​PORTLAND, a city, port of entry and the county-seat of Multnomah county, Oregon, U.S.A., on the Willamette river, near its confluence with the Columbia, about 120 m. by water from the Pacific, 186 m. by rail S.S.W. of Seattle and about ​772 m. N. of San Francisco. Pop. (1890), 46,385; (1900),90,426, of whom 25,876 were foreign-born (6943 Chinese);(1910 census) 207,214. Portland is served by the NorthernPacific, the Southern Pacific, the Canadian Pacific, the GreatNorthern and other railways, by transpacific vessels to Hong-Kongand Yokohama, by coast-wise vessels to San Francisco, toports on Puget Sound, in British Columbia, and in Alaska, andby river boats sailing 100 m. farther up the Willamette and upthe Columbia and the Clearwater to Lewiston, Idaho. The cityis built on both sides of the river (which is crossed by five bridges),and covers about 44 sq. m. On the western side the groundrises gradually for a distance of⁠3/4⁠ to1⁠1/2⁠ m., and then rises abruptly500–1000 ft. to “Portland Heights” and “Council Crest,”beyond the much-broken surface of which rises the Coast range;on the eastern side a slightly rolling surface extends to the foothillsof the Cascade Mountains. From “Portland Heights” thereare fine views of the Columbia and Willamette valleys, and, particularly,of the snow-clad summits of Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson,Mt St Helen’s, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier (or Tacoma). In theresidence districts (King’s Hill, Nob Hill, Portland Heights,Willamette Heights, Hawthorne Avenue, &c.) are pleasantlyshaded streets, and grounds decorated with shrubs, especiallyroses, which sometimes bloom as late as January—anannual “Rose Festival” is held here in June. The city has205 acres in parks and numerous beautiful drives. It has a fineclimate, the mean temperature during the winter months from1874 to 1903 was 41° F.; the mean summer temperature for thesame period 65° F. For the year ending the 31st of May 1900the death-rate was reported to be only 9 per 1000, and in 1907to be only 8·28 per 1000. The city’s water is brought througha pipe 30 m. in length from Bull Run river, which is fed byBull Run Lake at an elevation of more than 3000 ft. in theCascade Mountains.

Portland, named after Portland, Maine, was founded in1845 by two real-estate men from New England, and was charteredas a city in 1851. Its early growth was promoted by thedemand for provisions from California soon after the discoveryof gold there, and although a considerable portion was sweptby fire in 1873 the city had a population of nearly 20,000 beforerailway communication with the East was established by theNorthern Pacific in 1883. East Portland and Albina wereannexed to the city in July 1891. The Lewis and Clark Centennialand American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair washeld in Portland in 1905 in commemoration of the expeditionof Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to this region in 1805.The forestry building, 205 ft. long by 108 ft. wide and built oflogs of Oregon fir 6 ft. or more in diameter and 54 ft. long, anda building devoted entirely to the subject of irrigation, were ofunusual interest. The forestry building is now maintained asa museum chiefly for timber and timber products.