Linnton, Portland, Oregon facts for kids

Linnton is a neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. It sits between a large green area called Forest Park and the Willamette River. You can find it along U.S. Route 30, also known as NW St. Helens Road. It is also close to the farming area of Sauvie Island.

Linnton shares borders with several other neighborhoods. To the south is Northwest Industrial. To the east, across the Willamette River and connected by the St. Johns Bridge, are St. Johns and Cathedral Park. To the west, it borders and even overlaps with Forest Park. The neighborhood stretches a bit north beyond Portland's city limits into Multnomah County, ending near the Wapato Bridge.

Linnton's Past: A Look at Its History

How Linnton Began

The town of Linnton was first planned in 1843. This plan was created by Peter Burnett and Morton M. McCarver. Peter Burnett later became the first governor of California. They named the community after Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri. Senator Linn was a strong supporter of people settling in the Oregon Country.

Linnton had its own post office for many years, from 1889 to 1975.

Growth of Industry

Industries started to grow in Linnton in 1889. The Portland Smelting Company began building a smelting plant there. A smelting plant is where metals are melted down to separate them from other materials. After that, the Linnton Manufacturing Company started in 1892. In 1910, Columbia Engineering Works also came to Linnton.

Becoming a Town and Joining Portland

Linnton officially became an incorporated town on October 5, 1910. This happened after a vote on September 12. At that time, it was mainly a "company town." This means many people who lived there worked for the local businesses. These included the Clark-Wilson and West Oregon lumber mills, and the Columbia Engineering Works shipyard.

In 1913, the Portland Gas & Coke Company moved its manufacturing plant to the southern edge of Linnton. Soon after, large oil companies started buying land in the area for shipping and storage. Linnton was then joined with Portland in 1915. When this happened, a big part of what is now Forest Park also became part of Portland.

Later Discussions

In 2006, there was talk about Linnton possibly leaving Portland. This discussion came after Portland's Mayor Tom Potter and two city council members rejected a plan to improve the waterfront. They were concerned about environmental issues in the area.

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  Sketch of Linnton from 1909

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  The St. Johns Bridge, as seen from Linnton

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  Linnton and the St. Johns Bridge in 1963

Parks and Green Spaces

Linnton has several parks and natural areas for people to enjoy:

• Clark & Wilson Property – located on NW Germantown Road.
• Forest Park – a very large park stretching from NW 29th Avenue & NW Upshur Street to Newberry Road.
• Kingsley Park – found on NW St. Helens Road.
• Linnton Park – located at NW 105th Avenue & St. Helens Road.