Photographs taken 91 years apart remind us about change and constancy at a busy corner in the neighborhood. Check it out:
Top: View looking east, Joseph Laurence Fay (1906-1951) poses in front of his business at the southeast corner of NE 30th and Killingsworth in 1933. Photo from the Oregon Journal Negative Collection at the Oregon Historical Society, Lot 1368; Box 372; 372A1209. Bottom: The same view in March 2024, when this storefront was in transition.
Built in 1927, this commercial block of storefronts has housed everything from Fay’s Drugs and Fountain–pictured here in a photo from the Oregon Journal in 1933–to the RCA Service Company, to the Portland Venetian Blind Company. In the 1950s it was home to neighborhood dentist Dr. Tinkle. More recently, it’s been a coffee shop and café, a bar and a game arcade.
This busy corner, known as Foxchase, is well worth exploring: several good restaurants, a great cocktail lounge, a new bakery and more. And the story of Foxchase is pretty fascinating too, be sure to check it out.
Alameda Old House History 
Hi Doug,
Doris Woolley, one of the Cully elders who I interviewed and has since died, spoke of her dentist, Dr. Tinkle. It’s a name one doesn’t forget. I never knew where his office was. Thank you for the story. and the one of Foxchase.
Susan
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AH Reader and former NE Portland resident Tom Sawyer wrote us this afternoon:
I’m guessing that the reason for the photo in 1933 was because of the safe-cracking incident reported in the Oregonian of 12/19/33. There were two safes involved in another incident reported in the 12/20/1938 Oregonian.
The attraction to the pharmacy at Christmas was the presence of a postal substation with cash and stamps.
I recall visiting the pharmacy numerous times but only have a vague memory of the postal substation – probably around 1950.
Dr. Tinkle was my dentist – he moved in next door to our physician, Dr. Done in the early to mid 1950s. Both were active members of St. Charles Parish and they built and moved into a new clinic at about 43rd and Killingsworth around 1955. Both, of course, advertised in the St. Charles weekly bulletin.
Indeed, the 12-19-1933 news story noted thieves cored the lock on the front door and made away with $150 in cash.
Hi there,
I love this photo comparison, and was wondering if it would be OK if we featured it in Concordia News this month. I know it would mean a lot to our readers. We would of course, credit Alameda Old House History and Doug (last name?) in the paper.
Let me know if this would be OK. Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards, Dina Sage
Managing Editor Concordia News