The City of Roses—The Green City—Portland, Oregon

Abstract

Located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Portland was an ideal choice for the joint meeting of the National Council on Public History and the American Society for Environmental History. Incorporated in 1851, Portland is a relatively old city for the American West, yet it is also a thoroughly modern city that celebrates its reputation as the most environmentally friendly or “green” city in the United States. Through historic preservation, Portland has found a way to protect its historic resources and engage in environmentally sustainable forms of modernization. The sites reviewed for this issue of The Public Historian reflect Portland’s environmentalism, its commitment to historic preservation, and its diverse cultural history. Our reviewers visited traditional museums, archives, and historic sites. They also explored the city’s unique offerings in historic preservation and cutting-edge efforts to incorporate green technologies into adaptive reuse projects. We begin with Debbie Bahn’s assessment of the venerable Oregon Historical Society and History Museum. Bahn notes that the museum is one of the primary cultural and historical attractions in Portland and serves as the de facto state museum. As such, the society’s collections, museum, research library, and educational programs seek to address the diverse experience of Oregonians. TPH 32-4 11/30/10 4:32 PM Page 110