Pier Park (Portland, Oregon)

Public park in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Pier Park
The park in 2010

Type	Urban park
Location	N Lombard St. and Bruce Ave. Portland, Oregon
Coordinates	45°36′11″N 122°45′18″W / 45.603°N 122.755°W / 45.603; -122.755
Area	85.00 acres (34.40 ha)
Created	1920
Operated by	Portland Parks & Recreation Department
Status	Open 5 a.m. to midnight daily

Pier Park is a municipal park in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is in the North Portland neighborhood of St. Johns and is bordered by North Columbia Boulevard and characterized by evergreen forest. Pier Park, along with Kelley Point Park and Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, contributes land in its natural state to North Portland.

The park takes its name from a person named Pier, not because it has a pier.

History

The parcel of land on which the park was developed was part of the James Loomis donation land claim. The city of Portland passed an ordinance in 1921 naming the park for Sylvester Charles Pier (1853–1935). Previously a sales manager of Marshall Wells Hardware Company, Pier took office as City commissioner in 1919, serving four years in charge of parks. His son, Stanhope S. Pier succeeded him as commissioner and served two terms. Prior to the park, St. Johns brick company operated just a block away, until 1905 when the factory ran out of clay. The abandoned brickyard was used as a playground until 1920 when the buildings were demolished. In development of the area which was previously a wetland more than 100 men were employed from the unemployment list. Wood from clearing the site was sent to local families in need of fuel. On July 11, 1934, during a coast-wide Maritime strike, local striking longshoremen blocked railroad tracks leading into their worksite to prevent scabs from being brought in. Police fired on them, wounding 4. Bullets lodged in park trees, saving the strikers from more serious consequences. The event is called Bloody Wednesday and is still commemorated by the local International Longshore Warehouse Union.

Amenities

Park amenities include a baseball field, basketball court, soccer field, tennis court, restrooms, disabled access picnic areas, disc golf course, and paved and unpaved paths. The play structures were renovated and added to in the summer of 2007 as part of an effort to improve old equipment. A concrete skatepark resides at the Southwest end of the park, first developed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 2001, and later redeveloped by Dreamland Skateparks with a sidewalk entry designed by Adam Kuby. It is 11,070 square feet (1,028 m).

Pier Pool

The Southwest corner has Pier Pool, which is open in the summer season. The park was dedicated in 1940, including the pool. The first swimmer was the reigning Junior Rose Festival Queen. The pool was closed by the City Council, but received federal funding in Spring 2007 to be reopened in 2008.

References

Oregon Journal, July 8, 1923, section 2, page 4
Oregon Journal, November 27, 1931, page 26
"West coast waterfront strike of 1934".
"Amenities". City of Portland. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
"Pier Park (Portland, OR)". Dreamland Skateparks. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
"Pier Pool". City of Portland. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
Microfilm Room City Hall, Naming Pier Park, Oct. 28, 1963
"Pier Park pool closure and reopening with Federal dollars". Friends of Pier Park. Retrieved 2009-11-30.

Works cited

St. John's Heritage Foundation 4th edition 1959

Parks in Portland, Oregon

Parks

North	Arbor Lodge Cathedral Chimney Columbia Dawson Delta DeNorval Unthank Farragut Gammans George Kelley Point Kenton McCoy McKenna Overlook Peninsula Pier Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area St. Johns
Northeast	Alberta Cully Gateway Discovery Gateway Green Glenfair Grant Holiday Irving John Luby Kʰunamokwst Knott Merrifield Normandale Oregon Rocky Butte Sacajawea Thompson Wellington Whitaker Ponds Nature Wilshire Woodlawn
Northwest	Couch The Fields Forest Jamison Square Lan Su Chinese Garden Tanner Springs Wallace
South	Butterfly Caruthers South Waterfront Greenway South Waterfront Willamette
Southeast	Beggars Tick Wildlife Refuge Berkeley Berrydale Bloomington Brentwood Brooklyn Cherry Clatsop Butte Clinton Colonel Summers Creston Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden Earl Boyles Ed Benedict Portland Memory Garden Errol Heights Essex Flavel Glenwood Harney Hazeltine Johnson Creek Kelly Butte Natural Area Kenilworth Kern Laurelhurst Laurelwood Leach Botanical Garden Lents Lincoln Mill Montavilla Mount Tabor Mt. Scott North Powellhurst Oaks Amusement Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge Parklane Piccolo Powell Butte Powell Raymond Sellwood Sellwood Riverfront Sewallcrest Springwater Corridor Tideman Johnson Natural Area Verdell Burdine Rutherford Westmoreland Woodstock
Southwest	Ankeny Square Council Crest Darcelle XV Plaza Director Duniway Fulton Gabriel George Himes Keller Fountain Lair Hill Lovejoy Fountain Marquam Nature Mill Ends The Oregonian Printing Press Pettygrove Pioneer Courthouse Square Plaza Blocks Portland Firefighters South Park Blocks Terry Schrunk Plaza Tryon Creek State Natural Area Washington Hoyt Arboretum International Rose Test Garden Oregon Zoo

v t e St. Johns, Portland, Oregon
Buildings and structures	BNSF Railway Bridge 5.1 National Cash Register Building Portland Woolen Mills St. Johns City Hall St. Johns Bridge St. Johns Library St. Johns Twin Cinema
Business	Anna Bannanas Cafe Bernstein's Bagels Gracie's Apizza Jobes Milling Company Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation Oregon Steel Mills Pastificio d'Oro Portland Woolen Mills Schnitzer Steel Industries StormBreaker Brewing The Sudra Wonderwood
Education	James John Elementary School James John High School Roosevelt High School Wayfinding College
Parks and recreation	Cathedral Park Chimney Park George Park Kelley Point Park Pier Park Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area St. Johns Park St. Johns Racquet Center
People	James John Francis I. McKenna Terry Schrunk
Public art	Black Lives Matter street mural

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