Side Quest: Streetcar Stories

To get around, Portlanders living in the late 19th century had to hoof it. Although they predominantly slogged along sidewalks and muddy streets on foot, there was also a network of horse-drawn streetcars that carried passengers to their destinations. And it wasn’t long before electric trolleys began to replace them. Albina, a standalone city until its annexation in 1891, was also connected to this extensive network via the Mississippi Avenue line.

One of its most notorious stops was at the White Eagle Saloon, now a potentially haunted rock ‘n’ roll hotel operated by McMenamins in present-day Eliot. Two Polish immigrants opened the establishment in 1905, naming it for the heraldic symbol seen throughout their homeland. The watering hole developed a notorious reputation for brawls between workers from the docks, factories, and railyards; trolley conductors would often announce the nearby Russell Street stop as the “Bucket of Blood.”

There were other notable streetcar routes across town, like the tram that climbed to the amusement park atop Council Crest or the stations in Irvington, a neighborhood that’s known as a “streetcar suburb.” Many of the details (and tall tales) were buried and scattered in historic newspapers, so Cameron Booth (of Transit Maps fame) decided to dig into the archives and compile his findings in one place for others to enjoy.

Of course, you can still ride the Portland Streetcar today.