Swan Island (Oregon) facts for kids
Swan Island from the west in 2018
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 Swan Island
Location in Oregon
Swan Island
Location in Portland, Oregon
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Willamette River |
| Coordinates | 45°33′38″N 122°42′32″W / 45.5606730°N 122.7089862°W |
Swan Island is a piece of land located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. It's about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) downriver from downtown Portland. Even though it's now connected to the river's east bank by land that was added, it used to be a true river island.
For many years, Swan Island and a sandbar nearby made it hard for boats to travel on the river. Ships had to use a very narrow path on the island's east side. People thought about making the path wider or even removing the island completely to help river traffic.
In 1921, the Port of Portland bought Swan Island. They dug up parts of the river to make the channel on the island's west side bigger. They used some of the dirt they dug up to connect the island to the east bank of the Willamette River. Swan Island was home to the Swan Island Airport from 1927 until the early 1940s. During World War II, it became the site of a large shipyard built by Henry J. Kaiser. After the war, the Port of Portland took over the shipyard facilities. Today, Swan Island is a busy industrial park.
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What is the History of Swan Island?
The island was first called "Willow Island" in 1844 by explorers. Boats on the Willamette River often had trouble because of a sandbar near the island. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had to dig up the river every year to keep a clear path for ships. In 1914, a newspaper article said that the city of Portland wanted to remove the island instead of building businesses there.
In March 1920, a big plan was suggested to Portland's city council. This plan, called the "Swan Island project," involved spending $10 million to improve the harbor. It included buying Swan Island, developing a swampy area called Mock's Bottom (which is east of the island), and draining Guild's Lake (which is west of the island).
Swan Island Airport: From Air Mail to Airplanes
The Port of Portland bought Swan Island in December 1921 for $120,577. At first, they wanted to use it for shipping goods. But then, they decided to build an airport there to help deliver air mail faster. Portland didn't have its own airport back then. Air mail had to be flown to Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington, which was about 10 miles (16 km) away.
A road connecting Swan Island to the river's east bank was built along with the airport. A lot of the material dug from the river, over 20 million cubic yards (15 million cubic meters), was used to fill in Guild's Lake. Much of the rest was used to connect Swan Island to the Willamette River's east bank.
The Swan Island Airport officially opened in 1927. Passenger flights stopped in 1940 after the Portland–Columbia Airport was finished. However, some limited flights continued at Swan Island until 1942. In March 1942, the Port of Portland leased the airport to the U.S. government. All private planes and businesses were told to leave the airport by late February 1942. This was to make room for a new shipyard needed for World War II. At that time, 150 private airplanes were stored at the airport.
Swan Island Shipyard: Building Ships for World War II
The Swan Island Shipyard was one of seven shipyards built by a famous industrialist named Henry J. Kaiser. These shipyards were on the U.S. west coast. Three were in the Portland-Vancouver area, and four were in Richmond, California. They were built to help the U.S. produce many ships quickly for World War II.
Swan Island became the site of Kaiser's third shipyard in the Northwest. The other two were the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in North Portland and the Vancouver Shipyard in Vancouver, Washington. The completed Swan Island Shipyard had 8 places where ships could be built. It started making ships in July 1942. This shipyard was one of only four in the U.S. made to build T2 tankers. It produced 153 of these tankers by the end of the war.
What Happened After the War?
After the war, in 1948, the Port of Portland bought Kaiser's dry dock and ship repair facilities. There was some discussion about whether Swan Island should stay an industrial area or be used for aviation again. In the late 1970s, voters in Oregon approved an $84 million bond to expand the shipyard. The Port of Portland sold these facilities to a shipbuilder called Cascade General in 2000 for $30.8 million.
What is Swan Island Like Today?
Today, Swan Island is a 430-acre (174-hectare) industrial park managed by the Port of Portland. There are also businesses in the nearby Mock's Bottom area. This used to be a natural wetland but was filled in during the 1960s.
- Vigor Industrial, a shipbuilder, has its main office at Swan Island. They operate a 60-acre (24-hectare) shipyard with three dry docks.
- Daimler Trucks North America, a big truck manufacturer, also has its headquarters here.
- Companies like FedEx and UPS have large package sorting and distribution centers on Swan Island.
As of 2008, more than 10,000 people worked at the industrial park on Swan Island.
Images for kids
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Swan Island from the west in 2018
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Swan Island from the south in 1920
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The shipyard in 1945
