Portland - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 424

Portland Highlights
Exploring the many restaurants and galleries in the chic Pearl District ( Click
here ) .
Sampling a wide variety of microbrews in one of the 50-plus breweries (more
than any other city in the world; Click here ) .
Watching a movie, drinking a beer or spending the night at the eclectic Kennedy
School ( Click here ) .
Wandering through craft stalls at the Saturday Market ( Click here ), grabbing a
bite and taking in street performers' antics.
Partying with the 'Last Thursday' crowds on NE Alberta in the Northeast ( Click
here ) , where artists, musicians and buskers compete for attention.
Catching a flick at one of the many movie houses ( Click here ) offering second-
run screenings for around $5.
Taking a walk in Forest Park ( Click here ) , the country's largest urban park, with
more than 70 miles of woodsy trails.
History
The Portland area was first settled in 1844 when two New Englanders bought a claim for
640 acres on the Willamette's west bank. They built a store, plotted streets and decided to
name the new settlement after one of their hometowns: a coin toss resulted in Portland
winning over Boston, and the new town was up and running.
Portland's location near the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers helped
drive the young city's growth. San Francisco and the Californian gold rush clamored for
Oregon lumber, while the growing population of settlers in the Willamette Valley deman-
ded supplies. Both relied upon Portland for services.
The city's status got a boost when the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1883, link-
ing the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the country. In the late 1880s the first bridges
were built across the Willamette River, and the city spread eastward. Portland kept grow-
ing steadily, also benefiting from the WWII shipbuilding boom.
Today over half a million people live in the Greater Portland area. Shipping operations
have since moved north of downtown, the Old Town has been revitalized and the once-
industrial Pearl District now brims with expensive lofts and sophisticated boutiques. Big
sports and outdoor-clothing manufacturers like Nike, Adidas and Columbia Sportswear
help drive the economy, along with high-tech companies like Intel and Tektronix.