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About St. Johns, Portland, OR

St. Johns is a neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. This neighborhood is located in North Portland on the tip of the peninsula formed by the Willamette River and the Columbia River. St. Johns is bordered by the Columbia River (separating it from Hayden Island) to the northeast, the Willamette River (separating it from Sauvie Island and Linnton) to the northwest, the North Portland railroad cut the University Park, Portsmouth, and Cathedral Park, the neighborhood to the southwest. St. Johns sits north of Cathedral Park, which is home to the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley, the St. Johns Bridge. The main business district of St. Johns surrounds the intersection of Lombard and Philadelphia Streets.

History of St. Johns, Portland, OR

St. Johns is named in honor of settler James John. He made his journey to the Pacific Northwest from Westport, Missouri in 1841. His first residence was in Linnton, Oregon before moving across the river no earlier than 1844. Five years after John’s settlement, nearly 12 families laid claim to land in the vicinity. In 1865, John had a portion of his land surveyed and plotted into eight blocks for a townsite. Additional blocks were added in 1870 and 1876. John would often donate small parcels of his land to his friends without means. After his death, James John left his remaining personal property to the township of St. Johns to use to build a public school. It was John’s wish that children of all religious denominations could study together and receive an education that stressed the importance of civic engagement. John requested that all of his assets be sold off to raise funds for first his burial and funeral and the remainder to building the new school house.

According to The Oregonian, the first electric sawmill in the United States was constructed in St. Johns by M. B. Rankin of the Electric Sawmill company in 1903. After the building’s erection the owners changed hands and production went dormant. The saw itself was a success, but the financiers of the mill failed to keep up a steady output of lumber.

In 1902, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company built a new line along the harbor. After the railway was completed, several businesses flocked to St. Johns, the first being the Portland Manufacturing Plant.

St. Johns was officially recognized as a municipality by the Oregon State Legislature on January 5, 1902. Early citizens tasked with incorporation of their small town formed a new school district and petitioned the county court for a vote of approval. In 1904, the St. Johns Civic Improvement League was established to help the infant city catch up with the more established sites along the Willamette River. For almost two years after the town was established the streets remained unnamed and houses went unnumbered, making postal service impossible.

The electric streetcar line in St. Johns connecting the town to Albina and Portland was petitioned in 1902 by the University Park Board of Trade. Passengers were forced to board a steam streetcar at Killingsworth and Williams if they wanted to travel to the peninsula. Work began to electrify the line in June 1902.