North Williams Avenue

North Williams Avenue is a north-south street located in Portland, Oregon, United States, and it defines the eastern boundary of North Portland. North Williams Avenue stretches from its southern terminus at Northeast Winning Way, near the Moda Center, to its northern terminus at North Winchell Street, a distance of 3.3 miles (5.3 km). It is a street common to the Portland neighborhoods Eliot, Boise, Humboldt, and Piedmont.

North Williams Avenue
The Rinehart Building on North Williams Avenue
Part ofNorth Portland
Albina
NamesakeGeorge Henry Williams
Maintained byCity of Portland
Length3.3 miles (5.3 km)[1]
Width40 feet (12 m)[2]
LocationPortland, Oregon
Postal code97211, 97217, 97227
North endNorth Winchell Street 45.580140°N 122.666807°W / 45.580140; -122.666807
South endNorth Winning Way 45.533101°N 122.666790°W / 45.533101; -122.666790

History

The town of Albina, Oregon was platted in 1872 by Edwin Russell, William Page, and George Williams, and streets were named for each of the founders. Albina expanded northward in successive plats, resulting in slight misalignments of Williams Avenue at Alberta Street and Dekum Street. In 1891 Albina was annexed into Portland.[3]

In the early 20th century, property owners and politicians sought to restrict access to nonwhites in most residential areas in Portland. In 1919 the Portland Realty Board declared that selling property in a white neighborhood to Negro or Chinese people was unethical, and by 1940, half of Portland's Black community lived in the North Williams Avenue area.[4][5] The street became known as the central hub of African American Portland.[6]

A redevelopment plan in the late 1980s caused a gradual shift in demographics along North Williams Avenue and the surrounding area.[7] One stretch of the avenue began to carry 3,000 bicycle commuters per day, making the street a vital artery for non-motorized traffic,[8] but changes along North Williams Avenue were not always well received.[9]

Historic resources

Three sites listed with the National Register of Historic Places are located on North Williams Avenue, the Rinehart Building, the Charles Crook House, and the Henry C. and Wilhemina Bruening House. Moreover, the Portland Historic Resources Inventory of 1984 counted 26 sites of interest on North Williams Avenue.[10]

Public transportation

North Williams Avenue is served by TriMet lines 4[11] and 44.[12]

Media references

"Williams Avenue" is a song by the Portland band, Quarterflash. It is track #9 on the album, Quarterflash.

See also

References
  1. "North Williams Avenue". Google Maps. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  2. Cawley, Wendy; et al. (August 2012). "North Williams Traffic Operations Safety Project" (PDF). City of Portland. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  3. Snyder, Eugene E. (1979). Portland Names and Neighborhoods. Portland: Binford & Mort. pp. 82, 229. ISBN 978-0832303470.
  4. The renumbering plan of 1931 renamed the street from Williams Avenue to North Williams Avenue.
  5. Gibson, Karen J. (April 2007). "Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment, 1940-2000". Transforming Anthropology. Arlington, Virginia: Association of Black Anthropologists. 15 (1): 3–25. ISSN 1548-7466. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  6. España, Marco (September 3, 2013). "North Williams's Growth Spurt". Portland Monthly. Portland. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  7. Loving, Lisa (August 9, 2011). "Portland Gentrification: The North Williams Avenue that Was – 1956". The Scanner. Portland. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  8. Crain, Liz (August 2011). "Portland's North Williams Avenue". Via. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  9. Lubitow, Amy; Miller, Thaddeus; Shelton, Jeff (2013). "Contesting the North Williams Traffic Operations and Safety Project" (PDF). Portland State University. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  10. "1984 Portland Historic Resources Inventory" (EXCEL). City of Portland. 1984. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  11. "44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest" (PDF). TriMet. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  12. "4-Division/Fessenden" (PDF). TriMet. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
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