The City That Might Have Been - Steven Reed Johnson

The new Front Street Market was afailure. Compared to the magical oldworld atmosphere of the Yamhill Streetstalls, the Front Street facility wassterile indeed-an early version of asupermarket. Within a few years, themarket which so many Portlanders hadprotested was in serious financial trouble.The city finally sold the building tothe Oregon lournal in the '40s.Some market activity continued alongYamhill for many years, but in spite ofthe determination of so many farmersand merchants to stay, the city's forcedclosure of the old central facility began aslow death for the market concept inPortland. Only with the birth of theSaturday Market under the BurnsideBridge during the'70s was some of thevitality of the old Central Market recaptured.,*NThe Front Avenue Market Building, opened December 1933>'(,.F6bo qJA PORTLAND VISION . . .A aery happy t'orm ot' community wealth is a liaely and beautit'ul neighborhood.Inits phvsical form sigtts of care and signs of fun abound. Take thehouses themselaes. If ouses haae faces. What delight we haae when the f acesare cheery, grinning and winking, Sadly, many neTo houses, instead, Iookboastful or scream t'or attention. They don't seem to care whether they sithere or in Dallas. Their main interest is themselaes. Their neighbors, theirstreets and the land around them, are o.f no concern. But there is that f eelinga house can eaoke that makes Lts say: "That's a real Portland house." Wemay not eaen notice the house at first.It has a calm repose and an emphasison amenity to all around it. We notice the generous windows watching oaerthe street, the t'ine crafted detail ot' some trim, the intriguing entrylzaydraped with t'ragrant aines, and beyond, the carefully proportioned door.Tracks Iead to the car's place-no ooerbearingarage door is uisible. Andthere are the raised t'lowerbeds, the hollyhocks, the windspinner, the toys,the ladder , the bicycles, and the aibrant aoices.-Daue Deppen, Portland Architect35