1889 Whitney Map of Portland, Oregon

A fine example of W. H. Whitney's important 1889 map of Portland, Oregon, one of the earliest obtainable maps of that city. It emphasizes the growing transportation networks including the Union Pacific-owned and connected Oregon Railway and Navigation Lines, and the competing Northern Pacific Railroad. Connecting railroads, projected roadways, and streetcar lines are also noted. It is one of a series of important maps of Pacific Northwest cities serviced by (or of interest to) the Union Pacific introduced by W. H. Whitney between 1889 and 1890.

A Closer Look

The map is oriented to the north and centered on the Willamette River. It is laid out roughly as a cadastral map, revealing the birth of a city in the form of a patchwork of private development projects and empty land. All streets named, and blocks numbered, for potential real estate capitalization. An inset in the lower right details the greater Portland area, including connections to Vancouver and Oregon City.

Portland, Oregon

The site of modern-day Portland, Oregon was originally a stopping point for American, Canadian, and British fur trappers active in the Pacific Northwest. Situated on the west bank of the Willamette River, it was known euphemistically as 'The Clearing', and served as a convenient rest stop on the route between Oregon City and Fort Vancouver. The site had the advantage of being accessible to deep water vessels and near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. The town of Portland was incorporated in 1851 and named after Portland, Maine, the hometown of Francis W. Pettygrove, one of the founders. Initially, Portland had a rough go of it, derided as 'Mudtown' and 'the most filthy city in the Northern States' due to drainage issues causing excessive sewage, mud, and general sludge. Nonetheless, Portland grew rapidly, becoming the major port of the Pacific Northwest by the 1870s. Its growth was spurred exponentially by the lines to the Union Pacific System and the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad, in 1883-84, which finally opened the entire Pacific Northwest to national travel and markets.

W. H. Whitney Maps

Between 1889 and 1890, W. H. Whitney issued a series of separate-issue large-scale pocket maps of western cities serviced or of interest to by the Union Pacific Railroad. These include Salt Lake City, Portland, Seattle, Astoria, Spokane, Port Townsend, Bellingham Bay, and Tacoma. There are potentially others. They are the work of a variety of surveyors, civil engineers, military surveyors, railroad engineers, and local land office, compiled locally then sent to Philadelphia for engraving and printing. Most were engraved by Louis Humphrey Everts, some in partnership with 'Howell', as 'Everts and Howell'. The maps universally bear the distinctive logo of the Union Pacific 'Overland Route', suggesting that the railroad at least partially financed their production. They were further designed to bear local advertising, the present map, for example, promotes 'The Real Estate Title and Trust Company'. Most examples, but not all, have similar advertising, with various examples of the same map promoting different companies. The maps also, universally, bear the copyright of 'W. H. Whitney', filed in Washington D.C. While we cannot be certain, we believe this to be the Boston civil engineer William Henry Whitney, who after 1888, owned a private civil engineering, surveying, and mapmaking firm in Boston. While Whitney did not consider the maps important, they are today one of his most significant legacies. Individually and collectively, they represent some of the earliest obtainable maps of their respective subjects, marking them as important historical records of the urbanization of the Pacific Northwest. Today, all such maps are extremely scarce.

Publication History and Census

This map was issued in 1889 by W. H. Whitney. It was engraved and printed in Philadelphia by Louis Humphrey Everts and one 'Howell'. The OCLC locates examples at the Huntington Library, Yale, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Oregon, Oregon Historical Society, and Bingham Young. Exceedingly scarce to the market.