patricia Sanders

Correction: An earlier version of this article had Janice Urquhart Matsen’s first name typed at Joyce in several locations and Marje Rhine’s first name spelled as Marjae. The text is now corrected and Montavilla News regrets this error.

Community, Food and Drink, History

Behind the Wok a Restaurant History Archive

On May 30th, APANO launched its online archive titled Behind the Wok: A Tribute to Iconic Chinese American Restaurants in Portland’s Jade District. This digital collection documents the shift in Chinese American dining toward East Portland. This online repository focuses on six restaurants that represent the phases of Portland’s Asian community’s eastward move from Old Town Chinatown. The work preserves stories from the families behind some of 82nd Avenue’s most iconic restaurants, attempting to create a record of these community cornerstones that are often missing from traditional archives.

Promotional materials for APANO's online archive, including a card reading 'Behind the Wok: Honoring Chinese American Restaurants in Jade District,' coasters, buttons, and a matchbook featuring iconic restaurant illustrations.
Behind the Wok promotional items including tote bag, matches, pins, and coaster

The inaugural cohort of restaurants includes Hung Far Low, Canton Grill, Chinese Village, New Cathay, Legin, and Wong’s King. However, the project aims to expand the digital archive over time, documenting the history of these foundational restaurants and their enduring cultural impact on the East Portland Chinese American community. The early evening launch party included several family representatives who came of age in and around the restaurants preserved in the archive. Their recollection and photos of these gathering places represent some of the only records of what they symbolized to the region beyond their decades of food service.

Aerial view of a neighborhood layout with labeled blocks and streets in East Portland, highlighting areas for development and existing infrastructure.
Guide map, copyright 1933 by Terry Tebault Inc. with Behind the Wok notations Courtesy APANO

Conversations following the presentation continued to reveal more history and a deeper understanding of the role these Chinese American staples represented for the community, supporting the need for such an archive. Without the historical seedwork released last month, these accounts would fade, and other untold stories would remain unknown to a community built on that history. The group working on Behind the Wok noted how difficult it was to obtain information, partially because news articles often failed to document changes that impacted this community and how people’s cultural humility kept them from lauding their accomplishments. However, in terms of storytelling and praising others, participants and attendees expanded the group’s understanding of their shared history.

A hand holding a commemorative button for the Behind the Wok Digital Archive Launch on May 30, 2025, featuring an illustration and the event name.
Behind the Wok promotional pin commemorating the launch date

That night’s brief open conversation revealed how many more details could end up in the digital archive. APANO is working to preserve the memory of the Chinese American restaurant as a community meeting place and support system for immigrants settling in Portland. The nonprofit purchased the Canton Grill property in 2022 for future housing development and named one of its other housing projects after Legin restaurant as a way to enshrine those shuttered establishments in the community’s consciousness. The project team invites people to visit the Behind the Wok digital archive regularly for in-depth information about their contributions to East Portland. APANO will host a celebration of the Canton Grill on June 27th from 4 to 9 p.m. at 8188 SE Division Street. That event will focus on the Canton Grill Memorial Project and further inform the cultural preservation efforts.

Article and photo’s by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: Attendees of this event, including the author, received free food and promotional items related to the project.

Community, Entertainment, Event, History

Archaeology Roadshow Moving to East Portland on May 31

After a 12-year run downtown, the annual Archaeology Roadshow will move its 2025 educational and interactive showcase across the river to East Portland on May 31st, taking over the grassy field in Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street. Historians, members from universities, Tribes, government agencies, museums, and nonprofit cultural organizations will operate booths at this free event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., sharing presentations and answering questions from inquisitive attendees. People can drop in anytime during the four-hour un-ticketed event. However, some presentations occur at specific times, including an open welcome song and prayer performed by Sam Robinson of the Chinook Indian Nation.

This year’s Portland show features exhibits and hands-on activities demonstrating how arts and crafts reflect the human experience through the items people make and the traditions passed down through generations.

A group of people engaging at an Archaeology Roadshow booth, examining ancient fishing tools and displays about net weight technology, with a banner in the background.
Student exhibitors Phil Daily and Dianna Wilson 2017, courtesy Archaeology Roadshow (Photo Corey James)

Virginia Butler, with the Archaeology Roadshow, explained that the name is an homage to the PBS series Antiques Roadshow, which has people bring items for expert evaluation. Students working on the inaugural Portland event wanted people to make the connection to the TV show because the Archaeology Roadshow similarly allows attendees to bring up to three objects for expert examination, and those people will attempt to determine the object’s age and possible function. Unlike the TV show, volunteers at this event do not offer appraisal but help people connect to the history contained within those objects. Presentations cover the whole of human existence in the region, and organizers try not to put date limits on what constitutes archaeology. “Science can tell us people have probably been in this area for over 15,000 years. But the Indigenous perspective suggests you can’t really put a time on it because some of their origin stories say they’ve been here forever,” said Butler. “There will be perspectives from tribes from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Chinook Indian Nation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Klamath Tribes. Their presence will provide those perspectives that go back to ancient times but continue today—since all of these people are part of our world, and they are continuing to educate their people and others about ongoing traditions. Then, we move to more Euro-American settlements with their arrival in the early 19th century. We have several historical societies present. We also have multiple museums and cultural organizations that tell the story of more recent migrations and ongoing immigrant stories. The Portland Chinatown Museum will host a [calligraphy] exhibit, and The Japanese American Museum will host an exhibit,” explained Butler.

The Archaeology Roadshow embraces all phases of human settlement in the region and tries to present people with an experience that entertains and informs visitors about that shared history through activities and face-to-face engagement. Participants can throw an atlatl—a throwing spear—at a target as people have done for thousands of years to take down game. The Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum intends to perform a dance representing the Greek American experience in Oregon and SW Washington. Gresham Historical Society will present a musical-focused exhibit that explores the music history in Gresham titled Dance Halls to Divas, Gresham’s Musical Heritage. They will have some instruments at their booth for people to practice and explore their musical expressions. The Rocky Butte Preservation Society will showcase stone masons and metal workers’ craftmanship used while creating the viewing area on top of an ancient cinder cone.

Two children working together on a woodworking project on the ground, using tools to shape a piece of wood.
Two children starting a fire 2016, courtesy Archaeology Roadshow (Photo Kendal McDonald)

Although people from universities, nonprofits, government agencies, and cultural organizations will staff most of the booths, Butler explained that several private companies in town carry out projects related to archaeology and history, supporting legal policy structures that help preserve and protect the past. One company sharing the exhibit Art and Craft of Mourning and Remembrance, an archaeology of memorialization, will look at the human experience engaged by memorializing people’s passing and how that occurs across the human experience. “So it’s not specific to the region. That’s one of the things that we hope visitors will get from this. There are important specific things that happened in our area, but it’s also important to know that we share a lot of common ground, at some scales, with how we approach the passing of loved ones, how we approach creating containers to store food, and make pottery. These things bring us together and are distinctive across our cultures,” said Butler.

The Archaeology Roadshow began in 2012 out of the Portland State University’s desire to expose students to public outreach practices in a campus event. The yearly event grew beyond Portland in 2017 when the roadshow opened in Harney County, with shows in Burns and Hines featuring specific regional exhibitors and historical societies. Post-pandemic, they have continued to expand into places like the Dalles and Bend. Growing beyond the Portland Metro area gave event organizers more opportunities to work with U.S. Government agencies that operate in those areas. “Federal agencies have carried out a lot of cultural resources work supporting archaeology and cultural preservation as part of their own mandates. You have to have a timber sale with the U.S. Forest Service. The consequence of that is you may potentially disturb archaeology and local history. And ahead of those big timber sales, you document what those impacts might be and then try to mitigate them ahead of the potential disturbance or destruction. So all of our federal agencies have mandates to protect and support archaeology,” explained Butler. “Organizations like the National Park Service will often attend more than one event. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be in Portland, they’ll be in Bend, and they’ll probably be in Harney County.”

A young girl and an adult man are engaging in an interactive activity outdoors, with trees in the background. The girl appears to be smiling as she focuses on a task involving sticks, while the man, wearing an orange shirt, assists her.
Child with helper preparing to throw spear, courtesy Archaeology Roadshow (Photo Greg Shine)

Butler noted that the Archaeology Roadshow is more than an informative event. It is a valuable tool in connecting organizations and municipalities to understand the importance of historical preservation as communities grow. “This kind of work is really about relationships. The Archaeology Roadshow builds relationships at different levels between the organizations doing this work. Every time you start digging in the ground, you might open up and identify some archaeology. There’s a lot of effort to ensure that we don’t lose historical knowledge as we go forth with development.” The organizing group wants to convey the ethics and legal aspects of artifact collecting in context to its importance to people and not just as a regulation. “We want to emphasize that when you simply dig into what may seem to be an archaeological site and remove objects, you’re losing the context. We lose our ability to understand broader meanings of what those artifacts mean relative to each other. We’re also harming descendant communities that might have special connections to those places. So we convey some of the ethics and the legal aspects of collecting,” said Butler.

Overall, the roadshow project intends to expand people’s understanding of archaeology, a practice often formed through movies and school field trips. “I think most people think that archaeology is exciting; there’s an adventure and an explorer level to it. The Indiana Jones image is about finding things, and a lot of people think archaeology is a treasure hunt. I hope people come and realize it’s so much more than that. Archaeology is everywhere. History is happening everywhere. We are so much richer if we understand it, and we feel much more connected to a place if we understand its history,” said Butler. “People will walk in with one concept of archaeology, and then it’s going to get a lot bigger because of the cultural connections.”

Virginia Butler and the other event organizers hope moving to East Portland after more than a decade will open this event to more organizations and residents who do not always have an opportunity to engage with history in a hands-on and dynamic environment. Within the over thirty-five pop-up exhibits, guests will find people demonstrating skills such as weaving cloth or fibers, tool making, and building baskets, with the option for visitors to participate. Anyone interested in history will also find booths filled with people offering a museum’s worth of information, Including Montavilla News contributor Patricia Sanders, who will join Paul Leistner from Mt. Tabor in sharing neighborhood history. Gateway Discovery Park is a fully accessible facility, and the event staff will have translators for Russian, Cantonese, and Spanish speakers available throughout the event so more people can participate in this community-enriching event. The event is free and open to the public thanks to financial support from East Portland Action Plan, Portland State University, and other sponsors.

By

Jacob Loeb

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Notable Residents Pt3

Q – Have any notable people lived in Montavilla?

A – Yes. Movie Star Jewel Carmen.

In the era of silent films, a beautiful face and expressive gestures could turn you into a matinee idol: enter Jewel Carmen. A 1916 edition of Moving Picture World magazine called her “a queen of blonds” and “the girl who photographs like a million dollars.” A year later, The Oregon Journal pronounced her “the belle of Montavilla.”

Jewel Carmen was one of three professional names adopted by Florence Lavina Quick (1897-1984). She was born on July 13, 1897, in the rural town of Blaine in Tillamook County, Oregon, the seventh child of Amos William Quick (1858-1932) and Minerva Gray Quick (1862-1934). (Sometimes, her birthplace is given incorrectly as Danville, Kentucky, or Portland, Oregon.) By 1901, her parents and siblings lived in Portland, a few blocks from Montavilla’s current western boundary. These boundaries were established in 1974 when the City of Portland created neighborhood associations. In earlier days, Montavilla boundaries were imprecise. So, we can accept the Journal’s designation and claim Jewel Carmen as a Montavilla notable.

A promotional still from the silent film 'A Tale of Two Cities' featuring William Farnum and Jewel Carmen in a dramatic embrace.
William Farnum and Jewel Carmen in A Tale of Two Cities, 1917. Source: Wikimedia

In 1911, Vina completed her eighth-grade education at Mount Tabor School. The same year, her parents separated or divorced. By February 1912, her mother and four of her siblings—Alice, Fred, Vina, and Alberta—had moved to Los Angeles. 

Why Los Angeles? They apparently had no relatives there. Was it the movie industry that drew them? In the 1910s, Los Angeles was the new center of the movie industry. Silent movies were exploding in popularity, drawing actor “wannabes” to southern California. Did Vina and her older sisters dream of getting into pictures? There are reasons to think that might be true.

There is evidence of family interest in the performing arts. Vina’s two older sisters, Alice and Edna, had attended Portland’s Western Academy of Dramatic Art, Elocution and Music. They performed in the Academy’s live productions. Edna may have had connections with the acting community since she married a British actor, William Henry Strong (born c.1870) in November 1911—which, of course, prevented her from going to L. A. in 1912. A few years later, Alice and Edna got acting jobs, but their younger sister, Vina—the one with no performance experience—quickly rose to stardom on the silver screen.

A historical illustration depicting a group of elegantly dressed people exiting an upscale movie theater, showcasing early 20th-century fashion.
Movie fans attending an up-scale movie theater. Source: The Oregonian, November 1, 1908

This era was a time when movies were growing in popularity. Movie theaters were proliferating. They had grown from three in 1907 to 16 by 1908 in Portland alone. Getting to a downtown theater would have been easy for the Quicks. They lived close to the Glisan Street trolley, which could take them downtown, where they could go to a five-cent Nickelodeon or one of the bigger ten-cent theaters. The Quicks also had the option of two new movie theaters in Montavilla: the Scenic Theatre at Stark and SE 79th and the Idle Hour at SE 81st and Stark. (For more on Montavilla’s earliest movie theaters, see Village Portland:Montavilla Memories )

An advertisement for the Majestic Theatre, featuring a special program with the film 'The Golden Wedding', and listings for other performances including 'The Price' and 'The Baseball Bug'.
A Majestic Theatre ad in the Oregon Journal of November 26, 1911

Within months of the Quicks’ arrival in Los Angeles, Vina was making her first movies. While many women stormed movie offices daily looking for work as extras, Vina later related that she was discovered by movie producer Gaston Melies (1852-1915), the brother of the famous French filmmaker George Melies (1861-1938). According to Vina, she was sitting one day in a Los Angeles soda fountain when Gaston Melies approached her and handed her his card. He asked if she would like to be in motion pictures. Despite being under California’s legal adult employment age of 16, she said yes. She turned 15 in July 1912. But her family needed the money, so she accepted his offer of $25 a week.

For the Melies company, she adopted the professional name Florence La Vinci. She made at least two short films for Melies. In both, she played adult romantic roles. Her first Melies film, The Will of Destiny, was released on August 1, 1912. In this film, she plays Alice, who vies with her sister Mary for John’s love. Alice wins but then elopes with a millionaire. With this film, Vina (as Florence La Vinci) drew the attention of the movie press: a mention in The Moving Picture World of August 17, 1912, and a photograph in the August 1912 edition of The Motion Picture Story Magazine.

A historical image featuring two portraits of Evelyn Quick and her professional name Florence La Vinci, surrounded by decorative elements.
Vina Quick as Florence La Vinci (lower right) in the August, 1912 edition of The Motion Picture Story Magazine. Source: Internet Archive

Her work for Melies was short-lived. In July 1912, the Melies film company left California to make movies in the South Pacific. By February 1913, she worked for the new Keystone studio founded by Mack Sennett (1880-1960). Now, Vina has adopted a new professional name: Evelyn Quick. Sennett’s Keystone Studios specialized in comedies, and Evelyn Quick performed in at least eight of them.

Historical photograph of the Keystone Film Company studio with Mack Sennett's portrait, showcasing early American film production.
Panoramic view of the Mack Sennett Keystone studios in Edendale near Los Angeles. Source: Wikipedia

In 1913, actress Evelyn Quick gained a new kind of notoriety when she was called to testify in a “white slavery” lawsuit in Los Angeles. Several wealthy men were accused of contributing to the delinquency of minors, including Quick. She testified under her professional name against William LaCasse (1884-1923) —a wealthy automobile salesman—who she accused of contributing to her delinquency. Newspapers across the country reported on the trial and Quick’s shocking testimony. She was, indeed, underage—15 at the time of the alleged abuse—but the defense attorney falsely claimed she was 23. The jury was deadlocked: two of the twelve voted against conviction. A new trial was set, but charges were later dropped when two witnesses, including Quick, failed to appear.

A newspaper article featuring a portrait of Evelyn Quick, tagged as a victim of white slavers, with an ornate border.
The Shreveport (Louisiana) Times of May 18, 1913 misidentifies Evelyn Quick as an orphan.

Despite the negative publicity of the investigation and the trial, Evelyn Quick continued to play leading roles in several short comedies released by Keystone and then the Nestor Film Company through November 1913. Then, her career seemed to stall. I found no record of her whereabouts or new movies until 1916. Then, her career restarted with Triangle Films. She created a new professional name: Jewel Carmen, the one she used until the end of her career and by which she is best known.

At Triangle, she began to play starring roles with the popular Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939), including the five-reeler Flirting with Fate (1916) and The Half-Breed, a short comedy based on a Bret Harte story. (As of this writing, The Half-Breed is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_vdJyHZrR4 .)

Douglas Fairbanks and Jewel Carmen in a scene from the silent film 'The Half-Breed.'
Jewel Carmen and Douglas Fairbanks in “The Halfbreed.” Source: Photoplay Magazine, October,1916

In 1917, The Oregonian described Jewel Carmen as “one of the rapidly rising stars of the film firmament.” By this time, she was playing leading roles with super-star William Farnum (1876-1953)—including Manhattan Madness—for Triangle as well as Les Miserables and A Tale of Two Cities for Fox Vaudeville. In 1918, she starred in at least six movies for Fox.

A still image of a woman sitting on a bed, wearing a light-colored outfit with fringe details, conveying an emotional expression. The setting includes a decorative lamp and a mirror in the background.
Jewel Carmen as Alice Carter who is forced to marry a vicious criminal in “The Bride of Fear,” 1918, Fox Films. Source: Wikipedia

In mid-1918–while still under contract with Fox—Jewel signed on with Keeney Pictures, which offered her a much higher salary—$450 a week. When Frank A. Keeney learned about the Fox contracts, he voided his contract with Jewel. In late 1918, she sued Fox in the U. S. District Court of New York for interfering with her ability to find employment. She claimed the Fox contract was not legally binding since she was a minor, i.e., under the adult age of 21 in New York law. The lower court ruled in her favor, but Fox appealed. The litigation dragged on for years and ended in November 1926 with a victory for Carmen. The New York Court of Appeals awarded her $60,682 in lost salary plus interest to be paid by Fox Films.

Jewel may have won in the end, but the litigation hurt her career. She did not act in another movie until 1921. In late 1918, she married director and producer Roland West (1885-1952). She talked about giving up acting for good, but West persuaded her to return to the screen. She made three more movies, all for her husband’s company: The Silver Lining (1921), Nobody (1921), and The Bat (1926); all are suspenseful crime movies and all silent.

A black and white still from a silent film featuring four characters: three women in 1920s attire and a man in a suit with a bowler hat. They are gathered around an empty chair, with expressions of surprise or intrigue.
Jewel Carme (left) with the cast of “The Bat,” her last film. Source: Wikipedia

Jewel never performed in a talkie, although she had a speaking role in a radio play based on West’s 1929 talking picture, Alibi. Sometime between 1930 and 1934, Jewel and Roland separated. For the remainder of the 1930s, they litigated over a settlement agreement. Finally, in December 1939, she was granted alimony of $170 a month and was awarded a $50,000 property settlement a year later. 

The 1940 U.S. Census shows she lived in the Holly-Vista Apartments in Los Angeles. At some point, she moved to El Cajon in San Diego County, where she died in March 1984. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered.

Jewel Carmon died in obscurity. I found no obituary honoring the Montavilla belle’s contribution to the world of silent film. However, she lives on in the writings about her and in her surviving films. Some of her films are currently available on YouTube and the Internet Archive.

By

Patricia Sanders

Title image: William Farnum and Jewel Carmen in A Tale of Two Cities, 1917. Source: Wikimedia

This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post on this page.

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Oregon Women’s Suffrage Movement

Q – Did Montavilla help women get the right to vote?

A – Yes, there were both women and men in Montavilla who supported the effort to give women the right to vote. However, they entered the decades-long women’s suffrage campaign near its end. The battle commenced at the first American women’s rights convention in 1848. Oregon suffragists joined the effort in 1870. The first Montavilla suffrage group met for the first time in 1905. By then, an Oregon suffrage measure had been on the ballot in 1884 and 1900. It lost both times, although in 1900, by a mere 2,000 votes. Women could already vote in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado by this time. Western states were leading the way! Hopes were high that equal suffrage would succeed in the 1906 Oregon election.

In this hopeful moment, a group of Montavilla women came together in March 1905 to create a local chapter of the Equal Suffrage Association. They elected Rachel C. Ring (1850-1932), a seamstress and former teacher, as their president.

The Oregon Journal of April 18, 1905 announces the recent formation of a Montavilla Equal Suffrage group.

The events and strategies leading up to the 1906 ballot were described by Abigail Scott Duniway (1834-1915) in her autobiography, Path Breaking (1914). She founded the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association in 1873 and published the New Northwest newspaper from 1871 to 1887 to champion the cause. Ironically, Duniway’s brother Harvey W. Scott (1838-1910), the editor of The Oregonian, was an opponent of women’s suffrage.

Abigail Scott Duniway, President of the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association. Source: Wikipedia

In 1904, the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association (OESA) was already strategizing about how to win on the 1906 ballot. Its leaders saw an opportunity to promote the suffrage cause during the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905, where a huge crowd was expected—in fact, it drew over 2.5 million people. At first, they had just planned to have space in the YMCA building. Then they had a more ambitious idea: why not invite the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) to hold its annual convention in Portland during the Fair? They asked, and the NAWSA agreed.

Entrance gate to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, held from June 1 to October 15, 1905. Source: Wikimedia.

Before the Fair opened in June, the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association was devising ways to draw attention to their cause. On May 27, 1905, the OESA decorating committee reported that Portland’s large stores would decorate their windows with the suffrage color–yellow–during the suffragist convention. Two representatives of the Montavilla suffrage group–Rachel Ring, president, and Maud C. Gilman (1866-1957), treasurer, attended. Perhaps the Montavilla group could persuade Montavilla business owners to do the same. Perhaps their own member, Winnifred Burdett King (1857-1918), who operated a grocery store on Stark Street with her husband, Francis, would display the suffrage color. And maybe Olive Tolls (1863-1934) would persuade her husband to decorate their shoe store. Perhaps other businesses would follow suit. Unfortunately, if there was such an effort, it was not mentioned in the press.

It’s also unknown whether members of the Montavilla suffrage club attended the national suffragist convention held in Portland from June 28 to July 5 at the First Congregational Church, just a short streetcar ride away. Perhaps they stood in the long reception line to shake hands with the famous suffragist, 85-year-old Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), or maybe they attended some of the rousing speeches by notable suffragists.

Susan B. Anthony. Source: Wikipedia

Suffragist leaders at the convention were pleasantly surprised by how warmly they were received by politicians and clerics, which was so different from past “welcomes.” Oregon’s Governor, George E. Chamberlain (1854-1928), spoke at the convention and declared himself an advocate of equal suffrage. Portland’s Mayor, Harry Lane (1855-1917), was also in favor.

After their convention, NAWSA organizers stayed on to take charge of the Oregon suffrage campaign for the 1906 ballot, much to the chagrin of Duniway, who resigned as president of the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association in protest but was soon re-elected to that post.

One member of the NAWSA who remained in Oregon to help with the 1906 ballot campaign was Laura Clay (1840-1941), president of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association. She was the daughter of Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903), a Kentucky abolitionist and Abraham Lincoln’s ambassador to Russia during the Civil War. In 1905 and 1906, Laura traveled around Oregon promoting yes-votes for the suffrage ballot issue. The Montavilla suffrage group was lucky to be addressed by this speaker who was described by the press as gifted, logical, and brilliant. She spoke to the Montavilla suffrage group at Grace Baptist Church on December 2, 1905.

Photograph of Laura Clay by the Gerhard Sisters, 1916. Source: Wikipedia
Oregon Journal, January 18, 1906

Miss Clay spoke to the Montavilla suffrage group at Grace Baptist Church on December 2, 1905. I wonder if she shared her belief that someday a woman might occupy the White House?

After the December 2, 1905 meeting, I found no further mention in the press of additional activities of the Montavilla suffrage group. Did they disband? Did more exciting issues attract the press?

Despite intensive campaigning, equal suffrage lost again on the 1906 Oregon ballot. It captured only 43.9% of the vote. The no-vote dropped even lower—38.6%– in 1908 (only 38.6%) and slightly lower still in 1910 (37.4%). Abigail Scott Duniway blamed the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union–which supported women’s suffrage but also wanted prohibition–for the losses. Duniway long thought that the two issues—prohibition and suffrage—should be kept separate in order to win the suffrage vote. She believed that alcohol consumption was up to the individual. The fear of potential women voters favoring a prohibition law was, in fact, one argument that deterred some men from voting for equal suffrage.

If the Montavilla suffrage group did cease to exist, that does not mean the issue lost support in that community. Several Montavillans were members of the nearby Russellville Grange, a farming and social organization open to men and women. There, the woman’s vote was a frequent topic.

Furthermore, The Beaver State Herald, a Montavilla and Gresham newspaper, kept its readers apprised of the current status of the woman’s vote in the U.S. and abroad. Harper’s Magazine’s “Woman-Suffrage Map of the World” in its April 25, 1908 issue graphically shows explicitly how slow the international pace of equal suffrage was.

Harper’s Magazine, April 25, 1908 Source: Wikimedia

Despite the losing campaign of 1910 and the slow rate of global progress, Oregon’s suffragists did not give up. So high was their enthusiasm on the eve of the 1912 ballot that a throng turned out on August 11 for a College Equal Suffrage League event in Oaks Amusement Park. Newspaper estimates of attendance ranged from 10,000 to 25,000. Surely at least some Montavilla suffragists were among these numbers. The event was just a short streetcar ride away. The women and men who attended heard impassioned speeches and stirring anthems. The suffrage color, yellow, appeared everywhere: in bouquets, decorations, banners, and campaign cards. 

Suffragist gathering in Oaks Amusement Park, August 11, 1912. Source: The Morning Oregonian, August 12, 1912

Perhaps to show their support for women’s rights, the Montavilla Board of Trade opened membership to Montavilla women in August 1912.

On election day, November 5, 1912, it was raining all over Oregon, yet voter turnout was heavy. Multnomah County had the largest number of registered voters in its history. By the time all the votes were counted, it was clear that the suffrage measure had passed. In Montavilla (Precinct 74), 105 men voted yes, and 81 voted no.

In 1920, women’s right to vote became the law of the land with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, Native American, Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian men and women had to wait for the repeal of U.S. exclusion laws to gain their right to vote.

Oregon suffragist leader, Abigail Scott Duniway, is the first woman to registers to vote in Multnomah County. Source: Wikimedia

PBS has a documentary on Abigail Scott Duniway available at www.pbs.org.

By

Patricia Sanders

Title image “The Awakening” illustration by Henry Mayer in the Puck Magazine of February 20, 1915 identifies the states that had already legalized women’s right to vote. Source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/98502844/

This is an installment of Montavilla History Questions Answered. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post.

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Notable Residents Pt2

Q — Have any notable people lived in Montavilla?

A — Yes. One truly admirable example is the eminent physician and civil rights champion Dr. DeNorval Unthank (1899-1977).

Dr. Unthank lived in Portland from 1930 until his death in 1977. For a short time, in the early 1930s, he and his family made Montavilla their home.

Dr. Unthank with children in Unthank City Park, Portland, Oregon. Photo courtesy of Multnomah County Library

Dr. Unthank was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the son of a railroad and hotel cook and the grandson of North Carolina enslaved people. When his mother died in 1909, he was sent to live with his uncle, Dr. Thomas Unthank (1867-1932), a prominent doctor and civil rights advocate in Kansas City, Missouri. DeNorval would follow in his uncle’s footsteps. He chose a career in medicine and graduated from his uncle’s alma mater, the Howard University School of Medicine. He then set up his own practice in Kansas City in 1927. And in Portland, DeNorval Unthank would also be a major civil rights champion.

Sometime in 1929, the young and newly married Dr. Unthank learned that Portland’s Black community was losing its only physician, Dr. James A. Merriman (1870-1946), who was relocating to Phoenix. So, Dr. Unthank decided to move his practice, his nurse wife, Thelma Shipman (1906-1959), and his two-month-old son, DeNorval Unthank Jr., to Portland. He arrived alone the first week of January 1930, and The Advocate, Portland’s African American weekly newspaper, gave Dr. Unthank a page-one welcome.

The Advocate of January 11, 1930, p. 1. Source: Historic Oregon Newspapers

Before he decided to relocate, Dr. Unthank wanted to know if he would be welcome in Portland. To find out, he wrote to the Portland Chamber of Commerce and was assured he and his family would be welcome. 

While Portland’s Black community was grateful for Dr. Unthank’s presence, the doctor soon found that renting office space was another matter. At first, this seemed assured. Dentist Elbert L. Booker agreed to share offices with him in the Panama Building downtown. Dr. Booker had been a tenant there since 1928. But in 1927, as a Black man seeking office space, it took months to find a landlord willing to rent to him. He was turned down 15 times. Unthank and Booker announced the opening of their shared offices in the February 1, 1930 edition of The Advocate. However, when Panama Building tenants protested, Dr. Unthank had to move out, although Dr. Booker was allowed to return to his previous office suite in the Panama Building. Dr. Unthank moved to the nearby Commonwealth Building, then had to move again twice before settling in the downtown Arata Building in 1931.

Announcement of the opening of offices shared by Dr. E. L. Booker and Dr. DeNorval Unthank in the Panama Building in The Advocate, February 1, 1930, p. 1. Source: Historic Oregon Newspapers

Because of the Depression, at first, Dr. Unthank had few patients, and many of these, he later said, were loggers, who were among the few with paying jobs. Income may have been lean, but that did not slow down Dr. Unthank. Within weeks of stepping foot on Portland soil, he spoke on health topics at the Bethel A. M. E. and the Mount Olivet Baptist churches. Dr. Unthank was committed not just to helping people with ailments, he wanted everyone to be healthier. Besides giving speeches, he began publishing a column in The Advocate called “Keeping Fit” in March 1931. In 1932, he organized a Health Week event.

Dr. Unthank published a column called “Keeping Fit” in The Advocate for several months in 1932. Source: The Advocate, March 14, 1931, page 4

Besides his medical practice and health advocacy, he was soon involved in civil rights efforts. He was elected to the local NAACP chapter board of directors in December 1930, then vice president in November 1931, and finally president in 1940. In 1931, he helped to prevent yet another Portland screening of the racist movie “Birth of the Nation.”

Just after arriving in Portland, the Unthank family lodged with Urskin S. Reed, a railroad mail clerk and NAACP member. By June 1930, the Unthanks had moved to Montavilla.

The Unthanks lived in this 1902 house at 212 NE 76th Avenue in Montavilla for several months in 1930. Photo by Thomas Tilton

Although Montavilla was a mostly White community, there had been a small Black population there since at least 1900. The Unthank home had been owned by a Black couple, Prestin and Laura Claybourne, since at least 1920. There were several Black couples in the immediate neighborhood as well as the majority-Black Shiloh Baptist Church just a block away. Many Portland neighborhoods east of the Willamette had similar communities with just a few Black residents in contrast to the denser population of Albina, as shown in the 1936 map below.

This 1936 Portland map shows the distribution of Black-occupied dwellings. The detail on the right shows the distribution in the Montavilla area. The densest population of Albina is in the center of the large map. Source: Portland City Archives 

The Unthanks did not stay long in their first Montavilla home. In the spring of 1931, they bought a house in Westmoreland. Although this was an all-White neighborhood, their realtor assured them they would be welcome. Instead of a welcome, however, the neighborhood presented the Unthanks with a petition asking them to leave. The Unthanks refused. And when they arrived at their new home, all the windows were broken.

The local press covered the Unthank-Westmoreland story blow-by-blow.

The Advocate expressed outrage:

The Advocate, April 25, 1931, page 1

The Oregon Journal was baffled:

Source: The Oregon Journal, April 26,1931, page 10

Things calmed down for a while in Westmoreland until another window-stoning occurred at the end of June. The Unthanks thought the Jones couple next door was responsible, and a shouting match ensued between the two couples. Mrs. Jones accused Mrs. Unthank of threatening to shoot her. The issue ended up in court on July 17. Mrs. Unthank was acquitted.

But enough of Westmoreland was enough. By August 1931, the Unthanks were living with friends, and Mrs. Unthank left for an extended visit with relatives in the Midwest.

For a little over a year, the Unthank family lived in this 1923 house at 221 NE 76th Avenue in Montavilla. Photo by Thomas Tilton

By August 1932, the Unthanks were back in Montavilla and living in a house just across the street from their previous residence. They lived there until at least September 1933. By March 1934, they lived in a rental house on Division Street.

This detail from Portlandmaps shows the locations of the two Unthank Montavilla residences on NE 76th Avenue, first at 212 and later at 221.

In the 1930s, Dr. Unthank’s practice continued to grow. He was so busy, reported The Northwest Enterprise of December 9, 1938, that he wouldn’t even stop for a sprained ankle. Still, he was blocked from practicing at local hospitals and joining medical societies for many years. He was finally admitted to the Emanuel Hospital staff in 1955 and joined its board of directors in 1971.

Despite his busy practice, he still had time for charitable and civic work. In 1940, he opened a day nursery and health clinic for the children of Black workers in collaboration with the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Portland. From 1970-1976, he was the medical consultant to Oregon’s workmen’s compensation board, commuting daily to Salem even though he had retired from practice.

In the 1940s, Dr. Unthank was a major civil rights advocate, drawing attention to racial discrimination in jobs and housing. As head of the Emergency Advisory Council, he advocated for equal opportunities for wartime employees. As the first Black member of Portland’s City Club in 1943, he drew attention to Portland’s discriminatory practices. He co-founded the Portland Urban League, a civil rights and social services organization, in 1945. In 1953, Unthank played a substantial role in the passage of Oregon’s Civil Rights Bill, overturning the Oregon law banning interracial marriages.

Dr. DeNorval Unthank at the time of his retirement. Source: The Oregonian, November 30, 1970

The Oregonian of July 16, 2018, quoted Dr. Unthank’s personal philosophy: “I have always felt in my life that a person should set his own goals and then head toward them. You may have some bad experiences along the way, but if you’re determined you can make it.”

Some of Dr. Unthank Awards 1945-1975

  • 1945 Progressive Democratic Club’s First Citizen award
  • 1958 Doctor of the Year, Oregon Medical Society
  • 1962 Citizen of the Year, Portland chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews
  • 1969 dedication of Unthank Park
  • 1971 University of Oregon distinguished citizen award; Metropolitan Human Relations Commissions plaque
  • 1973 B’nai B’rith (Portland Chapter) Brotherhood Award
  • 1975 Concordia College Citizenship Award

The extraordinary life of Dr. DeNorval Unthank deserves a book-length biography. But alas, this does not yet exist.

By

Patricia Sanders


Title image: Dr. DeNorval Unthank, 1950. Courtesy OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Oregon State University. “Portrait of DeNorval Unthank” Oregon Digital

This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post on this page.

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