By Doug Decker

Prescott Street jogs at its intersections with 37th and 33rd avenues for reasons steeped in time, technology and development strategies.

The Question: Why does Prescott Street jog between 33rd and 37th avenues? There must be a reason. – Dave Lynch, 35th Place

The Historian Reports: In this case there is no one single reason. There are multiple reasons related to changes in surveying proficiency, the passage of time, the helter-skelter nature of development and developers operating at the edge of the city limits in1900, and a complete absence of planning in our turn-of-the-last-century city.

Let’s look at the basic ingredients.

The grid
Back in 1850, surveyors used a grid to map Oregon and to organize our landscape into big boxes and small boxes, known as townships, ranges and sections. In Northeast Portland, our main east-west streets are organized on section or half-section lines. Prescott – all but the four-block stretch we’re talking about here – rests on a half section line.

The plats
Portland has more than 900 of these, basically plans that divide the land into lots and streets. Developers were in charge of their own plats, and they gave them unique names – some of which are pretty interesting, but that’s a subject for a future column. A plat called Willamette Addition, drawn and filed in 1888, contains the area from Skidmore to Killingsworth streets and from 33rd to 37th avenues. Of particular note, running along the bottom of that plat, is our mystery stretch of Prescott between 33rd and 37th.

So here’s what happened
The Willamette Addition was anchored on the south boundary to what in 1888 was thought to be the half-section line, the future Prescott. Actual development of the Willamette Addition didn’t happen until the 1920s and, inmany cases, much later.

Both Alameda Park (the neighboring plat to the west) and Wilshire (the neighboring plat to the east) were laid out in 1909 and 1921 respectively, by different developers using different survey technology. And guess what? The location of the real Prescott (in alignment with the more-recently-surveyed half-section line) moved about 75 feet to the north.

Meanwhile, the Willamette Addition was still just a drawing and the raw land was owned by different developers. Its four-block southern boundary, referred to as Columbia Street, was stuck on the grid of 1888 and quickly became irrelevant.

The developers of Alameda and Wilshire weren’t in control of the Willamette Addition, but they had to build streets around it and needed to tie their new neighborhoods into the actual half-section-line-based street we knowtoday as Prescott. So, build they did, marooning this yet-to-be developed four-block stretch of what they called Columbia Street 75 feet to the south, and necessitating eventual construction of the s-curves we know today when development of the Willamette Addition finally followed years later.

Thanks for asking!

Have a question for the neighborhood historian? We love solving mysteries. So, if you have a question for the neighborhood historian, email it to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.com and we’ll ask Doug Decker to do some digging.

National Night Out was a hit again this year.

More than 30 children, adults and dogs started the Aug. 2 evening at Dekum Court. They barbecued, watched Dragon Theater’s Snow Queen and her Sister, indulged in balloons and bubble machines, and decorated their vehicles.

They traversed the 1½ miles to Fernhill Park – escorted by motorcycle police officers – astride their bikes, trikes, wagons, skates, scooters and skate boards. At the park, they were greeted by Collage’s art activities, a balloon artist, a henna artist, more than 600 additional neighbors, and the Wanderlust Circus accompanied by the band Three for Silver.

Thanks to National Night Out sponsors New Seasons, Safeway and Umpqua Bank, and partners Home Forward Dekum Court Community and Trash for Peace. Thanks for another successful series of five Concerts in the Park go to the Fernhill Concert Committee: Robert Bowles, Jim & Robin Johnson, Chris Lopez, Anne Rothert and Katie Ugolini.

The Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) needs help to chase away hunger from 600 local families monthly. Financial contributions are welcome. So are your volunteer time, food donations and nickels from New Seasons’ Bag It Forward program.

That latter – the donation of 5 cents for each paper bag a customer declines – is at the 33rd Avenue New Seasons. Last quarter NEFP received $1,000.

Volunteers are especially needed to help clients select groceries from nonprofit’s shelves at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 4800 N.E. 72nd Ave. Food donations may be delivered there Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

For details about the NEFP and/or to volunteer, call 503.284.5470 or visit the Ecumenical Ministries website.

By Kathy Crabtree

Editor’s note: Although Oregon replaced its “Things look different here” slogan in 2004, recent transplant Kathy Crabtree proves it still rings true. Watch for her impressions of her new home in this and future CNews columns.

Having recently moved to Portland from the Midwest, I enjoy a spectator’s view of current Northwest trends. The latest colors, styles and fashion statements – for example, how you wear your baby – can be observed while sipping a latte at any coffee shop on Alberta Street.

The baby-wearing trend fascinates this transplant. Not only does there appear to be a wide selection of baby-wearing apparatus – backpacks, wraps or slings– but one also has a choice in baby accessorizing: front or rear views.

Then there is an additional choice of wearing your baby facing inward or outward. From my unofficial survey, it appears mothers have a tendency to wear their babies in front with the babies facing inward, at least until they are somewhat older. Fathers, on the other hand, wear the children on their backs facing outward. Analyzing this trend one could conclude that mothers tend to keep close eyes on their offspring; whereas, fathers appear more confident the babies won’t try to escape while they aren’t looking.

I’ve also become aware of multiple ways to travel on a bicycle with your child. Many bikes have child seats behind the peddlers’ seats – much like I’ve seen used in the Midwest. In my new neighborhood, I have witnessed several very creative contraptions.

One style has a basket in front with the baby facing the driver. Another has an older child pedaling a connected tire and frame. My favorite, though, is the front-loaded, cart-like equipment complete with helmeted kid, groceries and the family dog.

These sights to homegrown Portlanders are not uncommon, and more seasoned transplants have become assimilated to the culture. Those of us new to the area, however, often have to take some time to minimize the effect of the differences.

For instance, in pondering the baby-wearing phenomenon, I wonder if how one was worn will influence one’s outlook on life later on. Will those front-loaded, forward-facing babies be in the forefront of the future – looking ahead and anticipating new directions and paths? Will those backpack babies value their past and where they have come to bring a historical perspective to the future?

My best guess is they will probably grow into secure and confident adults, having spent so much time cuddled close to those who love them the most.