I have the interesting distinction of having lived in both Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Milwaukie, Oregon. Since I have a PLACES Page for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it is only fitting that I also have one for Milwaukie, Oregon. Milwaukie's small, historic downtown gives the feel of a small town, despite its close proximity to Portland, and while it may not be as famous as the larger Wisconsin city for which it is named, Milwaukie does have a lot of history.

 

Historical photos of Milwaukie are hard to find online, but this page does include a couple of links to historical photos from the Salem Public Library's Oregon Historic Photograph Collections and American Classic Images.

 

Milwaukie History

 

The area that is now Milwaukie, Oregon was originally home to the Clackamas Tribe of Native Americans. Illnesses brought by white settlers killed many of the native people by the late 1840s. The town of Milwaukie was established in 1847 by Lot Whitcomb, Henderson Luelling and Joseph Kellogg. Whitcomb named the city after Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The spelling of the names was originally the same, but the spelling of the Wisconsin city's name eventually changed (see The Milwaukie/Milwaukee Controversy). Whitcomb and Kellogg built boats and mills for lumber and flour. Luelling went into agriculture with the 700 fruit trees he brought with him over the Oregon Trail; he and his foreman Ah Bing, a Chinese immigrant, created the Bing Cherry in 1878. Milwaukie was incorporated in 1903. The first city ordinance limited the storage of gun powder and explosives along railroad lines.

 

 

1. Milwaukie Museum

3737 SE Adams Street

 

George Wise Farmhouse, Circa 1900

George Wise was born in 1820. His wife, Sarah Elizabeth Tong was born in 1842. They were married in 1859. George Wise built the farmhouse that is now the Milwaukie Museum in 1865. It was originally located at what is now 6527 Lake Road. George and Sarah Wise raised 10 children in this house. Their first child, George Bond Wise, was born in 1867. Sarah Wise died in 1881 and George Wise died in 1886. Ownership of the house passed to their son George Bond Wise. He sold the house in 1902, and died in 1905. The house ended up being owned by United Grocers, Inc. The

George & Sarah Elizabeth Wise with second child John.

Milwaukie Historical Society was formed in 1936 and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1973. United Grocers donated the George Wise farmhouse to the Milwaukie Historical Society, who moved it to its current location. It opened as the Milwaukie Museum on June 7, 1975. The house has a plaque reading "Christa McDonald, A True Friend, June 1, 1994."

 

 

The pictures at the left show the front room of the Milwaukie Museum. The dark-colored paneling is original to the house. The photos below show a few of the artifacts in the front room.

 

 

 

This Lyon and Healy Pump Reed Organ is from the 1890s

This portable Missionary Organ from 1905-1925 was played at picnics

Writing desk with  gavels and a stereograph viewer

This transit box is used for collecting museum donations

 

These photos show the room in the middle of the main floor, which I thing was the dining room. It leads into the kitchen, which serves at the museum's small gift shop.

 

 

This view shows the upstairs of the museum

In front of the upstairs are children's items

Firefighting and equestrian artifacts

Antique typewriters and cash registers

 

This emergency call light hung at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets. In case of trouble, one would turn on the flashing light and the marshal would see it on his route, check with town hall and take care of the problem.

 

 

 

The display case includes Native American artifacts

Plywood originated at Portland's 1904 Lewis & Clark Expedition. Myrtlewood is a native Oregon wood

This display is made up of military artifacts from various wars

Newspapers from the end of WWII have a variety of headlines (both from the same day)

 

Next to a telegraph is the tombstone of Captain Frederick Morse, who was killed on Christmas Day in 1850 in Milwaukie by an exploding cannon during the launch of the Lot Whitcomb, the first steamboat built on the Pacific Coast. Lot Whitcomb was an owner of the steamboat, thus its name. Morse was buried in the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery. Eventually  this original tombstone deteriorated to the point that it could no longer remain outside. It was restored by Lambert Florin, who used a photo of it in his book Tales the Western Tombstones Tell. A bronze plaque was placed in the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery to mark the grave, noting that the original tombstone is here.

 

 

Historical Photo:

The steamboat Lot Whitcomb in Oregon City in the 1850s (Salem Public Library)

 

The Milwaukie Museum has a collection of sports memorabilia including boxing gloves autographed by Jack Dempsey and a basketball autographed by the 1984 Portland Trailblazers.

 

 

 

Before electric streetcars, transit companies used horsedrawn railcars. By putting them on rails, the horsecars were easier to pull and provided a smoother ride than carts that ran on the dirt streets of the time. Ben Holladay started the Portland Street Railway Company in 1872 with horsecars running on First Avenue between Glisan and Caruthers. Horsecar #3 was one of his first, built in 1872. It was pulled by a single horse and cost 5 cents to ride. It is the oldest surviving Portland streetcar. Electric cars began replacing horsecars in 1889 and the last horsecar run was on June 20, 1892. Part of the original route is followed today by TriMet's MAX Light Rail.

 

Historical Photo:

Horsecar #3 on parade in Oregon City in August 1948 (Salem Public Library)

 

Milwaukie was once home to the largest Pacific Dogwood in the United States. It was marked by a plaque by the Susannah Lee Barlow Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on April 27, 1952. At that point, the tree was 65 feet tall and had a circumference of 7 feet. The tree was damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm and did not survive. The plaque is now at the Milwaukie Museum.

 

2. Broetje House

3101 SE Courtney Road

 

The Victorian-style Historic Broetje House was built in 1889. It is now used as a Bed and Breakfast and a venue for special events like weddings. The estate features a water tower and is surrounded by century-old sequoia redwood trees.

 

 

 

3. Kellogg Creek Dam

 

The Kellogg Creek Dam was built to create Kellogg Lake behind it, which was used as a log pond. It was a barrier to fish until a fish ladder was added in 1954. The dam is incorporated into the bridge for McLoughlin Boulevard (Highway 99E).

 

4. Willamette River Railroad Bridge

 

The two 298 feet through truss spans of this railroad bridge are dated 1907. The east approach is a slightly-curved 668-foot wood trestle. Total length with approaches is 1,378 feet. The line between Milwaukie and Lake Oswego was completed and opened in 1910. It was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996. The line has been leased by the Portland & Western Railroad since 1995.

 

5. First State Bank of Milwaukee Building

10883 SE Main Street

 

The First State Bank of Milwaukie Building was built in 1909. It was home to the State Bank of Oregon, and later Perry's Pharmacy and The Gay Blade clothing store, which placed a drinking fountain in front. The Gay Blade also had a location in Salem. The fountain was revitalized by Celebrate Milwaukie Inc.

 

 

6. Pharmacy Building

2008 SE Monroe Street

 

This building was once a pharmacy and is now one of several in downtown Milwaukie occupied by Dark Horse Comics.

 

 

 

 

7. Grocery Building

10977-10999 SE Main Street

 

This building was once a grocery store. Half of it is now occupied by Things From Another World.

 

 

 

 

8. Milwaukie Masonic Lodge

10636 SE Main Street

 

Milwaukie Lodge #109 of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons was built in 1925.

 

 

 

9. Milwaukie High School

11300 SE 23rd Street

 

 

It is surrounded by a number of much newer expansions, but the oldest part of Milwaukie High School was built in 1925, a time when public schools were designed with elaborate details. Even the base of the flagpole includes these details.

 

Back by the athletic fields is a drinking fountain placed by the Milwaukie Rotary Club in memory of Tim DeShields, a Milwaukie High School exchange student to Curitiba, Brazil in 1971-1972. The plaque includes the word "saudades," which means "sadness" in Brazil's national language of Portuguese.

 

 

10. Milwaukie Junior High School

2300 SE Harrison Street

 

This building opened in November 1936 as the new Milwaukie Jr. High School. It was renovated in 1978. It was sold to the Portland Waldorf School (established 1982)and vacated after the 2002 school year.

 

This plaza features a flagpole & a stone from Christopher Schaefer from the Dedication to the Portland Waldorf School from September 2002 reading:

May this school be dedicated to the love and education of children.

May it nourish them and foster in them a love of truth, beauty and goodness.

May it help them become free, creative, moral human beings.

I ask the spirits of strength, light and soul to help that it be so.

 

11. Milwaukie City Hall

10722 SE Main Street

 

Milwaukie didn't have a City Hall building until this one was built and dedicated in July, 1938.

 

 

 

In the entry is a marble list of area residents who lost their lived in World War II from the Milwaukie Kiwanis Club.

 

 

 

 

DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN

OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO SERVED

OUR COUNTRY DURING WORLD WAR II

IN MEMORY

 

 

PRESENTED BY

MILWAUKIE KIWANIS CLUB

 

1847                                                      1947   THIS MARKER IS PLACED IN THIS LOCATION HONORING HENDERSON LUELLING AND HIS SON, ALFRED, WHO LEFT IOWA IN THE SPRING OF 1847 WITH A NURSERY STOCK CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 700 GRAFTED FRUIT TREES, BERRIES AND SHRUBBERY PLANTED IN AN OPEN WAGON. THEY ARRIVED IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY ON NOVEMBER 17, 1847. ON FEBRUARY 5, 1848 HENDERSON LUELLING SETTLED ON HIS D.L.C. WHERE HE SET OUT HIS TRAVELING NURSERY A MILE NORTHWEST OF THIS POINT.

 

In front of the Milwaukie City Hall is a stone with four plaques on it in honor of Milwaukie's founding pioneers and the city's first council.

 

 

HONORING MILWAUKIE'S FOUNDERS     ALFRED LUELLING 1847 SETH LEWELLING 1851 JOSEPH H. LAMBERT 1850     ESTABLISHED THE FIRST FRUIT INDUSTRIES ON THE PACIFIC COAST

HONORING MILWAUKIE'S FOUNDERS   INDUSTRIES LOT WHITCOMB 1847 JOSEPH KELLOGG 1847 SAW MILL FLOUR MILL BOAT BUILDING   EDUCATION HECTOR CAMPBELL 1849 FIRST SCHOOL TEACHER

 

 

Next to the overhead doors is a plaque from the Milwaukie Fire Department dated February 5, 1956 in memory of fireman Warren Nott, "who gave his life that others may live."

 

 

 

Embedded in the sidewalk at the corner of SE Main and Harrison adjacent to City Hall is the Milwaukie City Seal.

 

 

 

 

12. Waterfront Park

 

Milwaukie sits on the eastern bank of the Willamette River, and the shore is occupied by a Waterfront Park and boat launch.

 

THE REV. PETER JOHN DeSMET, S.J. PEACE MAKER 1801 - 1873 NEAR THIS SPOT PASSED FATHER DeSMET, JESUIT MISSIONARY TO THE INDIANS. HIS LOVING FAITH AND BOUNDLESS COURAGE HELPED ESTABLISH COURAGE IN THE OREGON COUNTRY   WILLAMETTE CHAPTER D.A.R. 1937

Waterfront Park includes a monument that seems to predate the park itself by many years. This monument was placed by the Willamette Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1937 in honor of Reverend Peter John DeSmet, a Roman Catholic missionary pioneer in the Pacific Northwest.

 

At the boat launch is this trashcan, which was donated by Chere M. Sandusky in April 1986 to honor her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Howard James Griffiths.

 

 

 

 

13. Milwaukie Cinema

11011 SE Main Street

 

The Milwaukie Cinema was built in the 1940s as the Victory Theater. Its address is on Main Street, as the Victory Theater's original entrance was on the corner, but the current entrance fronts on Jefferson Street. It is currently owned and operated by Electric Castles Wunderland.

 

 

Historical Photo:

Victory Theater, August 1985 (American Classic Images)

 

14. Lacey's Bomber Restaurant

13515 SE McLoughlin Boulevard

 

The Bomber is a Portland area landmark: a B-17G Flying Fortress that has been here since 1947, originally sheltering a 40-pump gas station. After local pilot and gas station owner Art Lacey accepted a $5 bet that he couldn't install such a plane over his station, he spent $13,750 to purchase this war-surplus Flying Fortress (one of the last built; the war ended before it could be put into service) and flew it from Oklahoma to Oregon. The Bomber was installed over the gas station in 1947, and a Drive In was added in 1948. The gas station closed in 1991, and the B-17 has been under restoration since 1996.

 

The Bomber has its own World War II museum, which contains a gun turret and the restored nose section of the B-17. The cockpit section is currently being restored in Aurora, Oregon. As sections are restored, they will be put on display here until all sections are complete and the plane can be fully reassembled.

 

The Bomber sometimes hosts classic car shows, like the 2008 Bomber Cruise-In.

 

15. Ledding Library & Scott Park

10660 SE 21st Avenue

 

Alfred Lewelling established Milwaukie's first library in 1889 in Thomas Larkin's law office at the southeast corner of Main and Washington Streets. The office soon burned, and other locations for the library included the pharmacy and city hall. In 1961, Mrs. Florence Ledding, stepdaughter of Seth Lewelling, bequeathed her home at 21st & Harrison to the city of Milwaukie for use as a Library named after herself and her husband Herman F. Ledding. She also donated $5,000 for books plus many books from her own collection. Through a $150,000 bond in 1963 the home was remodeled and an addition built. The grand opening of the Ledding Library was held on Sunday, January 17, 1965.

 

A fountain in memory of Silas F. & Eva M. Peake landscaped by John Herbst, Jr. was part of the 1965 dedication  This sculpture by Lee Kelly was commissioned by the Peake family in 1972. By 1982 the fountain had been heavily vandalized and was removed and stored. In 2006, it was restored and placed in front of the library. The stonework is engraved with donors' names.

 

THIS FOUNTAIN IN LOVING MEMORY OF   SILAS F.   AND   EVA M. PEAKE   DEDICATED 1965

LANDSCAPING BY JOHN HERBST, JR. 1965   FOUNTAIN SCULPTED BY LEE KELLY 1972   GROUNDS DEDICATED NOVEMBER 1, 1975

 

In Appreciation For Making This Project Possible The City of Milwaukie The Friends of Ledding Library Willie Miller Kelly Somers Grady Wheeler Jack Perry Mike Swanson Nancy Wittig SEPTEMBER 2006

Milwaukie City Council 2006   Mayor James Bernard Deborah Barnes Joe Loomis Carlotta Collette Susan Stone

 

Behind Ledding Library is Scott Park, named for pioneer Milwaukie farmers Richard & Hannah Scott. From 1965 to 1975 landscaping, benches, a sundial & amphitheater were donated by community groups.

 

MILWAUKIE LEDDING LIBRARY LANDSCAPING DONATIONS
MEMORIALS TO MRS. TERESA BLACKBURN MRS. AUGUSTA HARE MISS NAOMI HART MRS. EMERALD WALDRON GARDEN CLUBS ARDENWALD BATTIN MAPLEHURST MILWAUKIE OAK GROVE WICHITA		MILWAUKIE GROUPS ARDENWALD MOTHERS CLUB ARDENWALD P.T.A. AMERICAN LEGION POST 180 FRIENDS OF LEDDING LIBRARY JAYCEES MILWAUKIE GRAMMAR P.T.A. MILWAUKIE HIGH P.T.A. MILWAUKIE JR HIGH P.T.A. PARK AND BEAUTIFICATION COMM ROTARY WELCOME WAGON CLUB
1965	HAROLD MILLER	RAY WILLIS	1975
	STUDENTS - SABIN SKILL CENTER

 

AMPHITHEATER   IN MEMORY OF   ELLEN J. "NELL" MARTIN

BENCHES....   "COME, REST AWHILE BESIDE THE STREAM AND WHEN YOU LEAVE  - TAKE A BOOK"   IN LOVING MEMORY OF AETNA AND ZENAS OLSON

PLANTINGS AND SUNDIAL   DEDICATED TO   CARE AND ENJOYMENT OF THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE   MILWAUKIE GARDEN CLUB 1975

 

FOUNTAIN PRESENTED BY   LEWIS & ALICE MEASURE   AN EXPRESSION OF OUR WARMEST & DEEPEST AFFECTION FOR MILWAUKIE, OREGON   MARCH 1978

 

 

 

 

 

 

In March 1978, a fountain was presented by Lewis & Alice Measure. By 2007 the fountain had been shut down for years and was deteriorating, and the stone wall that was part of it had become a nuisance. The fountain was removed and on April 26, 2008 this bench was dedicated in its place.

 

16. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

10955 SE 25th Avenue

 

The tall spire of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church can be seen from quite a distance.

 

17. Saint Stephans Serbian Orthodox Church

11447 SE 27th Avenue

 

Saint Stephens Serbian Orthodox Church is another Milwaukie church. It's not clear how old the church building is, but it certainly has a classic look.

 

 

 

 

18. Dogwood Park

 

Dogwood Park is a small park at the south end of downtown Milwaukie that borders Kellogg Creek/Lake. This picture shows a group of Canadian Geese in Dogwood Park.

 

 

 

19. Milwaukie Historical Mural

11153 SE 21st Avenue

 

The Milwaukie Historical Mural on the south wall of Classic Memories Motor Cars was unveiled on July 12, 2000. Each panel represents fifty years of Milwaukie history, starting with the year 1800 on the left panel. The mural was created by the Milwaukie Downtown Development Association & its Visual Arts Committee, Larry Kangas of Kangas Murals, Milwaukie High School art instructor Lori Moe-Burgener and her students and Madelaine Bohl of the Milwaukie Historical Society. Supporters and contributors included the Regional Arts and Cultural Council, the Historic Milwaukie Neighborhood Association, the Island Station Neighborhood Association, the Milwaukie Downtown Development Association, the City of Milwaukie, Milwaukie Lumber and the Ledding Library. The artists were Larry Kangas, Trenton Carpenter, Sadie McCarthy, Bonnie Chasteen, Mike Reilly, Kevin Palan, Christina Iggulden, Jarod Roberts, Becky Weston, Lisa Linder, Lori Moe-Burgener and Melissa Boetcher, Lisa Boetcher and Lois Harris (daughter, mother and grandmother respectively).

 

20. Jackson Street Mural

10801 SE Main Street facing Jackson Street

 

This mural on the north wall of the building housing Chopsticks Express facing Jackson Street was painted by Larry Kangas and was completed in July of 2001. It depicts Henderson Luelling and Seth Lewelling and Milwaukie in 1900. November 17, 1847, Henderson Luelling and his son Alfred arrived from Iowa with a special wagon filled with a mixture of 700 ornamental and fruit trees. It is said that a group of hostiles, upon seeing the nature of their cargo, allowed them safe passage through their territory. Seth Lewelling and Ha Bing developed the Bing Cherry.

 

 

 

21. Peake Funeral Chapel 9/11 Monument

1925 SE Scott Street

 

This monument at the Peake Funeral Chapel remembers the events of September 11, 2001, "A Day Not To Be Forgotten," in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, New York, New York and Washington, DC. It bears the logo of the Alderwoods Group and is identical to one in Rainier, Oregon's Riverfront Park.

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Related Links:

City of Milwaukie

Milwaukie Museum

 

Also see:

Cost of Quiet

2008 Bomber Cruise-In

2009 Bomber Cruise-In

PORTLAND PLACES - Historic Belmont Firehouse

PORTLAND PLACES - Ankeny Square & Skidmore Fountain

PORTLAND PLACES - Tom McCall Waterfront Park

PORTLAND PLACES - Pioneer Courthouse Square

PORTLAND PLACES - Willamette Shore Trolley

PORTLAND PLACES - Oregon Convention Center

PORTLAND PLACES - Willamette River Bridges

PORTLAND PLACES - Brooklyn Roundhouse

PORTLAND PLACES - Council Crest Park

PORTLAND PLACES - Golf Junction

PORTLAND PLACES - Hoyt Street Yard & Lovejoy Columns

PORTLAND PLACES - Oaks Amusement Park

PORTLAND PLACES - South Waterfront & Aerial Tram

PORTLAND PLACES - Union Station

PORTLAND PLACES - Albers Mill

PORTLAND PLACES - Firefighters Park

PORTLAND PLACES - Keller Auditorium

PORTLAND PLACES - PGE Park

PORTLAND PLACES - Plaza Blocks

PORTLAND PLACES - Portland's Tallest Buildings

PORTLAND PLACES - South Park Blocks

PORTLAND PLACES - Washington Park & Oregon Zoo

PLACES - Clackamas River Bridges, Oregon

PLACES - Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson, Washington

PLACES - Hood River, Oregon

PLACES - The Dalles, Oregon

PLACES - Oregon City, Oregon

PLACES - Salem, Oregon

PLACES - Lebanon, Oregon

PLACES - Astoria, Oregon

PLACES - Rainier, Oregon

PLACES - Antique Powerland, Brooks, Oregon

PLACES - Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon

PLACES - Kelso-Longview, Washington

PLACES - Stevens Pass, Washington

PLACES - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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All website content, including graphics and pictures are © Robert D. West unless otherwise noted.  Content is not to be used out of the context of this webpage without expressed permission.  Any opinions expressed herein are mine and are not necessarily shared by the Milwaukee School of Engineering, or anyone else.

 

Questions? Comments? Critiques? Corrections? Concerns? Email me at westr@msoe.edu.