EARLY HISTORY

The rich history of Portland's Forest Park precedes that of the city itself. William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, took a side trip up the Willamette in 1806, making note of the many types of wildlife and massive trees found in the forested western hills along the River. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the 5,000-plus acreage that is now Forest Park was claimed by the United States in the early 1800s. Most of the land was given to settlers through donation land claims in the 1850s, with the most level parcels becoming homesites and farmland.

As early as 1899 there was interest in preserving the forested hillsides to the west of downtown Portland. The Olmsted Brothers' firm was brought in from Massachusetts to plan a park system that would include these west hills. Other visionary leaders, from Portland and beyond, advocated for a "forest park" as well, including well-known city planner E.H. Bennett of Chicago. In his Greater Portland Plan, Bennett wrote, "great woodland areas are the great life-giving elements of the city."

Land speculation during the early 1900s, fueled by an expected land boom, led to the construction of a scenic road through the area (now Leif Erikson Drive). A winter landslide closed the road soon after completion, and those who had purchased home sites platted along the road were assessed for repairs. Most of these landowners refused to pay the assessment, and the land was forfeited to the City of Portland. The area then withstood years of timber cutting, wildfires, and even oil drilling (unsuccessful).

FRIENDS OF FOREST PARK

In 1948, the 3,000 acre core of the current Forest Park was dedicated as city parkland. Since the planning stages for this beginning, the Park has had a group of interested citizens to advocate for its protection and enhancement. Working in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation, the Friends of Forest Park advocates, educates, raises funds, and coordinates volunteer efforts for the Park. See “About Us” for more information on the background and history of the Friends of Forest Park, and read about our current efforts under see “Our Projects”. In her 1982 survey of Forest Park wildlife, biologist Marcy Houle identifies more than 112 species of birds and mammals. According to Houle, while most city parks have a steady decline in native wildlife, the assemblage of species she found in Forest Park is very similar to that noted by William Clark in 1806.

RECENT HISTORY - LAND ACQUISITION

What better way to protect Forest Park than to strategicaly purchase land and add it to existing acreage? In the 1990's, Friends of Forest Park raised over $1 million for the acquisition of 78 acres of privately owned land inside the park that were slated for development. Friends of Forest Park also raised the funds to acquire a 38-acre  stand of low-elevation old growth forest to the north of the Park that was going to be logged. In 2002, we partnered with Metro and Portland Parks and Recreation to purchase a 31-acre in-holding in the north end of the Park that was also destined for housing. A more recent acquisition is a 1.5 acre parcel of land at the bottom of Firelane 9 that was headed for housing. We are grateful to the many individual donors stepped forward to make these acquisitions possible.

Download How Forest Park Came to Be, an article by Elizabeth Patte