1890 Portland flood and street scene photographs

Collection

Identifier: Org. Lot 1423

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

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.

Dates

circa 1890

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials in this collection are in the public domain.

Historical note

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.

Extent

0.10 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

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.