What happened Swan Island?
Swan Island was the site of the Swan Island Municipal Airport from 1927 until the early 1940s, and was the site of a Kaiser shipyard during the Second World War. The area is presently an industrial park.
Why is Portland called porkland?
The city was laid out in 1845 and, after two of its early citizens flipped a penny, was named for Portland, Maine, rather than Boston, Massachusetts. Early growth was stimulated by a number of gold rushes and the flow of immigrants along the Oregon Trail.
How did the Willamette River get polluted?
A City’s Waste As Portland grew, so did the city’s impact on the Willamette. Human waste and polluted stormwater flowed directly into the river alongside hazardous chemical byproducts, which were produced in huge quantities by riverside factories, and toxic pesticides that were sprayed onto crops.
What does the word Willamette mean?
Willamette, pronounced “will-AM-it,” is believed to derive from the colonized pronunciation of Wallamt, which means “still water,” describing a place on the river near Oregon City. The area was and is largely inhabited by Kalapuyans (members of the Kalapuya Tribe) as well as Molalla, Clackamas and Chinook peoples.
Why is it called Swan Island in Portland?
It is not known why the name was changed to Swan Island. A bar in the Willamette River at Swan Island obstructed navigation, and as early as 1873 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began congressionally authorized improvements at the location, consisting mostly of dredging.
Who owns the Swan Islands?
Both the United States and Honduras claimed the Swan Islands until the United States dropped its claim under the Guano Islands Act. A treaty was signed on November 22, 1971, and clear title by Honduras became effective September 1, 1972. The ownership of the island had long been in dispute.
What was Portland Oregon originally called?
From Stumptown to Portland Frequented by traders and settlers in the 1830s and 1840s, the future city of Portland became known as “Stumptown” as the thick forest of fir, cedar, hemlock and maple trees was cleared for growing settlements.
What was Portland Oregon almost named instead of?
If Not for a Coin Toss, Portland, Ore., Would Have Been Called Boston. The city was founded by two New Englanders, but only one of them got to pick the name.
What’s the cleanest river in Oregon?
Oregon’s McKenzie River has a lot to boast about. One of the cleanest and coldest rivers in the country, it’s the most important tributary for wild spring Chinook Salmon and Bull Trout production in the entire Willamette River Basin.
Why is the Willamette River so brown?
“The river often ran carrot-red in some areas and brown with sewage in others, and in general, it was full of fiber from industrial processes such as papermaking and the contributions of many food processors as they turned Willamette Valley fruits and vegetables into products,” Kennemer said.
Is Willamette a native word?
The name Willamette is of indigenous origin, deriving from the French pronunciation of the name of a Clackamas Native American village. However, Native American languages in Oregon were very similar, so the name may also be derived from Kalapuya dialects.
Why is the Willamette River Green?
The bloom is made up of photosynthetic bacteria, not algae. The tiny globes of green scum visible on the surface of the Willamette are cyanobacteria.