Comments on: Alameda Stories

By: Jane McCallum Buck

Jane McCallum Buck — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:52:15 +0000

Doug,
When my family came to 20th and Fremont, from Buena Park CA. I thought I had been dropped into the Garden of Eden (until I was dropped into first grade at Madeleine Grade school!! hell!) I used to go along the back properties of the Ridge as described above, between 21st up to Deadmans hill. I called it the Forest of Fairy Land. Broken bits of bottles were the jewels and the rays of light through the thick trees and morning glory were full of fairy dust in my 6 year old mind..

Jane McCallum Buck

By: Nancy (Moorman) Doty

Nancy (Moorman) Doty — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:01:06 +0000

Hello Doug:
I am sorry that the program on Sunday at the Subud Center is full. We will look forward to hearing about the next one!

I have lived in this area since 1952– my mom still lives in the house we were raised in on Skidmore Street. We are in the home we bought on Alameda/Wiberg Lane in 1982 (or ’83 ?). My siblings and I went to Beaumont, Jospeh L. Meek, and Grant HS. Then our children went to Alameda, Beaumont, and Grant. Now grandchildren at Alameda and Beaumont… We roamed up and down 42nd Ave, rode bikes out to the slough and the river, picked berries on Sandy Blvd, played and spied on the ‘hobos’ in Beaumont Woods (along 47th Ave.) and all the boys played ball at Blaesing Field behind what is now Amalfi’s. There was a grocery store (burned down) where Pizzacato and Beaumont Florist are now. There was a pharmacy on the corner (Gazelle), Boss’s Bakery, the dry goods store, the five-and-ten cent store; Sid Stein’s gas station was where the Albina Bank and Foot Traffic stores are now sitting.

We had such good times as kids in this neighborhood. And it is still a grand place to live, raise children (and grandchildren).

Thank you so much for your comprehensive research and willingness to share. ‘Can’t wait for another opportunity to hear/see what you’ve learned about the really old aspects of our neighborhood!

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:07:55 +0000

Ted, I love this story and have heard a version of the same escapades from Alameda resident Steve Goodman, who may have blazed some of those trails you and the guys were crawling along (or may have been right there with you). Thanks for dropping by and sharing this gem.

By: ted h

ted h — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:33:34 +0000

hi doug love your web page i grew up on alameda st the long block that starts at 29th street to 26th or edge hill witch us kids called deadmans hill. any way my mother and father bought the house in 1968 my mother still lives there. i was 5 yr old then anyway me and some of the knot head kids growing up on the ridge we decided to make a trail all the way across the back yards on the ridge side from 29 to 26. this was quit the task it had bushes that we dug onderneath dug around trees had secret access to peoples back yards. we would cut out part of there wire fences anddelicately wire them back if they had wood slats we would loosen some slats to get through to there yard and so on almost every homeowner had some kind of fence of some sort but we always found a way to get through. that was a great escape for a young boy lots of fun and mischief. i can still remember the faces of some of the older lady faces seeing these little rug rats running through there yards. the funny thing is some of these sweet older ladies knew who we were and never scolded us kids when we would walk by there houses. i would like to think they got a kick out of banging on there windows win they saw the little cowboys @ indians running to are next safe spot. that was some good times.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:01:27 +0000

Hi Olivia. Thanks for visiting. I have never heard anything about a haunted hospital in Alameda. I can pretty conclusively say there has never been an official hospital here in the boundaries of the neighborhood, which was set up and marketed 100 years ago as an exclusively residential area. Give me a little more context…what have you heard? Just checking to make sure you mean the Alameda neighborhood of NE Portland, and not the city of Alameda, California?
-Doug

By: olivia kith

olivia kith — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:07:51 +0000

I wanted to know if there’s such thing as haunted hospital in alameda and the history of what happened

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:30:48 +0000

Hi Doug. Thanks for your visits to the blog, and for sharing your comments and memories. Sounds like you are an “old house person” as well, having restored your own bungalow and now working on the theater project.

Yes, I would be interested in meeting and learning more about your memories of Alameda. Based on your e- mail address, it looks like we have an Irish connection that we need to explore as well.

Regarding historic district status: while there are several neighborhood houses on the National Register of Historic Places, we do not have historic district status. I have been studying the possibilities, and watching as other neighborhoods have gone through the process.

-Doug Decker

By: Doug Eaton

Doug Eaton — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:56:43 +0000

Doug, I am curious to know if any of the Alameda Park area has been designated as a National Historic District. It was so disheartening to see the recent alterations on the house I grew up at 2028 NE Alameda Drive. I wish there had been some protection for that lovely home. It has lost so much of its historic integrity.

We moved from the house in 1964, a mistake my Dad still talks about today. The couple who bought it from us lived there for 40 years. He recently passed away and then the extreme makeover happened.

I have lots of stories from growing up in that neighborhood. It was the perfect street for us boomer kids to play and create our own fun. Before there were soccer camps there were carnivals, parades and home made go carts.

Be fun to come up and meet you sometime.
Doug Eaton
arancliffs@yahoo.com

By: Eva Lowen

Eva Lowen — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:22:54 +0000

Doug, We exchanged info a long time ago and that brought me and Jean Pecore Weaver together on the net. If you want info on 3880 NE Wisteria Dr.(maybe not in Alameda) where the Herman Lowens lived after l937, and it is a fascinating story, contact my Sister in Law, Evelyn Lowen Apte, evelynapte@hotmail.com
To refresh your memory I am a friend of Janet Mc’s

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:06:18 +0000

Great memories! Thanks for sharing your experience at Hunderups (Hunderips?), and the bus gauntlet on Skidmore. I’ve never heard that particular tale. What was it about that stretch of street? There must have been some extra adventurous young people who lived nearby. I welcome and invite you to continue sharing your memories of Alameda here on line, or drop me an e-mail at alamedahistory@hotmail.com Thanks!