TALKS AND EVENTS
Join us at our West's Block location for various talks and events! All of our talks will be hosted on site, at 701 SE Grand Ave.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Advocacy & History Webinar on PSU's Blackstone & Montgomery Court
Register now! Learn more about the history of the two PSU historic residence halls proposed for demolition which would remove 200 units of existing housing. Learn why they matter, what alternatives are, and discuss how you can help advocate! We’ll be joined by documentarian Dana Plautz, who made the fantastic film documenting significant women's history about the Portland Women's Union and the Martha Washington (now Montgomery Court) which was also designed by Portland's most famous architect, A.E. Doyle. You can view the video on youtube: “The Martha Washington Hotel and the Women Who Built Her”.
More information on Blackstone Hall (which also has important history as low income housing by Feig and Mittleman) and Montgomery Court located here on our website. You can also find more info on a petition to sign and a draft letter template for advocacy. Deadline for Demolition Delay is July 2nd so every voice matters.
June 18, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Resilient City Making (in an Era of Climate Transformation)
This presentation will focus on the climate-induced stressors impacting the Portland metro region, examining the relationship between urban design, environment, and human health, and offering frameworks for future planning.
Dr.Vivek Shandas is a researcher, entrepreneur, and over the past 20 years has served as a professor in several disciplines at Portland State University. His work examines the assumptions that guide the growth of our cities and the built environment, and the role of a changing climate system on planning systems, public health, and social justice. He has published over 100 scientific journal articles, five books, and serves on several local and national advisory boards.
His team's work has been highlighted by The New York Times, Scientific American, Guardian, National Geographic, and dozens of other national and international media outlets. In 2023 he was appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. Other recent appointments include the National Climate Assessment, and a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
June 12, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Historic Amusements on Portland's Streetcar Lines
Streetcar companies and entrepreneurs lured people out of downtown Portland into the greater Portland area and surroundings by offering entertainment in many forms. Many still operate, but many more are a distant memory. Through stories and historic photographs, find out what people did for fun in Portland before the age of television and the World Wide Web.
June 14, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Theaters of Oregon: Before the Show Began
Theaters have always captured our imaginations. Their architecture and lighting have drawn us inside. Their decorative lobbies have let us know something special was about to happen. Darrell Jabin toured and took photos of dozens of theaters. He researched Opera houses, Chautauqua Vaudeville and movie palaces.
July 19, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Simon Benson, Immigrant, Lumberman & Philanthropist Talk & Book Signing Chester Benson FREE EVENT
Simon Benson came to Oregon in 1867 from Norway as a teen. Benson made his fortune in logging and then turned to local philanthropy. Benson left his mark on Portland and the Columbia River Gorge. Chester Benson will make a presentation and sell signed copies of his new book.
July 26, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
"The Trail" Midway Attractions Offered at Portland's 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition
A wild variety of entertainments were available to visitors of Portland's 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition.
Portland entrepreneurs brought thrilling, exotic and nonsensical attractions from over the world to entertain expostiton patrons.
Join Tanya March PhD in exploring the often crazy offerings avaiable on "The Trail" through rare photos and stories.
August 23, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
"Carlines to the Columbia: the Streetcars of Northeast Portland" Talk & Book Signing
The story of the role played by streetcars in the development of Northeast Portland begins in 1888, when rails were laid northward through virgin timber and bottomland towards the Columbia River. Tracks soon also extended eastward along a prehistoric dirt road leading toward the Columbia Slough. Many twists and turns were encountered before the last steel wheel turned in 1948.
Local historian Richard Thompson is the author of nine books on the subject of Oregon streetcars and Interurbans. He has also written a dozen entries for the Oregon Encyclopedia and has appeared in several documentaries.
September 13, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
WALKING TOURS
From March to November, we offer tours of historic neighborhoods throughout the city. Click here to learn more!
