When Oregon’s Second Largest City Flooded
This morning, Portland City Hall is issuing a proclamation for a Vanport Day of Remembrance as part of the Vanport Mosaic Festival. Situated between Portland and Vancouver, Vanport was the largest federal housing project and the second-largest city in Oregon during World War II. It was also home to a thriving multiracial community. But 76 years ago, Vanport was destroyed in a catastrophic flood, and never rebuilt.
So today on City Cast Portland we’re looking at this nearly forgotten chapter of Portland history and the way it shaped the Portland of today. Talking with us is LaVeta Gilmore Jones, a co-director of the festival and a descendant of Vanport, she’s sharing how the Vanport Mosaic Festival is working to keep those memories alive.
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