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In the upper left you can see the neon sign for The Pig Coffee Shop, which was later the Whistlin’ Pig, on Broadway near Taylor. They featured “Glorified Ham and Eggs” for 75 cents.

Souvenir Postcard Menu

Our newest chapters:

View of a Mt. Hood Cream Co. delivery wagon. The Mt. Hood Creamery was located at 230 East Sixth St.

Alvin Steigerwald’s Dairy was one of the earliest dairies in East Portland. 

Recent updates to Oregon Photographers. . .

New information about A.L. Thomas of Newport was added. Thanks to Jodi Weeber, Museum Archivist at the Lincoln County Historical Society for submitting the information.

Eugene Everett Lavalleur (right) enjoys fried chicken as he takes a break from operating the camera.

Edwin Patton hired Eugene Everett Lavalleur as the lead photographer for Patton Post Card Company. Lavalleur held this position from 1911 to 1918 and was probably Oregon’s most prolific postcard photographer. First, he photographed and documented the settlement and development of early Oregon, then he traveled to Washington, Idaho, California and states to the east, photographing all along the way.

Lavalleur acquired the post card business from Patton Brothers in 1918 and renamed it Pacific Photo Company. In the 1920s, Lavalleur sold the negatives and equipment to Wesley Andrews who republished many of Lavalleur’s photo cards. Many of these are mistakenly credited as being Wesley Andrew’s work.

Planes on the Tarmac and field at Portland Airport at Swan Island in 1930.

Look for updates to Portland’s Radio Days and KGW Radio.

Portland Radio Historian Craig Adams has written a history of Rose Festival Broadcasts.

On June 11, 1937, The Oregonian reported that KEX’s Chet Huntley, Rollie Truitt and Phil Irwin anchored radio coverage of the Grand Floral Rose Parade from The Stadium where the parade began. It was reported that KEX had a total of seven announcers at the mikes at several locations along the parade route. Rollie Truitt had joined KEX as The Voice of The Portland Beavers while Chet Huntley would eventually join with David Brinkley on NBC-TV's Huntley-Brinkley Report. Thanks to Craig Adams for discovering more of Portland’s full color radio history.

Newer Chapters: Toledo, Pdx Airport, Steigerwald Dairy, KGW TV, KPTV, KOIN TV & KATU TV, Baker Theatre, Hollywood and Oriental Theatre.

REVISIONS: Look for additions to Olds Wortman & King and the Tillamook Blimps. Our page on Portland Radio has some new information and pictures. Look for revisions to Portland Neighborhoods where we added a new page on the Hollywood District as well as a bit of information about Woodstock. We have made changes to Sellwood, Pixieland, Department Stores, Jantzen Beach, Lotus Isle, Kenton and Newport as well as Meier & Frank, Hazelwood, the Multnomah Hotel and Post Card History. Discover the histories in our newer chapters: Portland’s Theaters, St. Johns, Lents and Astoria. Keep watching for more updates.

I was reminded the other day by my friend, historian Kenn Lantz that our task is to make the pictures talk. Kenn (with 2 n’s) is an invaluable resource for identifying and documenting glimpses of our past. Kenn was able to experience Portland’s streetcars as a youngster beginning in the 1930s and he developed a fascination for rail history at an early age. Kenn can remember incredible details about Portland’s past. He can find many stories hidden in a post card. He discovered some new information about Lents.

Last updated 06-20-10

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