History of Trees in Portland, OR

Video from the Friends of Trees Seed the Future Campaign. From old growth to Stumptown to an urban forest.

[@The-Portland-Daily-Blink]

Every Portland Newbie who thinks they know Portland should know about Friends of Trees, inside and out and should watch THIS video. This film was made in 2009, and now it is 2024 and we have lost more tree cover than Friends of Trees could ever have foreseen 15 years ago. This is a great short documentary. Please share it!

[@McIntyreBible]

This is a fantastic short documentary!!

[@miapdx503]

One of the hurtful things that came from gentrification; we could walk all over Northeast Portland, and stop and pick all kinds of fruit. Fruit and nut trees on every block. Then they took over, and we saw those trees disappear along with families. My old house had a big beautiful Black Walnut tree. I cried when they destroyed it. They replaced with a dogwood, because they prefer the ornamental...I hate what's happened to our neighborhood. 😪

[@michaelshultz1590]

The people that used to live there did not take care of their homes. They did not with hard enough, and so they did not pay their bills. They did not maintain their homes, and so they looked like crap. They did not raise their children properly, and so their children brought crime. All of these things lowered the property values. This created opportunities for people that do work, pay their bills, maintain their homes, and raise their children property. The neighborhood is clean, safe, crime is reduced, and the property values go up. This raises the property values of other homes and if the people that are living in those homes do not pay their bills and maintain their properties then they will be priced out. Gentrification means improvement. You’re either part of the improvement or you’re part of the problem. What happened to your neighborhood is that the lazy and the criminal failed to take care of it. I say that as someone that has lived in inner NE Portland since 1972. I remember the pimps, ho’s, players, hustlers, robbers, rapists, murderers, and gangbangers. Now they’re in Parkrose and Reynolds.

[@rctopfueler2841]

Ted wheeler city keeler thank him personally

[@miapdx503]

@@michaelshultz1590 Your racist, privileged view is disgusting. I always wondered at the mindset that can justify this disgusting practice. Now I know. People like you...make me sick. If you think you can be blessed while justifying taking from others, you're wrong. You will never know peace because of the sickness that resides in your spirit. You say these things behind the safety of a keyboard. In person, you wouldn't dare. Foh demon

[@mseatac]

I grew up in Beaverton. I really enjoy hearing about the history of this area. Cheers.

[@FriendsofTrees]

It's Portland Oregon. Thanks for asking - I updated the title.

[@robertafierro5592]

I see the trees dance in the wind.Their willowy arms reach out to the sky. They sway like a silk scarf. Poem 2023 alley cat.

[@sonofrobert]

And a mayor, city council and electorial public that allow Portland to be destroyed. They are nuts and I'm thankful that I live in Hillsboro which doesn't look like a bad part of LA like Havana on the Willamette, aka PDX.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Hillsboro is snooty

[@sonofrobert]

@@karlabritfeld7104 lol, I thought that was P-town.

[@robertafierro5592]

Beautiful trees.

[@brandoncole4080]

It was a very strategic location. Due to Ross Island, the river could very in depth drastically between Ross Island and the Westside of Portland. One person wrote they could ride a horse across the river on some years. So for shipping purposes Portland was the most reliable deepest point on the Willamette a town made sense. Then it just became a competition between us and St. Helens who would be the largest town. Thank the Oregonion for winning that battle.

[@kdigiacomo]

Ride a horse across the Willamette River? Did I read that correctly? If so what area did that magically happen? Maybe they were riding a pretty unicorn with wings.

[@billsmith5109]

Columbus Day Storm. Another eventful day for tree cover.

[@rockercater]

**I AM RAISED HERE IN PORTLAND AND IM 59* *IM DOWN TO HELP *FRIENDS OF TREES* *ANYTIME* *CATER*

[@mglennmyers]

OMFS look what we've done, people please.

[@julienielsen3746]

Until a high wind comes along and a tree falls on your house or car.

[@daveyoung1415]

THANK YOU!

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

People seek our guidance when buying land. I tell them before investing in anything, plant trees. Fruit trees, native shade trees, they are the best investment in so many ways.

[@WITDdotORG]

When was this video produced?

[@michaelshultz1590]

Friends of Trees was founded in 1989, so sometime after that. ☺️

[@dorinemort6359]

And not even a mention on how trees help with erosion, the roots help keep the hillside- on the hillside

[@tarriegibson1193]

Yeah it kinda makes me ill that they didn't have enough common sense to leave some of those old trees. It gives you a special feeling when you see trees hundreds of years old and you know they were there when your ancestors were,but they didn't care enough to think of that is kinda sad.

[@jtkrpm1]

The elk statue has been there that long? Taken down in 2020. What a decline

[@cosmo1eleven855]

Yeah the leftists destroyed because it represented racism. Yeah right.

[@Azazel2024]

Supposedly returning one day . We'll see

[@BeingMe23]

I don't think most people realize trees reduce pollution.

[@dorinemort6359]

Sooo true! The redwoods in California alone remove billions, yes billions of tons of carbon dioxide, and if greedy man had his way, they'd be gone too, for profit

[@gregleap1009]

I miss the Good old days that stupid mayor won't do anything about the homeless

[@OriginalOatmeal]

Is this about Portland, Oregon USA, or Portland, Maine?

[@tleav61]

Oregon

[@63artemisia63]

Willamette River, mentioned several times, is in Oregon.

[@MrJeep75]

Did you read the title

[@DavidBoe]

Both, in a way. Portland Oregon, which this video is about, was named after Portland, Maine, by one of the two city founders, who had each contributed half the land. They flipped a coin to determine who would name the new town. Francis Pettygrove, who had grown up in Portland, Maine, won the toss, best two out of three. Asa Lovejoy, his partner in founding the new town, had come from Boston, and said that he would have named it in honor of his birthplace in Massachusetts. Oregon is lucky, it seems, that we're the larger Portland and not the smaller Boston. That would have been much more confusing in the long run.

[@SPIRITUALPODCASTS144]

In many ways, trees help with reducing crime so it seems.

[@HubertofLiege]

When I started in the industry most of the people I worked with had some kind of record. Today, with welfare and stimulus, they smoke meth and steal what they want. I’d rather work with criminals than support them with taxes.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Perhaps they stole the land from the Indians. Ya think???