Sign Up  /  Login

Cathedral Park Pirate LbNA #35193 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Sep 16, 2007
Location:
City:Portland
County:Multnomah
State:Oregon
Boxes:1
Planted by:bedlamite9
Found by: Maiden1974
Last found:Mar 28, 2008
Status:FFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Sep 16, 2007
The site which now bears the name Cathedral Park is steeped in history. It is believed to be one of the 14 Lewis and Clark landing sites in the Vancouver-Portland area: William Clark and eight men camped there on April 2, 1806. This spot had been a fishing and camping site for many area Indian tribes. In 1847, the founder of St. Johns, James John, settled on the site and operated a ferry to Linnton across the Willamette River. In 1931, the St. Johns Bridge was built on the site with 400-ft towers and a main span of 1,207 feet. It is the only steel suspension bridge in Portland and is designated as an official historical landmark.

In the early 1970s, Howard Galbraith, the "honorary mayor" of unincorporated St. Johns, got tired of the junkyard state of the area under the eastern end of the bridge. He organized a drive that eventually raised $7.5 million to build a park. After eight years of community fundraising, combined with state, county and city funding, the park was dedicated at a community celebration on May 3, 1980. It got its name from a photo of the St. Johns Bridge by Al Monner that appeared on the front page of the Oregon Journal in 1968. Reference was made to its beautiful cathedral-like arches and the park found its name.

This is the second year that the much renowned Portland Pirate Festival will be held in historic Cathedral Park. This two day festival will feature costumes, reenactments, music, food, wares, and all things pirate. Find out more at www.portlandpiratefestival.com.

To the letterbox:
Follow N Pittsburg Ave over the railroad tracks and down to the waterfront. Look to the right for a lone bench sitting under the bridge and looking out over the small pirates cove. Directly behind this bench you will notice the remains of three adjoined stone walls. The Cathedral Park Pirate lurks in the northwest inside corner of these stony ruins.

Planted with the help of St. John's Neighbor.
First finder prize!