The History of Portland's Cast Iron Buildings

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The History of Portland's Cast Iron Buildings

Рет қаралды 21,995

6 жыл бұрын

As the 21st Century progresses on the city of Portland, Oregon stands as having one of the largest collection of still standing cast iron buildings (even though a good many of them were demolished from the 1940s through the 1970s). The history of cast iron structures in the city go back to the city's earliest years. In this hour long production I delve into the history of cast iron buildings in the city, using lots of old photographs, telling the stories behind many of them as well as going on a trek through downtown and visiting the many sites where cast iron buildings once stood. This trek includes primarily venturing through the Yamhill and Skidmore Historical Districts. Lots to see! Enjoy!

Пікірлер: 84

@ModeinPDX 3 жыл бұрын

This is a great video. I was born in Vancouver, Washington and have lived in Portland for decades. I was even recently homeless on the streets downtown and spent a lot of time in the last two years in Old Town/China Town. I'm so glad to have housing again and your video explains so much of what I wanted to understand about the city's history. You did an excellent job.

@catwomanbyalchemistress7587 10 ай бұрын

This remains one of my favorite all time videos ever. I just watched it in its entirety.. for the 3rd time. The cast iron architecture is my favorite in the city.

@colloquial-colette7-8 9 ай бұрын

Hi Stephen, I've lived near Portland, Oregon all my life. I'm currently 63 years old. I enjoyed watching your video on the history of Portland's cast iron buildings. But in the last 5 minutes or so it blacked out. I would like to know more about what the construction guy gave you please. Thank you so much! Colette

@OregonRose2010 7 ай бұрын

What was in the box?! We NEED to know!

@jeffreyhunt1727 2 жыл бұрын

I've watched this video several times now. I always find something "new" that I didn't notice the previous time. You make great content!

@brucemarshall1547 Жыл бұрын

Steve, thanks so much for your dedication and appreciation of these cast iron structures. I would like to encourage you to research and do a bio on Bill Naito. He was very much involved in renovating many of these Old Town buildings, including the Merchants, the Dekum, as well as the Galleria and the Montgomery Park. He is a very interesting man along with his family. I worked for him for a brief time while I was in high school and he left a deep impression on me. He graduated from Reed College and owned Norcrest China Co in the White Stag building. Very inspirational success story of an American family.

@deathbywombat 4 ай бұрын

Steve, thank you for taking the time to make this video (and others!). I have rewatched this a number of times, and have enjoyed learning more about the history of an area I've been spending an increasing amount of time in. Your editing, voiceover, and knowledge deserve far more than the raw number of views on this video. Each one is an opportunity you've given to someone to connect to their city & surroundings. Here's a token of my appreciation for the opportunity you've given me through your video 🙌

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! I’m so glad that my work has had this kind of effect. It’s definitely something that keeps me wanting to do it and enjoying it.

@jeremynkelley 4 ай бұрын

A LOT of work went into this video. Nice job man!!!❤️ Love my city :)

@alienstock Жыл бұрын

great work, you are very gifted historian.

@catwomanbyalchemistress7587 3 жыл бұрын

Oh my goodness Steve!! This video is GOLD!! I have been searching for this exact information!! This is amazing. I found it on accident. It popped up after I watched some videos on the tunnels. Beautifully done video.

@berniemazur870 3 жыл бұрын

This is amazing. It makes my heart soar, thank you so much for making this! I would be OVERJOYED if you could do one on the terra cotta works in Portland!!

@heretoforefield2066 4 жыл бұрын

awesome to see the restoration on the Hallock-McMillan building completed

@beyondtheveil3870 9 ай бұрын

I love learning the history behind these beautiful structures. Please make more videos.

@3ckell3 2 жыл бұрын

You killed it on this one!

@MarshallSteeves 4 жыл бұрын

Love these buildings so much. Walk by them just to take them in often.

@filminginportland1654 8 ай бұрын

23:26 I remember seeing the old brick buildings being demolished to make way for this Pioneer Place II block. I remember being sad I never noticed that block’s old buildings prior, as I wasn’t yet up to speed on old Portland buildings yet at that age. It was kind of sad, seeing them all in a half-destroyed state during teardown.

@arlitabeard7693 2 жыл бұрын

This is my city I love it but can't afford to live there and don't want to because of what's happening there thank you I'm always learning more about Portland on you tube

@asb3pe 3 жыл бұрын

the video ends at 55:45 just as you're about to open the box - if you didn't edit it then somebody doesn't want us to know what you found but i sure am curious about it!

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 3 жыл бұрын

Hey thanks for pointing that out, that's really strange. I know this video was fine in the past so something screwy is going on with it now. I may just have to re-upload the thing. But to address your curiosity if you click the link below and go about 7 minutes in it shows what I had in the box. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m65odrhq2tXGoqs.html

@asb3pe 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevetheAmateurHistorian thanks for the reply Steve, and yeah the edit is kinda strange. Hang onto that memento, you were truly given a gift beyond any price, a piece of history itself! I came across your video because my hobby is researching human history and specifically, all the old fascinating architecture which seems like it might be hiding a much different human history than we've been taught to be "true"- the Portland cast iron facades was news to me, fascinating stuff indeed and it adds another valuable piece to the puzzle. If I were you I'd protect what you were given, the 5 minutes of black screen seems to be a clear indication that someone is trying to hide the past and bury it for good. It's just another clue in a long list of such odd clues, and that's precisely how and why I've gone down this fascinating path of studying the old architecture. Never lose your passion for it, you're doing a great service!! Blessings.

@asb3pe 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevetheAmateurHistorian P.S. I found your playlist with all of the United Workman's Temple videos and you show the cast iron piece in those videos, great job documenting all of it!!

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 3 жыл бұрын

@@asb3pe Thank you! Yeah they’ll have to pry that and the bricks I got from the place from my cool dead hands. That was one of my most favorite buildings in Portland so to have a few pieces from it are total treasures for me.

@dillonsecreti4276 4 ай бұрын

Love the video! Also appreciate the sopranos style cut to black at the end 😂

@DeWin157 9 ай бұрын

20:25 I personally know some members of the Gevurtz family of my generation, X, but they have a different surname as Gevurtz comes from their maternal side. I am a Native Portlander, but haven't lived in Oregon for almost 26 years, I never knew this architectural history of my Beloved HomeTown, your video is Way Awesome, hopefully the calis and east coasters leave the surviving buildings alone in their quest to "earthquake proof" Portland.

@terenceflanagan1225 5 ай бұрын

Great documentary thank you

@KLEARSKITHEKREEPER 6 жыл бұрын

I love all the detail

@brianaalee1 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting!!

@damonlathe 16 күн бұрын

Really enjoyed this video….seems like there’s a screenplay in there for the fires.

@normILL 3 жыл бұрын

Fun note about Ladd who you mentioned around 30:00 - the residential section called to this day Ladd's Addition was built by him to have more affordable housing in mind. I forget the exact sequence, but I think the Laurelhurst family had just developed their area of the same name but they made all the housing so nice that lower income people couldn't afford to live there. In response, Ladd put in tons of duplexes in Ladd's Addition so that there'd be more affordable options for everyone in the city. Seemed like a guy who really did care from what I know.

@colonike007 2 жыл бұрын

Why does the screen go blank at timestamp 1436 and less for 7 seconds even though the narrative narrator continues who and why are they covering that up?

@Mephistopholies 2 жыл бұрын

Good show

@AceFurley 9 ай бұрын

"They paved paradise, and put in a parking lot..." PS: While you're in the neighborhood, you might consider doing a video about Portland's highly scenic, historic, and infamous "Vaseline Alley". (area around SW 10th & Stark).While It's history may not be very tasteful, it 's guaranteed to be very interesting, if also very, very entertaining!!!

@chadparsons1972 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome work always enjoy watching your videos

@colonike007 2 жыл бұрын

All the buildings that have dates on them the dates represent when the buildings were reclaimed not when they were built

@rebeccabrown5014 10 ай бұрын

Exactly! They ‘found’ the buildings. Perhaps they had to clean up the buildings but evidence is pointing to a previous advanced civilization that built these old world structures in America.

@MrJeep75 8 ай бұрын

Ainsworth block line in that other building is the framing from the next door building

@Toms3rdNut 2 жыл бұрын

This is actually awesome! I watch a lot of documentaries, and you do a very good job! As a native Oregonian who was raised in the suburbs around Portland.... I am so sad how Portland has turned out. While rural areas create everything people need to survive, cities nowadays only produce paperwork, poverty, and politricks. How anyone can feel safe in a city blows my mind. Seeing this makes me want to go look at some old structures. Thanks for the great content!

@eddiejenks1 Жыл бұрын

What was in the box?

@MrJeep75 8 ай бұрын

Sad they tore all those buildings down

@jasminegoin5006 3 жыл бұрын

Love your work!!

@green-eyedchild6689 4 жыл бұрын

i'm listening to this to see if you mention the company that smelted the steele in that town.

@rebuttca 8 ай бұрын

does the video cut out at 55:49 for anybody else? its a black screen for the rest of the video. i'm not seeing any comments about it. i just want to know what was in the box! great video

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 8 ай бұрын

I’m pretty sure it’s a glitch in the video cause the original is fine. I’ve actually been trying to find the original cut and re-uploading it but I am at a loss for where I saved it. But as far as what was in the box it was a chunk of cast iron from one of the columns to the building they were demolishing.

@rebuttca 8 ай бұрын

@@StevetheAmateurHistorian thank you!! honestly the comedic timing of it cutting the moment of the reveal was kind of perfect! i hope you’re able to find it some day 🙂

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 8 ай бұрын

@@rebuttca yeah the timing is crazy cause it looks intentional, I’ve even had a few people call me out for doing a corny cliffhanger. Haha

@joshmeredith3659 10 ай бұрын

What was in the box that the construction worker gave you? It cut to black the second you opened it, and stayed that way until the credits... Did you edit it out of the video after the fact? This was posted 5 years ago, and I don't see any comments mentioning the cut to black.

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 10 ай бұрын

This is still a mystery to me, the file I uploaded is fine but I’ve uploaded this to 2 different channels and both times it fades out at the same time. I’ve considered trying a re-upload to see if anything changes. But in the box was a chunk of cast iron from one of the columns to the building they were tearing down.

@joshmeredith3659 10 ай бұрын

@@StevetheAmateurHistorian What a strange glitch! But thanks for the reply, it was driving me nuts. I thought maybe it was something controversial and you (or KZfaq) decided to edit it out 😂

@colonike007 2 жыл бұрын

And with the dates you'll see names and those are the names of the people who reclaim the buildings

@dawnanewday9671 4 ай бұрын

Were the cast iron windows, doors, arches, etc. thought to be saved?

@anitaboneshow 8 ай бұрын

Where did people hitch their horses and carriages/buggies/wagons when visiting the iron front buildings? Just right out front?

@The-Portland-Daily-Blink 3 жыл бұрын

Steve!! Great video!!

@ThePacificNorseWest87 9 ай бұрын

Once a foundry is on you can’t turn it off. They always run all night and all day.

@kdigiacomo 8 ай бұрын

Last 4+ minutes the screen goes black right when the box is being opened. Odd...

@charlesshortjr-jt5ur 3 ай бұрын

I used to live on 19th and in Northwest p three blocks from the Good 😊👍

@charlesshortjr-jt5ur 3 ай бұрын

19th and Love Joy

@jackehli621 24 күн бұрын

What was the gift in the box? I can only guess it was something the guy was not supposed to give you or that part of the video would not have been deleted. Enquirering minds need to know!!

@curtisfg1 8 ай бұрын

so...what was in the box?

@user-eo9ht6li7g 9 ай бұрын

What was in the Box ???

@agoddamndelight3278 3 ай бұрын

Edit: I read the other comments. Nvm What did the construction worker give you?!?! It just goes black

@PDXborn 9 ай бұрын

Nice cliff hanger at the end... What was in the box?

@StevetheAmateurHistorian 9 ай бұрын

I’m still trying to find the original video I uploaded which doesn’t go black at the end and re-upload it but to unveil the mystery of the box: it was a hunk of cast iron from one of the columns to the building they tore down.

@PDXborn 8 ай бұрын

@@StevetheAmateurHistorian Pretty cool they saved it for you!

@heretoforefield2066 4 жыл бұрын

what was in the box

@DanielYahuahYahushaTorah 8 ай бұрын

They tore down many of these buildings because they were older than they would have us believe. They were Tartarian.

@KLEARSKITHEKREEPER 6 жыл бұрын

Way cool!

@lotuspod17axemaster93 8 ай бұрын

Im finding a lot of videos on Kelly butte im going to research that place bro it is the real deal bro, if you want i can keep you up to date on what I find, im stuck now 😂

@ThePacificNorseWest87 9 ай бұрын

2,700 Chinook is not a dense population in Oregon in 1850

@bobralk836 9 ай бұрын

This is a pretty good video. The ending is really stupid though imo. Not showing what's in the box and then leaving people looking at a black screen for almost 5 minutes is dumb. Just cut that stuff out and go right to the credits. Jokes on us and its not funny.

@colonike007 2 жыл бұрын

Other than that a+ for effort