Comments on: Portland area mystery solved

By: Rex Jennings

Rex Jennings — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:05:45 +0000

While i understand the fascination with this building, I do not understand why people do not comprehend that a pre-DEQ skunk works site is nowhere to want to hang out. Hexavalient Chromium anyone? If you listening carefully enough you can hear your DNA unzipping into cancerous mutations just from looking at the photo. There is a ton of information about this site at the DEQ Superfund site. The Portland Harbor Partnership has launched an educational series called On the Waterfront about clean up of Portland riverside industrial sites. Determining responsibility and clean up methodology promises to be a decades long process. OHS and GASCO historical resources show GASCO offices only around the west side landing of steel bridge, which interestingly is where NW Natural exists today.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:15:05 +0000

It’s sad that it just sits there and wastes away. It should be restored to its former glory; even if the building wouldn’t be used for the public. I don’t understand why Northwest Natural Gas won’t sell it. Obviously they have no use for the building. It is just desrespectful to let the building sit there.

By: Callie Shearer

Callie Shearer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:59:33 +0000

I am with everyone else that drives past there wondering. Would love to see this building restored and used for a community place. However found out today that they have no current interest in doing anything with it. If ever this changesd I would lover to personally be involved.

By: valerie jasperson

valerie jasperson — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:06:18 +0000

Hey Scott – My Dad worked in that building around the mid 50′s. (The employees used to refer to it as “Portland Gasp & Choke”). It was built in 1913. Was your great-granddad still at the helm by that date? This building was closed down in 1957, and has been vacant since. There’s a fair amount of info on line if you Google Portland Gas & Coke. Yeah, it is both architectually intriguing and very spooky. My Mom used one of her images of it to make postage stamps on-line and gave them to the family as Christmas gifts. They are seriously cool. I’m sure many Portlanders would be disappointed to find their romantic guesses about it’s past to be so far off base.

By: Joe Hallett

Joe Hallett — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:51:11 +0000

Scott – I was interested in your comment about C F Adams and the possibility that he was my grandfather’s boss! My grandfather, J L Hallett, came to Portland from Massachusetts around 1892 to be supervisor/manager of the gas works. I’ve been unable to find much info about his time here or the nature of his job, but I think he left around the time of the 1894 flood.