V. Cladek – Montavilla News

Afgoye Halal Meat & Grocery recently moved out of its storefront at 7202 NE Glisan Street after seven years in business. The grocery store suffered several setbacks during the pandemic, prompting the owner not to renew the lease. This store was one of only a few reaming retailers serving the Islamic community in the area.

Owner Abdullah Shareef started the business in June of 2014 under the namer Bakaal Halal Meat & Grocery Store. However, by November 2014, the store changed its name to Afgoye Halal Meat & Grocery Store. Afgoye is a town and region in southwestern Somalia. The store offered foods and ingredients from Asia, India, and Africa. The shop also specialized in fresh-cut Halal meat. Halal is Arabic for permissible. Halal meat is butchered in accordance with Islamic law, as defined in the Koran.

Jamal Dar, Executive Director of the nearby African Youth & Community Organization, provided some insight into the business closure. “They were struggling due to the pandemic and lack of economic stability. That being said, they have closed the business and are looking for another opportunity for future business.”

This two-story wood-framed building contains two storefronts and six apartments. Supposedly built in 1890, this unassuming building has a long history of accommodating renters. The actual date of construction is uncertain as the 1909 Sanborn map does not show any structures on the property. V. Cladek, a notable Montavilla figure, owned the rooming house in the early 1900s according to a 1918 plumbing permit when it had an address of 1840 E Glisan Street. Portland renumbered its streets in the 1930s to create a consistent address structure throughout the city. The 1924 Sanborn map shows the building in its current footprint with a label of “Housekeep’g R’ms” at the 1840 E Glisan address, suggesting that a later remodel added the storefronts to the ground floor.

Although Afgoye Halal Meat & Grocery’s time at the building was cut short, they added to the property’s extensive history and provided specialty foods for the community. The property owners have not yet listed the vacant retail space as available to lease. Expect to see a new shop in that location sometime in the future.

The recently renovated 1890 era house on Everett Street is renting as a duplex. Bought in August of 2020, the property’s new owners transformed the house into an impressive multi-unit building. This latest iteration echoes the rental history for this property that began 100 years before.

Split into a ground-floor unit and a larger upper two-story residence, 7524 NE Everett Street cleverly hides its duplex nature. Both renters share the unfinished basement. Descriptions for Unit A and Unit B highlight the full remodel of the homes. They feature new plumbing and electrical with durable but attractive flooring. Kitchens feature a five-burner gas range, microhood, and dishwasher. Much of the overgrown landscaping is now removed, revealing the shape of this classic structure.

Initially addressed as 410 E Everett Street, the house predates Montavilla’s annexation into Portland. The house sat behind a storefront, positioned tightly at the back of the lot. By 1918 the house belonged to V. Cladek, a Montavilla resident and businessman. Cladek may have lived at this location. However, by 1920, he moved closer to the center of Montavilla town. A Capital Journal article from August 20th lists Cladek’s address as 53 East Seventy-ninth Street (now 317 SE 79th Ave).

*410 E Everett Street, Sanborn Map 1909.*

With Cladek living on 79th, his house on Everett became available for rent. Now being part of Portland, it changed to an address of 1910 E Everett Street. Newspaper ads in 1920 and later in 1922 list the home for rent. The Sanborn Map for 1924 illustrates Cladek’s expansion of the rental property beyond a single structure. A boarding house replaced the stores seen in the 1909 map. That two-story building still exists today as a fourplex located at 235 NE 76th Ave. The property also expanded to include other houses along 76th, likely all rental properties owned by Cladek.

Beyond ownership of these buildings, V. Cladek participated in civic issues during the World War I years. Although likely the same person, a strong link between the public figure and property owner is missing. Cladek first engaged in public life with an unsuccessful run for Multnomah County Assessor in 1916. By early 1917 he was President of the Bohemian Association in Portland. Bohemian being used to denote the Czech people in the early 20th century. With the first world war raging, Cladek authored an article about Bohemia’s Suffering during the Great War.

Beyond written support of the war, Cladek and the Bohemian Association contributed to a Red Cross fundraiser in 1917. Proceeds from that event provided relief for those suffering in the Great War. Cladek further expressed his opinions regarding the war, declaring in the Morning Oregonian of December 3rd, “We hate the Kaiser and all his ways.”

In 1918, at the age of 64, V. Cladek further inserted himself into the war efforts. In the Morning Oregonian of May 23rd, he is one of many citizens willing to go to war regardless of age. Once again, he appealed to Bohemians and cultural pride in the war effort. He most likely did not travel overseas.

V. Cladek remained the property owner into the 1920s. With the war over, his participation in public events diminished, and it appears he mainly focused on his business efforts. This modern transformation of the Cladek building did an admirable job maintaining its original form. The changes to the structure enhanced its classic stylings while making it a modern living space. Future renters should enjoy the updated amenities along with the rich history of the building.