This 1890s photo of Portland keeps showing up and people keep arguing about where it was taken from, despite some very obvious clues in the photo. So I did what any sane and reasonable person would do and triangulated landmarks to prove things once and for all.
Photo of the former Milwaukie City Hall in early 2026
Happy to say that the Milwaukie City Hall National Register of Historic Places nomination I've been working on for the past year or so, is up for review in June! If you want to read it, here's the pdf: www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Docu...
Oregon authorities have identified the remains found in a car in the Columbia River as those of an Oregon family missing since 1958.
The downtown Milwaukie revival keeps on rolling!
The Perry’s Pharmacy Building is getting new life as a restored downtown Milwaukie destination for retail businesses.
Read more on le blog:
lostoregon.org/2026/04/10/o...
I'm on TV! FOX 12 Oregon asked me to contribute to a story on Portland's streetcar history a while back and it finally aired this morning. They did a great job with their old/new transitions!
www.kptv.com/2026/03/24/p...
Golden hour at Gino’s. Found a seat at the bar. It will always be my favorite spot in Portland to sip on an Old Fashioned.
TIL: @colindickey.com (author of one of my fave books, Ghostland) has a newsletter, Glacial Errata: A weekly list of 5 strange, forgotten, or oddball things. It's already led me down many rabbit holes. glacialerrata.beehiiv.com (Bonus, it's on beehiiv, not that other one.)
A new (used) bookshop and art gallery has opened its doors in a ground-floor retail space across from Portland Public Library.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/new...
Everyone gets a postcard!
Built in 1888 - love seeing new uses for old buildings + new ideas (win-win)!
One of the last remaining cast-iron Victorian Italianate buildings in Portland.
New life as grocery store with low-cost affordable produce, large event space + incubator and co-working space entrepreneurs can rent out.👍
www.bizjournals.com/portland/new...
"...when crews were tearing down the ceilings and walls of the Rite Aid store, they found massive wooden beams that revealed a surprisingly well-preserved timber interior..." Wha?!
www.kptv.com/2026/01/19/a...
Mummy’s in downtown Portland closed in 2022.
Sadly, I never went but it sounded like a great place to get food and a drink, listen to some jazz (says the 1980s Oregonian ad) and the owner’s stories.
The building itself is unusual and intriguing for sure.
lostoregon.org/2026/01/13/t...
The Acrop is for sale?!
"...Allowable uses include: retail sales and services, office space, quick vehicle servicing, vehicle repair, self-service storage, household living, institutional uses, and limited manufacturing and other low-impact industrial uses..."
www.loopnet.com/Listing/8325...
I wrote this a million years (OK 15) ago, but it still works.
Support your local movie theaters! (Looking at you Netflix/WB merger...)
lostoregon.org/2023/12/18/e...
The oldest homebrew shop in America is closing. FH Steinbart was not just a small business, though—it was a critical part of the connective tissue that helped make Portland Beervana.
"... many storefronts are in 'extreme need of renovation,' and landlords expected incoming tenants to cover nearly all the work, which is a lot of upfront money for something they were only renting and not owning..."
eastoregonian.com/2025/11/26/p...
Very cool!
And while you're at it, their wonderful magazine (published three times a year) is free of charge to Oregon residents.
I love a good lede!
A shift in demographics. Affordable apartments transformed into luxury condos. A coffee shop called something like “Brew Slut.”
www.latimes.com/business/rea...
Building Portland’s Memorial Coliseum: a Mid-Century Political Firestorm will be published by @arcadiapublishing.bsky.social April 14, 2026!
Can’t wait to have this out in the world. I’ve been working on it since January 2014!
Hey holiday shoppers!
Extra-soft knit crew-neck sweater celebrating the iconic Portland Building by Michael Graves, Portland, Oregon, 1982
architectural-icons.com/collections/...
From Reddit: A 3D map of downtown Portland. 😎
www.reddit.com/r/Portland/c...
Not Oregon related at all (unless Graves is mentioned I guess) but wanna see this one:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVdp...
The Gordon's Fireplace building has sold for $575k, and I'd be fascinated to know who'd want it even at that price. The building is in terrible condition and the site is extremely constrained. www.kgw.com/article/news...
Some Saturday morning coffee viewing - explains how it all went down in the clearest, entertaining way possible. (Found this while researching the history of 99W and 99E.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2_y...
Screenshot from Portland Maps with Aerial view and text "SINGLE PDF: CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY FROM I-2 TO R-1 HOTEL USE. RENOVATE TOILET ROOMS AND SHOWERS FOR ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH SECOND TO FOURTH FLOOR, INCLUDES DEMO AND ADD WALLS AND DOORS. EXTERIOR WALL OPENING AND WALKWAYS FOR SKYBRIDGE LEVEL 2, ADD COFFE BAR AT LEVEL 4 no Point-of Sale at counter."
Photo of Taft Home
A building permit has been issued for the McMenamins Taft Hotel, adjacent to the Crystal Ballroom. Work includes renovations for accessibility on the upper floors. www.portlandmaps.com/detail/permi...
The former Taft Home was bought by McMenamins last year. www.wweek.com/news/2024/08...
Starting bid: $225,000!
www.loopnet.com/Listing/3300...
