Portland Then/Now: Southwest Fourth Avenue and Morrison Street

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Byron Beck, GoLocalPDX Features Editor

As much as streets change, some streets in downtown Portland stay the same. Sort of. 

Such is the case of Southwest Fourth Avenue and Morrison Street in 1939 and 2014. 

THEN: In 1939 Southwest Fourth Avenue was a bustling thoroughfare full of well-dressed pedestrians, big automobiles and open-air streetcars. Looking down Fourth toward what is now the Memorial Coliseum you'll notice Chown Hardware, Fred Meyer Toiletries and Remedies , Dr. J.J. Colton-Dentist and stores advertising "Chow Mein" and "Shoe Repair" in big, bold letters.

NOW: The dentist, movie and chow mein house were torn down to make way for a bare-bones parking garage. The Fred Meyer's Toiletries outlet was replaced by a Nordstrom Rack, and currently a Sephora store and a Starbucks. Chown Hardware was replaced for decades by Caplan's Sporting Goods and is now home to Joe's Burgers. But pedestrians still fill these streets due to the vicinity of Pioneer Place and Nike Downtown. And the MAX line still shuttles people up and down Southwest Morrison just like in the good old days. 

Related Articles

• Portland Then/Now: Southwest Fourth Ave. & Yamhill St.
• Portland Then/Now: SW Park Ave. & Yamhill & Taylor St.
• Portland Then/Now: Union Station

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