The "Events and Activities" for the month are below these featured stories!
Lacking a good photo of a typical blacksmith shop along 17th Avenue in Sellwood in the early 1900’s, this photo of the Scriber and Pohle Carriage Makers shop in Salem, Oregon, at that time, will give you an idea of what they all would have looked like. Trimble and Williams, Herman Vorphal, A.N. Guffney, and J.A. Fields were a few of the blacksmiths found along Sellwood’s 17th Avenue in those days. (Salen Historic Photo Collections)
SOUTHEAST HISTORY Striking while the iron’s hot: The blacksmiths of Southeast Portland
By DANA BECK Special to THE BEE
When we think of a blacksmith’s shop, many of us might imagine scenes from an old Western movie or Western sitcom – in which a group of weary trail riders gallop down Main Street, looking for the town “Smitty” to shoe a few horses needing care.
Or you might recall a visit, in the past, to one of the many Western theme towns of the Old West, where a blacksmith – with rolled up sleeves, and a leather blacksmith’s apron – was pounding away with a metal hammer against a large anvil.
In the Colonial times, a blacksmith was one of the most essential tradesmen needed by the village. The “town Smitty” would be responsible for providing the metal nails, hammers, and saws needed for cutting down trees and building homes by hand. Farmers relied on the smith’s craftsmanship for constructing shovels, axes, and hoes for work in the fields – while the metal traps and the firearms used by those who hunted for their evening meal often needed work by the blacksmith as well.
In the years when our nation was engaged in Civil War, blacksmiths played a pivotal role in support of both armies. The Northern and Southern forces both relied heavily on mules and horses for the use of mounted troops, and for transporting cannons and supplies to the battlefields. Farriers were needed to forge thousands of horseshoes for a moving army; for supplying cooking utensils; and for repairing any broken firearms. A steel “terret”, or rein ring, was a metal loop found on a horse harness through which the lines passed, to prevent them from getting tangled in or snagged on the harness – and they were constantly in need of repair.
Hundreds of mobile blacksmiths, with their forges tucked inside of covered wagons, traveled safely behind the active armies, ready to provide their services when called upon. A special “Traveling Forge” wagon was built for the needs of the blacksmiths and the army.
It wasn’t until shortly before the American Civil War, when families started traveling the Oregon Trail between 1840 to 1860, that blacksmith shops became a standard requirement for almost any town “Out West”. As Western towns and rural communities became established, blacksmith shops were just as essential to the citizens as were their general store, their butcher shop, and their barber shop and Post Office.
In the later 1800s, and well into the start of the 20th Century, the bustling city streets of Portland were filled with carriages and carts, commercial wagons, and private horses and buggies – creating an ongoing need for a farrier and his assistants. Blacksmith shops could be found throughout most every commercial district here in those days, providing valuable services to customers.
In 1907, the Portland City Council passed an ordinance requiring residents and businesses to install “ring bolts” on the concrete sidewalks in front of their homes. Thousands of steel tethering horse rings made by blacksmiths were installed around the many city neighborhoods, for the purpose of hitching horses in front of homes and businesses. Later, to protect the concrete sidewalk corners from being crushed by heavy steel wagon wheels scraping past them on turns, iron sidewalk corner edgings were also mandated. Some of these iron curb guards, and especially many steel horse-tethering rings, are still to be found in most sections of Portland today.
As Southeast communities like Sellwood, Brooklyn, Woodstock, Milwaukie, and Oak Grove began to be founded in the 1880s, blacksmiths were in great demand there; in Sellwood in 1888, Nicholas Counts opened the first blacksmith shop in the heart of town, near 17th Avenue and S.E. Tacoma Street. Farriers were needed to shoe the horses at the City View Racetrack, which was located where today’s Sellwood Park is, so Nicholas and his young boy helpers were kept busy there.
Hundreds of well-to-do families traveled to the east side of the river during the summer months, riding in expensive and elegant carriages and buggies to attend baseball games, horse races, and other local events. If any of their conveyances broke down, or were damaged along the way, Nicholas Counts and his forge was ready to assist. It wasn’t just the country doctor who was trusted to undertake a long journey when needed!
With his shop only a block away from Sellwood’s original “main street”, Umatilla Street, Nicholas’ shop was kept busy with shoeing horses – and also assisting farmers and businesses delivering fresh produce in getting their wagon repaired, or having a hinge gate lock replaced.
As business began booming along the commercial streets of 13th and 17th Avenues in Sellwood, more blacksmiths began setting up their own forges and bellows. Trimble and Willimas set up their own blacksmith forges at S.E. Tenino Street and 17th Avenue, and the Herman A. Vorpahl shop was just down the road, facing Spokane Street. These blacksmiths went at it “Hammer and Tongs” against each other, forging nuts and bolts or saw blades for the Willsburg Lumber Mill just east of Sellwood, or hammering the pulleys, hooks, and metal tools needed at Shindler’s Willsburg Furniture Factory.
In their spare time, if they had any, the men who worked in Willsburg – but who actually lived along 17th Avenue – visited the local blacksmith shop to order hammers, nails, and tools for their own personal use, as well as for use on the job. It seemed as if a blacksmith’s work was never done!
By the start of the 20th Century, times were changing, and the blacksmiths began changing with them – turning from being ordinary horseshoeing farriers to ornamental iron worker artisans. The well-off in Portland began constructing large craftsman and Queen Anne mansions in Portland’s North Hills, and needed special stylized ironwork for their homes – and so they were in search of creative and artistic blacksmiths who could forge gates and fencing etched in iron flowers, steel leaves and vines, and handrails – and even make custom indoor hardware for sideboards and kitchen cabinets, as well as fancy doorknobs and key-operated locks, to make their castle stand out.
Blacksmiths experimenting in artistic ironwork found themselves in high demand, creating designs for private residences, and forging intricate metalwork for public and government buildings, and for use at streetcar stops, schools, and banks in the Rose City. They also decorated Portland’s Union Station in iron, and even Post Offices around town.
Introducing journeyman blacksmith Herman A. Vorphal: who arrived in Sellwood in 1905, having come north from Canby, where he had a large blacksmith and wagon shop. Born in Strasberg, Germany, Herman found himself in Oregon with his family when he was just five years old – and, like many people of German descent, was quickly apprenticed to learn the blacksmith trade. Besides working with horses, and helping to build and repair wagons – as reported in local newspapers, Herman was hired to work on a new bridge being built in Clackamas County, designing metal railings, and possibly the lighting for the project.
In October of 1903 Vorphal met and married Mrs. Rebecca E. Selz. That was when he sold his Canby shop to J.W. Wilkinson and Mr. Skinner, and the Vorphal family moved north to Sellwood and bought a combined blacksmith shop and home just south of 17th Avenue and S.E. Spokane Street.
Family life for Vorphal proved to be something of a challenge, with Herman bringing to the relationship four children from a previous marriage, while Rebecca had three children of her own – and perhaps he was just not up to that challenge, for seven years later, Rebecca filed for divorce and also a restraining order against her husband, stating that he was a drunk, was abusive, and even threatened to kill her and her children. She claimed that the shop and house was bought with her own money, and that she should be paid 12 dollars a week from the proceeds of the blacksmith shop – or, alternatively, that Herman should be evicted, so she could rent the building to someone else. The public record of what happened next has disappeared, so for now, we leave Herman facing that crisis, and move on.
As cars began to replace horses, blacksmiths had to start providing a variety of other services because the need for horseshoeing slowly declined. This was when the automobile craze was on the rise in Oregon and other parts of the Northwest. With over 5,000 privately-owned vehicles then in the state, as tallied by the Federal Highway Administration, purchasing a new car – though expensive – was rapidly changing from a novelty to being a necessity.
Automobiles were an expensive yet daring piece of machinery to own. It was a real challenge at first for new drivers to maneuver a mechanical vehicle they weren’t familiar with on rough roads built for use by herds of cattle, and horse-drawn wagons and carriages. On top of that, there weren’t any gas stations outside of Portland’s boundaries, and repair shops still didn’t exist.
Certainly, the new cars in those early days weren’t built to withstand the rugged lay of the land in Oregon, and although happy families of eight to ten people would be in high spirits for a day or two of travel along the Columbia River Gorge, the joyful trip could come to a sudden halt when a faulty spring fell off the car, or a tire went flat, or some part of the frame was bent by the rugged road. With no repair shop in sight, often the car owner had to go in search of the local blacksmith – in hopes he could create a new part to replace the one they lost or broke. Or perhaps a wheel would have to be removed from the car, and taken to the nearest blacksmith shop to be straightened. If there were no blacksmiths around, drivers knew many farmers out in the countryside had their own bellows and anvils hidden in the recesses of their barn, and had some limited skills in blacksmithing, in a pinch.
The new automobile owners were strongly advised to learn how to repair their vehicle if it broke down on the road, or was stuck in the mud. But in lieu of learning how to fix a motor vehicle themselves, some car owners chose instead to invite a car repairman or a skilled blacksmith along in the car for their jaunts out into the country in case of a breakdown.
And now, at this point in our story, Herman Vorpahl reappears – with the outcome of his domestic crisis still clouded in history. However, it appears that by now he had switched from shoeing horses to working under the hood of a car – as he announced in a 1920 advertisement in THE BEE: “Herman Vorpahl, Blacksmithing and General Repair Work”. He’d introduced a new machine called the “Brooks Cold Tire Setter Machine”, offering a better and more efficient way to replace worn-out tires, which were otherwise still being changed by hand.
By 1913, Vorphal had entirely ditched his leather blacksmith apron in favor of wearing auto mechanic’s overalls, and had opened the Pioneer Auto Garage on the northwest corner of Spokane and 17th Avenue in Sellwood.
Meantime to the north, in the Brooklyn neighborhood, “Powell Valley Road” (today’s Powell Boulevard) proved to be one of the most well-traveled streets in East Portland. Farmers and produce vendors in the 1900s used this route to haul their vegetables, fruit, wheat, and other goods by wagon to the Ferry Stop at the Willamette River. From that point, their products and goods and supplies could be transported to and sold at the Yamhill Farmers Market downtown, or else loaded onto one of the many clippers and steamers visiting Portland, and shipped to other ports in the United States.
Autos may have been the up and coming thing, but with all those horses, wagons and carriages still in use for hauling produce and products of all sorts, plenty of blacksmith shops were yet still needed to deal with wagon breakdowns and weary horses’ hooves. Some of the remaining successful Southeast blacksmith shops, then, were the Louis Thompson shop at 7th and S.E. Powell, Jacob Schmidt’s horseshoeing across the street, and A.J. Smith’s shop on Milwaukie Avenue – which specialized in repairing plows, buggies, cutters, wagons, and jobbing.
“Jobbing” was a term used for other services not related to blacksmithing – like exercising horses, welding, or baling hay, which a blacksmith might assign to a young boy assigned to the shop. The Phoenix Iron Works, at the corner of 3rd and S.E. Division, often dealt with blacksmith-type maintenance of heavy industrial machines, such as were often found at the Inman Poulson Lumber Mill near Division, and in the Canning Factories of East Portland. They also sharpened farm machinery.
The Southern Pacific Railroad, which operated repair shops in the Brooklyn neighborhood near Center Street, employed a large number of both skilled and unskilled workers who were apprenticed as blacksmiths, as well as the metal forgers and iron work specialists needed for maintenance and repair of steel rails and railroad cars. They also had an adjoining blacksmith and metal department for the repair of the city streetcars that needed daily maintenance in the late evening hours, when passenger traffic on the streetcars was light.
For a brief time, the Brooklyn neighborhood was home to one of Oregon’s most prominent blacksmiths-turned-metal-artisans, Orion Benjamin Dawson. We encountered a brief history of Dawson compiled by a McMenamins Pub and Breweries staff member, entitled “O.B. Dawson’s Journey: The Story of the Chapel Pub’s Ironwork and its Craftsman”. This is a glimpse into the life and works of Dawson, who was raised in the town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. At the age of seventeen, Orion and his family moved to Los Angeles, where he was hired as a delivery boy by a local blacksmith shop, and where he’d learned his skills as a blacksmith’s apprentice.
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1917, Dawson was assigned the task of shoeing army mules because of his blacksmithing background. During his tour of duty, while stationed in France, he came upon some of the country’s finest ironwork and metal sculptures – especially in the town of Bordeaux. As stated in McMenamins’ brief history booklet, “He was astonished by the quality and sheer number of sculptures, fountains, and ornamental gates, fences, and grilles that adorned the city.” That was the vision that would inspire him for the rest of his life.
However, after he was discharged from the military, Dawson continued in the blacksmithing trade, settling in at Marshfield, Oregon, on the central coast. There he found work at the Kruse shipyards, constructing the last five-mast sailing ship built in Oregon – the K.V Kruse. Everything from the schooner’s mast bands and stanchions to the anchors and turnbuckles was forged out of solid iron. It was a gratifying learning experience for the lad from Arkansas.
Like most young men who are setting out on life’s journey, seeking to find where they belong, Dawson worked a variety of jobs. He found work in the construction of Standard Oil steel tanker ships, manufacturing horse-driven wagons, odd jobs involving farm equipment, and even making road building machinery that was in high demand for building our 20th Century nation. Jobs were plentiful in the 1920s, and with his experience in the iron and metal field, Dawson really had his choice of where and what he wanted to do. In 1927 he met violinist and pianist Alice Friend, whom he married, and together they started a family.
The life of the Dawsons changed dramatically when the Great Depression hit in October of 1929 and on into the 1930s. That was a harrowing time that threw thousands of laborers out of work and into the unemployment lines. Successful blacksmiths often had to find a different line of work, abandoning their trade altogether. That did include Orion Benjamin Dawson, who learned that suddenly very few people were willing to pay for ornamental iron work in a Depression – but he doggedly continued to practice his skills, and they did not always go unwanted and unrewarded.
In 1932, Orion was hired by Sellwood resident and architect Richard Sundeleaf, who was in the process of building the Wilson Chambers Mortuary, now known as McMenamins Chapel Pub. As the five-page McMenamins pamphlet points out, the graceful railings in the foyer and the stunning metal gates in the chapel, with delicate leaves and intricate turns, were the creation of O.B. Dawson.
In a small, obscure but quiet, section of the Brooklyn neighborhood on Boise Street stands a simply-made workshop where Dawson would go on to create some of Oregon’s most outstanding architectural features in the Great Depression. It was there, in this unadorned building where no decorative or ornamental metal work is present, that O.B. Dawson and a select crew of artisans forged the metal gates now found on the grounds of the University of Oregon in Eugene and Oregon State in Corvallis, as well as all of the ironwork at Timberline Lodge, on the slopes of Mount Hood.
That came about as a result of the construction of Timberline Lodge being ordered in 1935 by officials of the Art Project of The Works Progress Administrations, which was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Timberline Lodge was just one of the many of the WPA projects which employed millions of jobless, in that desperate time, to build public buildings and roads, and to give young men hope and confidence in their future.
O.B. Dawson was appointed supervisor of this Timberline Lodge endeavor, with all materials paid for by U.S. Forest Service, and all wages covered by WPA funds. Under the guidance of Tim Turner, an architect from the Forestry Department, Dawson was charged with designing and creating all the ironwork for the new lodge, which was to be built with a pioneer theme. With a crew of half a dozen blacksmiths and helpers, all the work at Timberline was done in Dawson’s own workshop in Brooklyn!
In the end, Native American designs and animals indigenous to the Northwest were also incorporated into Dawson’s hardware features throughout the lodge.
Once Timberline Lodge was finished, an unexpected final inspection by the president himself – Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his first lady Eleanor – occurred on September 28, 1937. The president and his entourage arrived in Portland aboard a U.S. cruiser coming up the Willamette River. The Roosevelts were then driven in a motorcade around the Mt. Hood Loop up to Timberline Lodge.
Dawson and his fellow blacksmiths were impressed by the opening ceremonies, which brought hundreds of automobiles filled with sightseers up the road to the lodge. Mrs. Roosevelt complemented the fine ironwork at the lodge – praise that was a lasting legacy for all of the blacksmiths and their helpers who were involved in the final design and construction.
For Orion Dawson, that was one of the highest honors he had ever received; and his iron artwork is still visible in the Lodge today.
By the start of the 1940s most of the sagging and drab buildings that had been the workplaces of thousands of blacksmiths across the country, along with their equipment, had disappeared from the land – with only a few shops still in great demand: Those found in small Western towns where horses usually outnumbered the citizens.
But now, perhaps surprisingly, blacksmithing is making a comeback – with many different types of blacksmiths found in big cities as well as local communities. From the “Artisan Blacksmiths” who offer ornamental ironwork that’s often found in local galleries and art shows, to the “Industrial Blacksmiths” who work as welders, and in the construction field. The most popular is the “Hobbyist Blacksmith”, with a range of skill levels and experience. Most of the latter can be found demonstrating their trade and offering their wares at craft fairs and markets, selling their own creations.
If you want a feel for the old blacksmith days, visit the Hudson Bay Company at Ft. Vancouver, Washington, where weekend demonstrations of iron working are performed for the public by a variety of smithies at work at their forges.
A trip up Mt. Hood to Timberland Lodge will bring you an appreciation of the craftsmanship of yesteryear.
Or, if you’re in the mood for a “night on the town” – out looking for a nice meal, or a good house-brewed beer – a stop at McMenamins Chapel Pub on Killingsworth Street in North Portland will show you some of the finest iron work created by Southeast’s own O.B. Dawson.
(Special thanks to Gary Lewis of the Lone Wolf Forge, a modern-day blacksmith in Manzanita.)
Tai Appleberry was up to the challenge of the “eat-a-donut-on-a-string” game. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Hallowe’en fun at Sellwood Community House’s ‘Spooktacular’
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
For as long as anyone can remember, long before PP&R’s Sellwood Community Center became the “Sellwood Community House”, its annual “Spooktacular” has been a memorable occasion at the end of October. And it’s now bigger than ever.
Although there was record-breaking attendance this year on the weekend of October 26th, the “Spooktacular” ran smoothly, thanks to new systems – and a lot of volunteers – according to their Director of Development and Community Engagement, Elizabeth Milner. “We had about 800 people come through this year, but having a ‘timed entry’ system in place for this event worked great!
“The ‘timed entry’ only applied to the carnival in the gym. Each person was given a color-coded bracelet when they checked in, which corresponded to their designated gym time. This eliminated the crowding we experienced after last year's huge turnout.
“The tickets, however, were good for the entire four-hour event, so if they arrived early – or when they finished their carnival-in-the-gym time – they had plenty of time to enjoy all the other activities.”
Another successful feature added this year was “Baby Ghosts Preschool Hour” from 3 to 4 p.m. for kids ages four and under, as well as their families
In addition to the carnival games – in which kids “won” a prize drawn from a total of about 150 pounds of candy and toys – there were also crafts and games, like “eat-a-donut-on-a-string”, balloon animals, button making, live music, a bake sale, and a photo booth.
“Guests also enjoyed about 15 gallons of free hot cider,” Milner said.
It took a lot of volunteer help to put on Spooktacular the year; but there were more than 40 volunteers – with about 30 of them being middle school, teen, and “tween” members of the SCH “Volunteer Crew” running the carnival games and crafts.
“Additionally, we had many parents and community volunteers who donated baked goods to the bake sale,” remarked Milner. “This year’s Spooktacular would really not be possible without volunteer help, and we’re so grateful!”
The admissions paid and the activities participated in that day raised about $2,400 to support the Sellwood Community House programs for kids and adults.
And, if you missed the Spooktacular this year, here’s a brief opportunity to enjoy what you missed, and what you can expect there next year, in this exclusive BEE VIDEO –
Firemen F.F. Ross [far left] and A.J. shared very important safety advice, and displayed their fire tools, for Woodstock Elementary School parents and children on a mid-October “Woodstock Walks” visit to Fire Station 25. (Photo by Elizabeth Ussher Groff)
‘No school’ day brings students to Woodstock’s Fire Station 25
By ELIZABETH USSHER GROFF For THE BEE
It was Friday, October 11th, and there was no school due to a Portland Public Schools teacher-planning day. By invitation, twenty parents and grandparents and a dozen children walked from Woodstock Elementary School to Fire Station 25 on S.E. 52nd Avenue, just north of Holgate at Mall Street.
The field trip was part of a monthly “Woodstock Walks” series organized by Catie Tam, head of the Neighborhood Accessibility Committee of the Woodstock Neighborhood Association.
As the group gathered in the firehouse garage, a siren sounded and an engine pulled out to respond to an emergency. Then the children climbed into the remaining truck and spent fifteen minutes exploring it, and looking at the equipment in the storage compartments.
When everyone had gathered at the end of the ladder truck, fireman A.J. explained, “We have four basic tools that we use.” And, one by one, he displayed them:
The Halligan, to pry open the front door of a house
A fire ax, for chopping into wood to get into a space to attack fire
The “New Yorker”, a long metal hook to pull the ceiling down to spray in water
The TIC – a “thermal imaging camera” to see the interior of the house through smoke, or to see hot spots in walls and ceilings that are not visible to the human eye
Next he began to dress himself into his firefighting “turnouts”: The big suspenders hold up the pants with heavy pockets; the hood covers the whole head and neck; very thick padded gloves protect from burns; a backpack with tools; and, for entering a burning building, a plastic shield mask with goggles and a large breathing filter. “If you see someone like this coming into your house during a fire, you don’t have to be afraid,” he remarked.
Very important family precautions before there is any fire:
Every family should conduct a fire drill in their home or apartment, and have occasional practices. “A few minutes today is time well spent in planning for any emergency,” Rick Graves, Public Information Officer, Portland Fire & Rescue, told THE BEE.
Each family should designate a meeting place outside the house or apartment. “We do not want anyone returning to the home if there is a fire”, said Graves. “Firefighters are well trained, and can safely enter a burning structure to search for a family member.”
Bedroom and other doors should be kept closed at night – so any fire won’t spread easily.
Firefighter Jim shared the most important rule: “Every home should have working smoke alarms. That gives you the most time to get out of a burning building.”
Then, in answer to a question: “There’s a difference between a fire engine and a fire truck. A fire truck has an aerial ladder, but no water. A fire engine carries water on board.” This fire station has one of each.
Among questions posed by the children and adults:
Q.: How do you become a firefighter?
A.: You go to school – then you volunteer, take a written and physical test; and you have to be good with people. We have doctors who make career changes [and become firefighters]; people sometimes train even in their 40’s. But you have to be fit.
Q.: Why do we see you all the time at Safeway?
A. We live here, and the cook lives here, so we have to buy groceries all the time [when we are not on a call].
Q.: Do you have a fire dog?
A.: No, we have no animals here.
Incidentally, about that Safeway question, the answer is correct, but there is more to it: Firefighters drive the engine when they shop for groceries, and need to be able to park it at the store, because they can be dispatched to an emergency at any moment, and must have the engine and their equipment with them in order to respond directly from the store. There’s lots of parking at Safeway!
After the tour, Woodstock Elementary parent Bryan Hiltner created a short video from the camera footage he had taken there. You can view it here – https://youtu.be/Cfj-X-Wzvrc
At far left, the parade’s organizer, Nicole Sisco, led the “Foster-Powell Hallowe’en Parade” westward on S.E. Center Street. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
From park to park, Foster-Powell families in ‘Hallowe’en Parade’
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Now in its fifth year, a procession celebrating Hallowe’en delighted the dozens of participants in the Foster-Powell neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, October 27th, at what a costumed participant called their “Annual ‘We’en Walk’,” westward down S.E. Center Street.
Again this year, the march – officially called the “Foster-Powell Hallowe’en Parade” –formed in Essex Park, starting at about 4 p.m. The celebrants headed out soon after, on their 14 block [0.6 mile] trek west to Kern Park. Although a drenching rainstorm passed over the area two hours before this parade, there was no precipitation, not even a drizzle, during it.
Unlike other community-based Hallowe’en events, neighbors came out to participate even though there were no candy giveaways, no costume contests with prizes, and no entertainment!
So, why do they hold this parade?
The “Casual Organizer”, Nicole Sisco, responded, “Because this is a fun way to bring the community together; we’re here, just having a good time!
“While I still have no idea by whom or why this started, I took on casually organizing it by putting it on social media four years ago,” Sisco said. “And I keep doing it, because it’s grown and expanded over the years,” she told THE BEE.
At the end of the route, the kids spilled joyfully into Kern Park, racing for the playground equipment, while their parents looked on and chatted. “The bottom line is, the community is coming together, and having some fun,” observed Sisco.
If you’d like to join this saunter down Center Street with THE BEE, here’s a brief and exclusive BEE VIDEO to make that possible! –
Freddi Haldors is here shown in her retirement apartment in Milwaukie in November of 2024. She is holding one of the early religious icons that she created. (Photo by Eileen G. Fitzsimons)
SOUTHEAST HISTORY Sellwood-Ardenwald resident reaches century mark, with many memories
By EILEEN G. FITZSIMONS For THE BEE
One of the pleasures of researching and writing history-focused stories for THE BEE is the opportunity to spend time with longtime residents. Recently, I was fortunate to spend a few hours with Winifred Haldors, who has been called “Freddi” since the fourth grade, when she decided she wanted a nickname like some of her schoolmates. She is part of the third generation of her family to live in the Sellwood-Milwaukie area, and she had many stories to share:
Her (paternal) grandparents were Erik J. and Gurli M. (Ohrn) Westling. Swedish-born, they arrived in the United States in 1906, and settled briefly in Northwest Portland. Accompanying them was their 18-month old son Eric Dan Westling, and Gurli’s mother Marie.
They moved to Westmoreland, settling in a house on S.E. 18th between Bybee and Knapp Streets in time for young Eric to enter Llewellyn School. He had three siblings, Theodore (Ted), Howard, and Ellen. Their father worked as a motorman on the interurban railroad (now the route of the Springwater Corridor Trail) and later for the gas company, while their mother Gurli cleaned downtown office buildings. While attending Llewellyn, a seventh grade girl caught young Eric’s attention.
The youngest of four children, Mable Bennett was born in Philomath, Oregon, to Ina Alice (Howell) and Albert R. Bennett – who would become Freddi’s maternal grandparents. The Bennetts moved to Alhambra, California, for a period, and then returned to Oregon, settling in Boring where Albert was a crew boss in the timber industry, and Alice worked equally hard cooking for the hungry loggers.
By 1921 the Bennetts lived in a house on Umatilla Street just across from Sellwood School. Albert had a variety of jobs, as a laborer, gardener and groundskeeper at the Waverley Golf Club. His son Harry was in charge of the dye house at the Oregon Worsted Mills (the remaining buildings are now housing the Pendleton store on McLoughlin Boulevard). By 1930-31 the Bennetts moved to Ardenwald, into a house on a half-acre where they had a large garden and chickens. Connected to the house, Albert added what would now be known as an ADU, (Accessory Dwelling Unit) in which his father Oliver lived.
The youthful Llewellyn-sparked crush smoldered as Eric Dan Westling and Mable M. Bennett continued their educations – at Benson Polytechnic and at Girls Polytechnic High Schools, respectively – and they married soon after graduation. The couple initially lived in a small house on S.E. Yukon off 14th. Freddi was born in her grandparent Bennett’s house on Umatilla Street on October 13, 1924. Eighteen months later she was joined by her brother Norman, and the young Westling family moved to S.E. 7th and Umatilla Streets.
Although S.E. 13th Avenue was then becoming the center of Sellwood’s business district, Umatilla remained Freddi’s “main street.” It was her route to school, as it passed by Knipe’s Grocery Store and Benz’ German Bakery where her mother worked before her marriage. Sellwood Park was another short walk for summertime swimming and a few blocks in the other direction was the Sellwood Community Center (now the Community House) where she participated in children’s dramatic classes and performances. On Sundays her family attended the Baptist Church on Tacoma Street. By the time Freddi was a fourth grader, she and Norman often walked to the eastern end of Umatilla and along the railroad tracks there, until they reached their Bennett grandparent’s home on Balfour, just off 32nd Street.
Freddi enjoyed school – mentioning three close girlfriends, Bonnie Lee Shipley, June Nelson and Ruth Doern. Pupils at Sellwood School went as a class to the public library on Nehalem Street (now a private home). In the fifth grade she began taking piano lessons, at first traveling to downtown Portland for instruction. She soon became proficient enough to play hymns on a pump organ for the Sunday School kindergarteners at her church. When she reached high school age her teacher was Westmoreland resident Elsie Leech Wood. Freddi paid for her lessons by cooking dinner for Mrs. Wood, and babysitting her son in the evenings.
When she completed the 6th grade at Sellwood School, her family moved to a house at the northern end of 7th Avenue across from Sellwood Park. The school’s boundary line was Lambert Street so she transferred to Llewellyn. Missing her familiar base and friends, she returned to Sellwood a few times, but finally settled into her new school – finding solace when she noticed classmate Robert Haldors who lived with his family just across the street at the corner of S.E. 14th & Henry Street.
Freddi expressed enthusiasm for the practical classes that were offered in junior high (now middle school) – the workshop where the boys made coffee tables with tile tops, and the sewing and cooking classes that the girls took. Reinforced by her mother’s sewing skills, Freddi became a skillful seamstress, creating a prize-winning dress in the 8th grade. Later, she worked in the fabric department at the Meier & Frank department store downtown, its entire fifth floor a magical destination for those who sew, well into the 1970’s.
Freddi was poised to enter high school when her family elected to move to Klamath Falls for eighteen months. She expanded her drawing skills through classwork and membership in the art club there. Returning to Portland she caught up with Bob at Washington High School; he and Freddi had their first date at the Oaks Park Skating Rink, and began going steady. As he walked from his house to hers, Bob plucked a white flower for her from a shrub in the crematorium grounds.
Recalling the romantic gesture, Freddi later included gardenias in her wedding bouquet, and subsequently every Mother’s Day Bob presented her with a gardenia corsage (purchased from a florist).
But that was later. After high school, Freddi took a secretarial course at Hastings Business School to refine her typing and accounting skills, while Bob entered Lewis & Clark College. After three years his studies were suspended when he joined the Marine Air Corps. While he served in the WWII Pacific Theater, Freddi worked in offices – first at the shipyards under the Ross Island Bridge, and later in North Portland. After the war, they married, renting a house for $14 month in Hillside Park, a wartime development in Milwaukie (across from Providence Hospital on S.E. 32nd – the houses there were very recently demolished). Bob finished his final year of college, and began work in sales and service for office supply businesses: Charlie Helwig, and then Smith Brothers.
Freddi’s Bennett grandparents alerted them to a house for sale at S.E. 42nd and Kelvin, which the Haldors purchased. By this time, there was quite a colony of Bennetts-Westlings-Haldors within a few blocks of each other, because Freddi’s parents had moved to Kelvin Street in 1937. The Haldors’ home was their anchorage for the rest of their married life and beyond. It was there they raised their two children, Lynette and Melvyn, students at nearby Ardenwald School. Sadly, Bob passed away at age 73, but Freddi remained in their home until she moved into her retirement apartment thirteen years ago.
As their children became more independent, Freddi began to pursue new interests, expanding on her love of art, music, and sewing skills, and her secretarial experience. Although she and Bob were charter members of the First Baptist Church in Ardenwald in the early 1950’s, after a visit to Mt. Angel Abbey they became curious about the Catholic faith, entered a Bible Study course, and eventually converted.
They found St. Agatha Church in Sellwood to be a good match for their new faith. Freddi offered her musical skills as the pianist and organist – a volunteer position she maintained for decades. For 23 years she also served as secretary to the assistant pastor, and after joining an art group at Mt. Angel Abbey, she used her sewing experience to make vestments and decorative banners for St. Agatha and other churches.
In the late 1970’s Freddi participated in a class at Mt. Angel on the history and making of religious icons. These storytelling images painted on wood panels, fabric, and church walls, are common in Eastern Orthodox churches in Greece, the Ukraine, and Russia. St. Agatha was established by the Benedictine order at Mt. Angel Abbey, known for its contemplative worship practice, and neither institution used icons.
But for Freddi, icon-making meshed her love of art with her religious beliefs. For forty years she traveled to week-long workshops throughout the United States, studying and refining her painting skills. She explained that, as a beginner, you copy historic icons in order to understand and develop the techniques of applying the layers of rich colors and gold. When you achieve some mastery, you select a religious story or image of your own. A contemplative and devotional art practice, icon-making requires a clear plan, careful preparation, mental focus, and meticulous application of materials.
Freddi began making her own icons with small 7x8 inch wooden panels; and, while making 113 icons, she experimented with larger ones – with multiple figures, and even a triptych. As they began to accumulate, they were never sold but gifted to friends and churches. She enjoyed teaching, and shared her knowledge with four pupils. Today her small apartment glows with dozens of her vibrant icons, large and small – displayed on walls, table tops, and occasionally next to her entry door.
Although her eyesight no longer allows her to create icons, Freddi keeps busy, and remains in service to others. She crochets matching sets of hats and scarves that are donated to women and girls who need them to stay warm while living on the streets. Another resident knits squares of colored yarn, and Freddi connects them to make cozy throws which are also given to charity. She did offer repair and alteration services and her sewing machine stands ready, but she admits there is not much demand for these skills in her retirement community. She enjoys puzzles (jigsaw and sudoku) and problem solving, including watching TV programs such as “Say Yes to the Dress”, “Restaurant Impossible”, and fixer-upper house programs.
Now, having reached age 100, her advice to enjoying life is to “keep watching for something new to learn, or to expand your existing interests.”
While she is unable to return to her familiar communities of Sellwood or St. Agatha on a regular basis, Freddi remains interested in the neighborhood news through copies of THE BEE provided by a church friend. And, of course, she visits the neighborhood in the memories that she generously shared with me, and are now being passed along to readers of this newspaper.
Getting treats ready for kids, at the Holy Family Catholic School Hallowe’en Carnival, were these parent volunteers – Katrina Rask, Christine Pechette, and Lyn Hart. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Hallowe’en fun fills gym at Eastmoreland’s Holy Family School
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Rainstorms sweeping through Inner Southeast Portland on October 31st had no effect on Eastmoreland’s Holy Family Catholic School “Hallowe’en Celebration” carnival – it was indoors, in their gymnasium.
Throughout the day, two grades at a time, students were ushered into the room through a dark, streamer-laced tunnel – and into the light of fun-filled activities. There wasn’t anything scary or frightening, just all kinds of things for kids to have good times.
“Our carnival is a great way to celebrate as the school community, here at Holy Family – which is kind of like a second family for us,” observed Ethan Ott, the event organizer and a parent of kids in the school.
“This wouldn’t happen except for in for parents, Ott remarked to THE BEE. “We rely on parents and community member volunteers to come and make this a great event for the kids. And, in turn, the kids can see that the parents are here to support them, all having fun, in a safe environment.”
Indeed, the kids looked to be having great fun as they played the games, won the candy and treats, and enjoyed the spirit of the day.
Phyllis Thiemann, President of Heckmann & Thiemann, one of the Brooklyn businesses behind the “Sock-Tober” collecting of donated new socks for the needy each fall, here holds some of the socks contributed by its employees and customers this year. (Photo by Rita A. Leonard)
Brooklyn again collects socks for the needy during ‘Sock-Tober’
By RITA A. LEONARD For THE BEE
Some collect blankets for the needy this time of the year; others collect coats. The Brooklyn neighborhood responds to another winter need – frosty feet.
This fall, for the fourth year, several Brooklyn businesses joined to collect new socks for the needy during “Sock-Tober 2024”. The participating businesses collecting the donated new socks – for both adults and kids – were Brooklyn Pharmacy, Rose City Coffee, Array Bottle Shop, Acupuncture Center of Portland, 503 Lounge, Heckmann & Thiemann Auto Repair, Hip Chicks Do Wine, and PPS’ Winterhaven School in Brooklyn.
At the start of November, donations were picked up and sorted by Brooklyn Action Corps neighborhood association volunteers Melaney Dittler and Cheryl Crowe. They separated new socks from old, preparing them for donation to such places as Rose Haven, the PTA Clothes Closet, and Grout Elementary School, where they could be given to those who need them this winter.
Crowe remarked to THE BEE that the sock donations seemed to be down from previous years. Phyllis Thiemann, President of Heckmann & Thiemann Motors – one of the involved businesses – agreed. “Last year, we had an open house here, with a collection basket near our waiting area, and we were able to donate over a hundred pairs of socks – while this year we were only able to donate about thirty pairs received from employees and customers.”
There is no obvious explanation for this apparent decline in the generosity of Brooklyn neighbors, but the sock drive will return next October, and there is much hope for more donations to meet the need.
Barbara Johnson, a resident of Westmoreland’s Union Manor, and the organizer of this year’s craft sale, shows a knitted throw that she herself made, and she was selling at the fair. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
‘Arts and crafts sale’ a big success at Westmoreland’s Union Manor
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
The commons area of Westmoreland’s Union Manor, just north of Bybee Boulevard on S.E. 23rd, was turned into a “crafter’s showcase” in late autumn, as it hosted its annual “Arts and Crafts Fair”, with vendor tables taking up the entire area.
“It’s just a fun event we have here at the Manor,” event organizer Barbara Johnson commented to THE BEE. “In the past, it’s been put on entirely by the residents of the Manor to sell things that they make; but today, we’ve also opened it up to outside crafters too. So, we have half of the show being residents with tables, and half being 24 vendors who are crafters and makers from around the area.
“The best part of this, for me, is the excitement, the energy, and the good feelings going on here,” observed Johnson. “It’s amazing to see the variety of items here today.
“It’s really been a really nice event. It turned out really well.”
Look for it again next fall!
Events & Activities
NOVEMBER 24 Free toy swap this afternoon in Woodstock: Clean out your toy shelf, it’s time for a free toy swap – the location is the new “Musical Monsters and Budding Bookworms”, 4203 S.E. Woodstock Boulevard. Starting at 3 p.m. this afternoon, bring toys you no longer use, and go home with free Holiday gifts for children, friends, or yourself. Parents: If children stay at home, you can choose toys for them, but of course kids are also welcome to come choose gifts for friends or siblings!
NOVEMBER 29 Holiday Express train rides begin this morning – thru New Year’s: Santa’s Holiday Express train rides for families this year will run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays past Christmas through Saturday, January 4th from 10 a.m. till around 8:30 p.m., starting and ending at the nonprofit Oregon Rail Heritage Center just east of OMSI at 2250 S.E. Water Avenue. There’s a parking lot there, and the Orange MAX trains stop right in front of the building. The Holiday Express rides last about 45 minutes, and involve a full-size steam train and passenger cars traveling by the river down to Oaks Park in Sellwood and back. Santa is aboard! And also consider spending some time in the rail museum that is funded by these rides. Get your tickets early, online – they often sell out, so don’t delay. For full details, the complete schedule, and to buy tickets, go online – https://orhf.org/train-rides/holiday-express
Sellwood-Westmoreland Oaks Bottom tree lighting: This evening at 6:30 p.m., members of the community will gather at the full-size fir tree decked with LED lights on the bluff above Oaks Bottom, just north of Beeson Chiropractic on S.E. 13th, overlooking Oaks Park and the Willamette River, to sing carols and to throw the switch to light for the season the traditional SMILE living Christmas Tree. You’re invited to be there too.
DECEMBER 1 Advent at Moreland Presbyterian Church: This morning at 9:30 a.m., and each Sunday through December 22nd, celebrate the Advent at Moreland Presbyterian Church, S.E. Bybee Boulevard between 18th and 19th. Today is the Chrismon Tree Decorating Celebration; Dec. 8 is the Christmas Cantata, the Wassail Celebration, and Nativity Display; Dec. 15 features the Children’s Pageant (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”); and on Dec. 22 it’s “Contemplative Christmas and the Longest Night Reflection”.
Swag-making workshop in Woodstock: Today at noon, you’re invited to a Christmas Door Swag Making Workshop at All Saints Episcopal Church, at 4033 S.E. Woodstock Blvd. Certified floral designer, Cara Prescott, AIFD, CFD, will be leading a fun holiday workshop on how to make Christmas door swags. Everyone will get the chance to make and take home their own swag. $20 suggested donation for materials. Please RSVP – office@allsaintspdx.org – if you are interested, or have questions.
DECEMBER 6 Annual “Duniway Holiday Home Tour”: The 46th annual Duniway Holiday Home Tour & Boutique – the proceeds of which benefit Duniway Elementary School in Eastmoreland – takes place on Friday, December 6th. Tickets are available online at – https://www.duniwayhometour.org – or in person, today, December 6th. Details and photos on that website as well. Tour hours are 10-2 midday, and 5-9 in the evening, on the 6th. Boutique hours are 10 to 7.
DECEMBER 7 Annual community Christmastime festival and sale: “Decemberville” in Sellwood and Westmoreland is today, Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., with select events before and after that time period as well. The Sellwood Morealand Business Alliance joins with SMILE and the Sellwood Community House for a day of activities and Holiday shopping all throughout the neighborhood, starting with a FREE pancake breakfast from 10 a.m. at SMILE Station, including sausage, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and juice – and live music, from nine successive performers, from 11 to 3. Throughout the neighborhood there will be activities and sales at participating merchants. There’ll be a festive film at the Moreland Theater, carolers, hot cocoa, and much more.
DECEMBER 8 Advent at All Saints: Advent started last Sunday at All Saints Episcopal Church, at 4033 S.E. Woodstock Blvd, and continues today – and also on the 15th and 22nd, at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. All are welcome for this sacred, contemplative season for these services, which include special prayers, music, reflections, and the Advent wreath lighting. Go online for more – https://www.allsaintspdx.org
DECEMBER 14 Brooklyn’s Portland Table Tennis Club’s open house: The nonprofit Portland Table Tennis Club, located at 1720 S.E. Haig Street in Brooklyn, is holding a free public open house this afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. Although the club has officially been around for over 20 years, it moved into its new Brooklyn home in SE Portland just a year ago, and welcomes players of every level. “Come and meet the leaders and coaches of the club, and learn more about a great and growing sport!” For more information, go online – https://portlandtabletennis.com
Woodstock tree lighting late this afternoon: Tonight join with neighbors starting at 5 p.m. for the 13th annual Tree Lighting and festivities at The Homestead Schoolhouse on Woodstock Boulevard at S.E. 42nd. Smores on the fire pit, caroling, food from local vendors, ornament making, and an appearance by the fire engine from Woodstock Fire Station 25. Tree lighting at 6 p.m. with Santa.
DECEMBER 15 “History Open House” this afternoon in Sellwood: This afternoon, 3-5 p.m., the SMILE History Committee will hold an open house in the elegant new basement meeting room at SMILE Station, S.E. 13th and Tenino Street in Sellwood. Light refreshments will be served. Visitors welcome! Members will have schedules of meetings and neighborhood walks for 2025, and will share stories from their on-going history inventory. Enter via the stairway entrance on the north side of building.
DECEMBER 21 Southeast’s renowned Classical Ballet offers “Nutcracker”: Once again this December, the Classical Ballet Academy is bringing to the stage of the Lincoln Performance Hall at Portland State University performances of “The Nutcracker” to fill every member of the family with Holiday Spirit – today, at 2 and 6 p.m., and tomorrow at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets are sold through the PSU Box Office (https://portlandstate.universitytickets.com – or 503/725-3305). Tickets are $28 for adults 18+, $22 for seniors 65+ as well as youth (age 10-17), and $17 for kids age 2 to 9.
Woodstock cleans up for the Holidays: Come on out today for a “Holiday Walk ’n Clean”, picking up trash on the streets of Woodstock, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It's good for the neighborhood and good for the soul. Tell a friend or bring kids or grandkids (school community service credits can be earned). Bundle up in a seasonal sweater, ugly or not. All equipment from “Adopt One Block”. The Woodstock Neighborhood Association provides refreshments. Meet at the Woodstock Community Center 5905 S.E. 43rd Avenue, just west across the street from BiMart.
DECEMBER 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at All Saints: This afternoon at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. there are family-friendly Christmas Eve services at All Saints Episcopal, at at 4033 S.E. Woodstock Blvd – and there’s a live animal pageant at the 4 p.m. service. In addition, at the 4 p.m. service, all children are welcome to participate in the pageant and creche building – costumes are provided, and no rehearsal is required. The 8 p.m. service is more traditional – and carols begin at 8 p.m.; the service itself begins at 8:30pm. Email to – office@allsaintspdx.org – if you have any questions. All are welcome.
Christmas Eve gatherings at Moreland Presbyterian: This afternoon at 4 p.m. is the Families and Intergenerational Celebration, and at 9 p.m. this evening is the Candlelight Celebration, with choir and strings. On S.E. Bybee Boulevard between 18th and 19th. Open to all!
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church offers Christmas Mass: Christmas Eve Masses will be held today at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, on S.E. 52nd at the corner of Woodstock Boulevard. Christmas Day Mass will be held tomorrow, Christmas Day, at 10 a.m. Merry Christmas!
DECEMBER 29 “Christmastide Celebration” at Moreland Presbyterian: At 9:30 a.m. today, “Christmastide Celebration”; on S.E. Bybee Boulevard between 18th and 19th Avenues. Open to all.
JANUARY 5 New Year’s at Moreland Presbyterian Church: At 9:30 a.m. today, the service focuses on “Epiphany/New Year Celebration”. On S.E. Bybee Boulevard between 18th and 19th Avenues. Open to all.
Note: Since THE BEE is not the operator of any of the websites presented here, we can assume no responsibility for content or consequences of any visit to them; however we, personally, have found all of them helpful, and posted them here for your reference.
"Next Generation TV", in the incompatible ATSC-3 format, is currently duplicating (in the new format) KATU, KOIN, KGW, KOPB, KPTV, KRCW, and KPDX on channels 30 and/or 33; you will need a new TV or converter box capable of receiving the new ATSC-3 format in order to see these broadcasts. The one we use and can recommend is the Zapperbox -- learn more at: www.zapperbox.com
![Firemen F.F. Ross [far left] and A.J. shared very important safety advice, and displayed their fire tools, for Woodstock Elementary School parents and children on a mid-October “Woodstock Walks” visit to Fire Station 25.](images/520_120124-station25tour1_WEB.jpg)
