Here’s a handsome map of electric rail transportation in and around Portland, Oregon that – somewhat curiously – I hadn’t come across before. For the most part, it correlates with my own research into the network in the 1920s, though there are two little stub lines shown that I haven’t previously seen on any other map. The first of these is a branch on the Oregon City interurban from the Gladstone stop eastwards a short distance to “Gladstone Park”, while the second branches off from Fairview on the Troutdale Division to an unnamed station next to what looks like today’s Sandy Boulevard.

Strangely, the yellow “Observation Route” seems to be made up of multiple different streetcar routes within Portland, rather than being one cohesive service. The foremost of these was the Council Crest (CC) line, which ran to an amusement park located at the highest point within the city in the southwest hills.

Also of note is the prominent display (due to the map’s unusual perspective) of the Willamette Valley Southern’s interurban line from Oregon City to Mount Angel, which is the line “controlled” (but not owned) by the electric company denoted in the text to the top right. There are lots of other interesting facts in the text, including the gross earnings of the company in 1923 – $10,825,380. The new hydroelectric power plant mentioned is the Oak Grove hydro dam on the Clackamas River, still owned by PGE to this day and still generating electricity.

In short, a superbly drawn and fascinating map from near the end of Portland’s streetcar heyday, full of historical interest.

Source: raremaps.com