Comments on: Alameda Street Names http://alamedahistory.org Connecting Past and Present in Northeast Portland's Historic Homes Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:52:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-940 Doug Sun, 03 May 2009 04:38:50 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-940 Thank you, Anne, for this gem of information. Duly noted. I have updated the page with this information. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you'll enjoy the reading. -Doug Thank you, Anne, for this gem of information. Duly noted. I have updated the page with this information. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you’ll enjoy the reading.
-Doug

]]> By: Anne Hawley http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-936 Anne Hawley Sat, 02 May 2009 17:21:42 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-936 Great blog! I've added it to my feed so I don't miss new articles. As a student of languages, I felt sure that Alameda, though nominally Spanish, must have Arabic roots, as do nearly all Spanish words beginning with "Al" (simply "the" in Arabic). A short search turned up this tidbit: "Alameda, Spanish for <i>paseo con arboles</i> [street with trees], is borrowed directly from the Arabic <i>al-muwatta</i>, which means 'the well-trodden path,' or the 'the clear path.'" Source: http://latinomuslims.blogspot.com/ Great blog! I’ve added it to my feed so I don’t miss new articles.

As a student of languages, I felt sure that Alameda, though nominally Spanish, must have Arabic roots, as do nearly all Spanish words beginning with “Al” (simply “the” in Arabic). A short search turned up this tidbit: “Alameda, Spanish for paseo con arboles [street with trees], is borrowed directly from the Arabic al-muwatta, which means ‘the well-trodden path,’ or the ‘the clear path.’”

Source: http://latinomuslims.blogspot.com/

]]> By: Doug http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-379 Doug Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:20:08 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-379 Hi Roberta. Thanks for stopping by the site and sharing your thoughts about Alameda. My hunch is the big house you are referring to is the Autzen Mansion at 24th and Alameda(I remember that estate sale too!). You can learn more about that great house in William Hawkins excellent book "Classic Houses of Portland." While he was not the architect on the Autzen mansion, I am preparing some background on Alameda architect Harry Phillips, who lived across the street and designed many of the homes along and just below that part of the ridge. Hi Roberta. Thanks for stopping by the site and sharing your thoughts about Alameda. My hunch is the big house you are referring to is the Autzen Mansion at 24th and Alameda(I remember that estate sale too!). You can learn more about that great house in William Hawkins excellent book “Classic Houses of Portland.”

While he was not the architect on the Autzen mansion, I am preparing some background on Alameda architect Harry Phillips, who lived across the street and designed many of the homes along and just below that part of the ridge.

]]> By: Roberta Herget http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-374 Roberta Herget Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:00:54 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-374 Great info! I've lived in the Hollywood district for 20+ years on the fringe of Alameda. I love this neighborhood. It's so convenient, with almost everything within walking distance, and the airport is only a few minutes away by car or you can hop on the Max line and go right to the terminal. I once attended an estate sale in one of the grand old homes on Alameda street that was built in the 1920's and they had a ballroom! I've never forgotten how palatial that home was. It had 4 fireplaces and the most amazing tile work in the bathroom. The view was incredible, even in the daytime. I can imagine what it must look like at night - the whole city twinkling below you. The people who live on the Alameda ridge are really lucky. I'm giving your book for Christmas to a relative who used to live on Wisteria Drive in the 1940's. Great info! I’ve lived in the Hollywood district for 20+ years on the fringe of Alameda. I love this neighborhood. It’s so convenient, with almost everything within walking distance, and the airport is only a few minutes away by car or you can hop on the Max line and go right to the terminal. I once attended an estate sale in one of the grand old homes on Alameda street that was built in the 1920′s and they had a ballroom! I’ve never forgotten how palatial that home was. It had 4 fireplaces and the most amazing tile work in the bathroom. The view was incredible, even in the daytime. I can imagine what it must look like at night – the whole city twinkling below you. The people who live on the Alameda ridge are really lucky. I’m giving your book for Christmas to a relative who used to live on Wisteria Drive in the 1940′s.

]]> By: Gregg Herrington http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-176 Gregg Herrington Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:13:38 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-176 For more on Wiles, Google his name and prowl around. I found this page, with a ton of bio stuff on him. http://books.google.com/books?id=bG4UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=elwood+wiles&source=web&ots=PuZpcARFgy&sig=29Xbklu161Rfp2SaEi_AyYCuLJc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA136,M1 For more on Wiles, Google his name and prowl around. I found this page, with a ton of bio stuff on him.

http://books.google.com/books?id=bG4UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=elwood+wiles&source=web&ots=PuZpcARFgy&sig=29Xbklu161Rfp2SaEi_AyYCuLJc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA136,M1

]]> By: Gregg Herrington http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-175 Gregg Herrington Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:55:39 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-175 Elwood Wiles' name, and dates such as 1911, are carved into many of the sidewalks in the oldest part of Vancouver -- those neighborhoods within 25 blocks or so of the Columbia River and just a few blocks on either side of Main Street. The curbs on these same blocks often have horse rings embedded in them. I had always assumed Wiles was a Vancouver concrete entrepreneur -- and perhaps he was. I don't know where he lived, but now I know he he worked both sides of the river. Thanks. Elwood Wiles’ name, and dates such as 1911, are carved into many of the sidewalks in the oldest part of Vancouver — those neighborhoods within 25 blocks or so of the Columbia River and just a few blocks on either side of Main Street. The curbs on these same blocks often have horse rings embedded in them. I had always assumed Wiles was a Vancouver concrete entrepreneur — and perhaps he was. I don’t know where he lived, but now I know he he worked both sides of the river. Thanks.

]]> By: Nancy Drake http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-118 Nancy Drake Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:58:01 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-118 I too would like to know more about Elwood Wiles. I see his name all over the place in Northwest Portland on sidewalks. Many are 100 years old. I too would like to know more about Elwood Wiles. I see his name all over the place in Northwest Portland on sidewalks. Many are 100 years old.

]]> By: Doug http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-8 Doug Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:54:17 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-8 Hi Steve. Glad you have enjoyed the site. I invite you to participate in the conversation and watch as new threads and topics arise. By all means, all the "sweat equity" we put into our houses is worth it. I'd like to know more about Elwood Wiles myself...maybe a blog reader can help us out on this. I'll see what I can dig up. -DD Hi Steve. Glad you have enjoyed the site. I invite you to participate in the conversation and watch as new threads and topics arise. By all means, all the “sweat equity” we put into our houses is worth it. I’d like to know more about Elwood Wiles myself…maybe a blog reader can help us out on this. I’ll see what I can dig up.
-DD

]]> By: Steve Heck http://alamedahistory.org/alameda-stories/alameda-street-names/#comment-7 Steve Heck Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:49:00 +0000 http://alamedahistory.wordpress.com/alameda-street-names/#comment-7 Doug: Great site! Thanks for all of the historical tidbits. I grew up in Beaverton in the 1950s and 1960s after my parents moved out from North Portland after moving to Oregon from Chicago. My wife and I bought our 1922 house on Mason in the mid-1970s when it was rapidly turning into a "fixer-upper". This site makes you realize all the painting, plastering TLC over the years is truly worth it. Hopefully all old Portland neighborhoods will someday have something like this. By the way, do you know anything about Elwood Wiles? He seemed to do OK for himself in the sidewalk business. Thanks. Steve Heck Doug: Great site! Thanks for all of the historical tidbits. I grew up in Beaverton in the 1950s and 1960s after my parents moved out from North Portland after moving to Oregon from Chicago. My wife and I bought our 1922 house on Mason in the mid-1970s when it was rapidly turning into a “fixer-upper”. This site makes you realize all the painting, plastering TLC over the years is truly worth it. Hopefully all old Portland neighborhoods will someday have something like this. By the way, do you know anything about Elwood Wiles? He seemed to do OK for himself in the sidewalk business. Thanks. Steve Heck

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