The flooding of Vanport | full documentary | Oregon Experience

During the early 1940s, Vanport, Oregon was the second largest city in the state. But on a Sunday afternoon in May 1948, it disappeared completely-destroyed by a catastrophic flood.
This is the story of Vanport: what it was like to live there, how it suddenly ended, and how it changed the face of Portland, OR.
Learn more: www.opb.org/television/progra...
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#OPB #Oregon #PacificNorthWest #OregonExperience #flooding #vanport #portlandflood

[@johnycoho7830]

I’m told that my Great Aunt was in the hospital when it flooded, my Great Grandpa came in a canoe and rescued her through a window

[@KristinaKarina]

Wow! Maybe more people need to keep canoes handy!!!

[@ericbrown5588]

A very brave man!

[@michellerutter-davis3719]

My mom was born in 1937 she and grandma Pearl and Grandpa Ingamar and her brothers all lived in Vanport, family lore says 'grandpa saw the dike break' drove home gathered everyone and what my mom says she had a yoyo and comb in her hands. Afterwards many items were donated to family's to help them. A hotel donated furniture. I still have a dresser, in the top drawer my grandpa signed the year and his name.

[@scottlee9373]

I was two years old when we escaped the flood in Vanport. My mother, Marce Lee and my father Jim Lee didn't talk about it much except to say it was a close call and that we got out alive with all our family and my mother's birthday cake. They moved us to Eugene, Oregon and started over. This post explains alot and I thank it's makers.

[@TheArtfulAddict]

That was an excellent documentary. I had never heard the story of Vanport and my life is now richer from hearing from the men and women who lived there. ❤

[@trumpbcool8612]

My Grandfather was a bus driver at the time and he saved several people. He kept going back and loading his bus with people until he couldn't get into the area anymore. The guy was awesome!

[@wandajames6234]

Wow-- must have been a wonderful man. The unsung heroes-- but good for you for bringing him to our attention.

[@mackpines]

I hope Vanport will never be forgotten. Portland has so much amazing history for a city less than 200 years old.

[@ericbrown5588]

Very true!

[@juanitajones3733]

Sunday October 16, 2022 I'm actually talking to my 94-3/4 year old Mom about this. Her parents and siblings moved from Dewitt Arkansas to Vanport before the flood and her parents were lucky to buy a shotgun house in North PORTLAND area near the now MODA center. Now back to talking to Mom's memorys while she have it 💞

[@Pilotc180]

Bad history, look at it now, the dump of Oregon

[@kRomani-gh4ws]

Thanks stupid piano music I can't hear the narrative

[@pharmerdavid1432]

While Portland was mostly white, its a malicious myth that racism was rampant, quite the contrary people got along very well in general. That was true also in recent times, until Obama and BLM, then the myth of racism raised its ugly head again. I'm so disgusted with this country, and Portland especially!

[@l.j.masters6763]

In 1945, my father, a World War II veteran, purchased a Vanport house. It was floated up the Columbia River on a barge. My father had built a basement. The Vanport house was placed on the basement. A Master Bedroom was added; a garage was added and what mother always called "a service room" was added. That house is still standing in Arlington, Oregon on Hemlock Avenue. It has other additions which were added later.. My brother in law built a fireplace. The part of the house that was a Vanport house did not have plaster board walls. The original floor plan of that Vanport house was two bedrooms, a living/dining area, a bathroom and the kitchen.

[@mackpines]

75 years ago this month. Amazing how different the area looks now. You wouldn’t have guessed a town existed there.

[@maureennelson4513]

It was what we called a "the projects". Built quickly and gone just as quick. In my home town, our projects were build in the sixties and were duplexes. Neighbors moved out of logging shacks rented from slum lords into the projects. They had the first sidewalks in the area south of the "grade" school. Kelso, WA

[@oldclip70]

As a Californian, I knew about about Vanport through reading about the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway. It was their roadbed that collapsed and flooded Vanport. Only when I came to Portland in 2005 and looked at OPB’s Local Color, I got the full picture. Thank you for posting.

[@wehvgirlpwr]

I have a deep history with the Vancouver Ship Yards. I had two sets of grandparents that helped build ships there during WWII. My paternal grandfather was hit by a car and killed when leaving work one day. He was an alcoholic and a bootlegger and had a hangover so he was going home. My dads brothers were fighting in Europe and he was taken out of high school to identify the body. Prior to working in the shipyards both sides of my family worked in California as migrant workers going from farm to farm. My mother called it the “pea tramp”. Many people who farmed in the Midwest and lost farms due to the depression and the dust bowl, came out west to find work. They lived in tents or homemade trailers and it was a hard life. They were happy to have better jobs so they came to the shipyards. So proud of my two “Rosy the Riveter” grandmothers.

[@Estorep]

My father and his friend were on the house roof repairing it when they saw the levee break. They ran in the house, got my mother and my brother and left. They lost all their possessions including wedding, birth certificates and personal photos.

[@davidbudd3789]

What a traumatic experience.

[@TwoBs]

Wow. I’m all the way across the country and have enjoyed this documentary, learning about a town I didn’t even really know about in a state I’ll likely never ever get to visit. Despite such, it’s fascinating to learn about another community’s history and hearing them retell their memories. Seemed like a lovely community.

[@larrypriser6413]

Not so much anymore, the saying in Oregon is, " don't Portland our Oregon." Crime homeless and riots are a daily way of life.

[@americanmilitiaman88]

@@larrypriser6413 and portland spilling over into Vancouver. Rampant crime and bums. We are moving away soon. I always loved coming up to camas to visit my grandparents and after i got out of the navy i moved here. But even before the china virus pandemic the region has been declining.

[@artmusic2]

Beautiful community, except for nay sayers like Larry👆 - yet another troll 👆who repeats ridiculous generalizations about Portland, OR. March 2023. TY B B for your compliments -well deserved.

[@genespell4340]

As long as the tax breaks for the rich remain in place, off short tax havens remain in place and the rich are allowed to by senators and representatives things will continue to get worse.

[@MrAddidas2]

Im TRAPPED in Oregon. Trust me you ain't missing nothin...

[@myrnaparjani1910]

I remember the Vanport flood very well. We lived on no. Mclellan in Kenton. Our school was closed to house the homeless, it was terrible. I remember people walking by our house to Kenton Grade school. It was terrible. Such a sad time.

[@tinahengen3168]

My grandmother lived there, her best friend died in this flood.

[@nancytaylor5569]

Being a 4th generation Portlander, it’s really interesting to see what it looked like here so many years ago. I can still remember a lot of those businesses in downtown Portland. It’s really changed.

[@cruisepaige]

I’ve never even been to Oregon but I am falling in love with it from this station! See you this summer!

[@welcometwoidaho]

try to visit Cannon beach & Multnomah Falls (the gorge)

[@samsmom1491]

​@@welcometwoidaho Highly recommend both. Cannon Beach is near and dear to my heart and the scenery on the drive is stunning.

[@welcometwoidaho]

@@samsmom1491 lived in Portland for 2 years, my first time driving to the coast I didn’t want to leave. So beautiful out there and my pfp is from multnomah falls

[@cindytackett7106]

Please visit the Coast. We live in Florence a small rural coastal community. We have tourists from all over the country visit. Our Beaches, Dunes, Old Town, Lakes, Rivers, Campgrounds, National Parks etc. are all amazing. Must see the Heceta Lighthouse that is over 100 years old.

[@cindytackett7106]

@@welcometwoidaho Cape Perpetua is breath taking !

[@williamlloyd3769]

Visited Portland in late 70s during Fleet Week at Portland. Never knew about Vanport and the greater flooding in the Columbia River basin. Appreciate the documentary. RIP victims PS - Found this video while researching the impact of the recent Atmospheric River events and impacts on Pacific Northwest. Looks like a very wet winter

[@nancyhanson9661]

It rains a lot here.

[@genespell4340]

Almost all of the land west of the mountains on the west coast are like a tropical rainforest when it comes to rain. Get east of the mountains and it is semi arid.

[@archlinuxrussian]

I grew up always being told stories from when my father lived in Vanport and about the flood. Thank you for uploading this so I may be able to share it with him 🙂

[@RealistNW]

Vanport College became Portland State College and then University after that flood.

[@3clubforever]

Born and raised in Portland. Never heard of vampire till last year. Loved the documentary. Great piece of local history

[@diane9247]

I was born in 1947 and we lived in Brookings. I never heard anything about this from my parents or in "Oregon History" in school! What an enormous disaster - all of those families who lost everything. This was a time of strict segregation in Portland and the rest of Oregon...the rest of the country, for that matter. I do remember that, because my (white) mother was very much against segregation and not afraid to say so.

[@w.munson1510]

I was six years old when we flew over Vanport just after the flood. Uncle Ray hired a small plane, and I remember houses floating around like toys in a bathtub. This disaster could have been prevented by planned early evacuation of residents.

[@rowdysgirlalways]

I lived in Eugene from 1953 to 1964 and in all those years I never heard mention of Vanport; and my Dad was even on an urban renewal board, Lane County, I think. I DO remember the first black kid in our school. He was in my fifth grade class. Nice guy.

[@ladybug5093]

It’s so strange I lived in Kenton for 5 years and never heard mention of Vanport!! I was right on Denver Avenue... This absolutely blew my mind!

[@justinhansen9361]

All that Oregon Trail crap and they never taught us about THIS in school? C’mon!

[@anymaru]

Did they teach about Celilo Falls in your school?

[@gwengwen4535]

@@anymaru Hell no. This is why I homeschool my children, so they can learn real history, and not that which the ‘conquerors’ deem fitting for indoctrination.

[@nunya2954]

@@gwengwen4535 LOL - Someone that is ignorant to "conquerors", must not be teaching their children the Bible, God's word, because if you were, you would KNOW that God made winners and losers and God doesn't make mistakes on where, when, how and to whom we are born. Boy howdy, your kids will be lacking. For without the Word of God, a person is doomed to fail.

[@ellisonpearson3387]

I was always under the impression this was an all black community. This is very informative. Thanks you OPB.

[@thexsoar]

Born and raised in Portland, mid 70's. Never heard of Vanport until now. Respect.

[@TheTrueOnyxRose]

A lot of this I didn’t know. Thank you.

[@pdxcalibur]

Excellent documentary. thanks.

[@rhondanewell8558]

My Grandmother worked in the ship yards, my mom told stories of living there.

[@justinhansen9361]

Hey so did mine! Miss my grandmas stories.

[@aeisinger86]

write those stories down

[@danielkavanaugh4544]

Vanport is now Delta Park

[@gottogoalltheway]

And helping other countries to this day instead of helping our own still going on!

[@gwengwen4535]

Amen. It’s because America was only a project, and a means to an end. World domination and complete control of thought and every action, is what the real ruler of the world have always planned for.

[@IzzaboeWinters]

Really enjoyed the program. What wonderful women and men! What a lost feeling and scary too, for the families.

[@lindastevenson9788]

I wasn't born yet, but my mom told me the story about the vanport flood, my mom moved to Portland in 53 that is when I was born, been here since Hallelujah thank the lord, l've seen some good days

[@carolepigman5041]

My VA COTR was the Vanport Baby, rescued from his mattress floating down the Columbia, he lost his Dear Mother!

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

That's so sad

[@dianecheney4141]

My late father in law worked at Alcoa during the war, but they always lived in Vancouver

[@ladybug5093]

Woww!! I lived off N. Denver and Argyle St. for 5 years in Kenton and never knew about any of this! My mind is blown. I’ve got a totally new appreciation for the Slough, used to take walks and bike rides and shoot photos there, and always loved the Columbia River. The Cottonwoods in summer... yes, majestic. Thanks for this amazing Documentary.

[@berniediveley625]

Hi Bean! 💥

[@wm3277]

I love these people..

[@dyantique]

My dad was at the theatre and ran home to tell his mom and dad when it happened.

[@KristinaKarina]

Great documentary - of course the US court denied the claim for liability on the Vanport HUP, and the levees. I was raised in NOLa. We left long before Katrina, but - if/when you compare between Katrina and Sandy the FEMA assistance, and the repayment of insurance from private insurance companies - I can see a great difference in the treatment of the people and it seems based upon sociao-economic status.

[@rockercater]

**VANPORT *IS PORTLAND HISTORY* *IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL* CATER

[@siskiyoucrest]

Just learned from a friend this was the flood that provided some inspiration to Robert Hunter in writing his Grateful Dead classic, 'Here Comes Sunshine'. Give it a listen if you don't know it!

[@randihodges4034]

May Vanport never be forgotten- such agony- and happening as I type back east- Prayers

[@maureennelson4513]

My dad told me in the sixties that bodies surfaced from the mud and that they were from the Vanport floods. I remember him saying they were in the mud for 15 years and had not decomposed. I would never forget him telling us that.

[@wm3277]

I never heard of this town. I was born in Salem, Or. over 50 yrs. Ago.

[@carlstclair1955]

Thank you for making this available. I consider Oregon my Home state. My family moved to Portland. Winter of 1968. The schools I went to. Through the years. Had always had much of Oregons history taught in class. They gave me the impression. This was important for young minds to know. There where many fields trips to; Historical sites. Over my life time, I discovered more of the State’s history. This was one major event. I never knew about. Until tonight. And it answered some old ?’s, I had. Someone that should be noted in History, to be remembered. Can anyone clarify, about one person, early in the beginning. There was a Lady, with the last name of McCall. Was this person, apart of The same McCalls, That eventually gave rise for one of Oregons Well known Governor; Tom McCall?

[@dianecheney4141]

My great aunt and uncle came to Oregon from Idaho to work during the war and they lived in a large tent for all of the time they were there

[@colinyandon6137]

Vanport authorities: "We're from the government, We're here to help!" The 8 most terrifying words in the English language! ~ Ronald Reagan.

[@davidmihevc3990]

Actually 9 words and the correct quote from Mr. Reagan is" I'm from the government and I'm here to help".

[@wayneyd2]

My wife and I brought our first home south of Portland. The city is very nice and we loved the season in Oregon. I was retired from the military. To my surprised that I found that my neighbor was a WASP. Sadly, after 12 years we sold our home and move on to a friendlier neighborhood.

[@brianmaxei8898]

I learned about vanport at Emanuel legacy hospital has a wall in the cafeteria as you walk into the cafeteria that has the history of vanport

[@ericbrown5588]

A movie needs to be made about Vanport! Make it like say, Christopher Nolan's film "Dunkirk" and we could have a good Vanport film!

[@ericbrown5588]

But for all that is Oregon, let's try to keep it out of the hands of Disney, Warner Brothers and all streaming networks!

[@ericbrown5588]

Brad Bird would be an awesome choice to direct!

[@ericbrown5588]

If Brad Bird still wants to make up for 1906 not happening, he should be allowed to read scripts about events that were on the same level or worse than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

[@JobyJoby-iw2wr]

I first learned and became interested in Vanport history when I viewed a photo exhibit at the Hayden Meadows Walmart. Now retired, my final employer had their west coast offices located on Swan Island, with our designated housing located in the Hayden Meadows hotel area, across I-5 from PIR. Very good memories of Portland. Regarding 'Jim Crow' - Segregation; we now know it never should have been abolished.

[@JobyJoby-iw2wr]

@@sherril.562 Jesse Peterson is another provocative Black Thought Leader.

[@epiccurious3536]

A city of the future, ahead of its time, doomed to failure from the start. Amazing, yet so sad for humanity. We have so much potential and yet there are those among us who fight it every step of the way. I can't help but shake my head in despair.

[@mariegreen6912]

My parents went through that

[@marypasco2213]

What I find interesting is The Johnstown Flood was 100 years past, pretty much TO THE DAY, to Vanport. Just an observation.

[@marypasco2213]

Sorry, miscalculated.🤷🏻‍♀️ That should be 60 years.

[@bsteleven]

I lived there the first 2 years of my life. My mother worked in the Kaisers shipyards so I was born in the kaisers hospital in Vancouver lived in Vanport till the war ended.

[@hebneh]

I think it's safe to say that Vanport should never have been built where it was, and that it was a disaster waiting to happen since floods are inevitable. But I understand the desperate need for housing during WWII, and I also know well how Henry J. Kaiser operated - everything was done at high speed, and his immense wealth and influence just bulldozed over any objections or impediments to his goal.

[@ladybug5093]

At least there is a chapter of important history there and many people with a love for their community they once had there.

[@samsmom1491]

Oregon is and always will be my home state, although I haven't lived there for 34 years. Oregon is a confusing blend of inclusiveness and exclusivity. I just wish the concept of Vanport had caught on. Children aren't born with prejudices. Parents and society teach them, reinforce them. I am sad Oregon still hasn't evolved in this matter. Progress has been made, yet still such a long way to go.

[@0ffgrid12vSolarPrepping]

The story of Vanport is a story I never knew, it was a very good documentary, what I got out of it, is mr.Kaiser didn’t care what race the people were as long as they were going to help him build his ships. The war effort is all encompassing, he thought it was stupid that the powers that be only wanted Caucasians to build a ships, so that’s how all the different races came to live in Vanport the different races of people all came together when the floods came, and knew that the color of skin didn’t make a difference, their all just one people, I wish people knew that today.. This documentary helps me to feel that there’s still hope..

[@YernBelfus400]

Portland has some interesting trivia. After the flood, Vanport was annexed into Portland, including Vanport's city streets. Those city streets eventually became Portland International Raceway, and those streets obviously have no posted speed limits. N. Cottonwood Street in Portland, is the drag strip and front straightaway of Portland International Raceway. I've repeatedly done 190 mph on police radar on that Portland city street, without breaking any laws. 56:45

[@richardmundt7854]

Its interesting to imagine if the flood never happened. Would the city have ever been incorporated ? Most importantly, would Vanport still be here today?

[@l.plzsavethebeez485]

I have never heard of Vanport! I lived in Portland many years ago in the 50's! Too young to have heard of it I guess! I grew up visiting Portland!

[@ericbrown5588]

The OHS has plenty of everything one could want to know about Vanport.

[@anymaru]

And after the vanport flood they built dams on the Columbia and flooded Celilo

[@Three_Random_Words]

yep, about 9 years later.

[@RealistNW]

The first Governor of California was instrumental in having a law passed in Oregon that said any black being free or slave shall be whipped once a year until he left the state. It was not until the late 1930’s that this law was abolished.

[@justinhansen9361]

Little random but thanks for the history lesson.

[@l3gendarylag805]

The history of some of these cities, this country, is devastating. We were really seen as animals. Like how could that be, as another human how can u hate a different group of humans. Especially when they did it cuz the next did it, we not born to hate another species based on color. How can u not question that. Then to teach your young that very same concept

[@larrypriser6413]

Sorry, but you need to add a correction here, that action was a temporary one that only lasted from June of 1844 to December 1844 before Oregon even became a State, there is more on this subject and I hope anyone who sees this will do their own research and not just take it as fact. I wish more people would dig deeper into researching things before they just throw them out there to stir people up and create an even bigger racial divide, we all know that there were racial issues, but, comments like this only make things worse when they are taken out of context!!

[@paulazemeckis7835]

@@larrypriser6413 he is referring broadly to slavery in general. And I agree.

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@l3gendarylag805 yes it's horrible. Vanport seemed to be trying to do the right thing until the floods came. Its up to all of us to treat others how we want to be treated and to never allow that type of behavior in. We all should be proud of where our forefathers came from and realize the great states were build by all. United States not divided states. Its up to us now

[@larrypriser6413]

My question is, if the Bonneville dam was completed in 1938, how is it possible to have this flood in 1948? Aren't Dams supposed to control flooding?

[@terezobert2101]

The levee broke

[@l.plzsavethebeez485]

Depends on the location of the levee. The Bonneville damn damn is further down the river! You'd have to look at a map!

[@maureennelson4513]

They built it in a year. Berns are a less than dikes or levees. Just bulldozed piles of dirt. I blame the Core of Army Engineers for it. Here in the PNW, they destroyed many places trying to divert water.

[@ronward3949]

Went to a Clark School in Sioux City, Iowa, yet Vanport possibly not the best place being on the flood plain. Dire Housing disparities are certainly still increasingly alarming.

[@user-wj9cg2rd4j]

I thought this program was about a flood. This clip is actually very divisive . It's still better than living in watts or Chicago.

[@debbieturnbull23]

Wow !!

[@c.a.greene8395]

I live on ssi in the gulf islands in bc Canada. My island is not incorporated. This means even though we pay taxes and live in Canada's most expensive postal code, we get none of the benefits from those federal tax dollars collected. No garbage pock up at curbside, unless you want to pay 7$ a bag, 14$ for a large green garbage bag...they also charge to pick up recycling, even though just like garbage our property ta es should cover this cost, IF we were incorporated... Because we are not incorporated we receive zero federal tax dollars, instead we raise any money needed for buildings, schools and roads from our citizens, and over time the constant shelling out has forced families to move. We are saanich gulf islands...if we do not take our federal tax dollars than our share is given to Saanich ( Sydney bc and surrounding area ) Every time we have a vote to incorporate, the township of Sydney bc on Vancouver Island has interfered by spending almost 2 million dollars toward fear mongering and the NO vote. Visiting Sydney bc, look around...new roads, new hospital, new libraries, museums, ect, ect...guess who payed for it? US. Saltspring island federal tax dollars... You see, saltspring refuses to incorporate because they do not want a bridge, they do not want stupid bylaws, they do not want to loose their charm by having McDonald's moving in, they do not want chain stores...of any kind. What the residents fail to realize is McDonald's is never coming... In order for Tim Hortons to get a kiosk at the gas station to sell coffee ( self serve) and a doughnut ( also self serve ) we would need 65,000 house- not people but HOUSES...to get a McDonald's we would need 150,000 houses. It's never going to happen...we have reached our housing maximum. We don't have the water to support anymore, and if every house on the island was lived in year round, we would have serious power and water shortages. As it stands we have 10,000 residents in summer, and 4 to 5,000 in winter. We also have just over 2 million tourists every year. Which leads to our second problem...N.I.M.B.Y..... NOW that people are here, they want to close membership to others, it's OK we let them in, but they don't want us to let anyone else in...no one wants the cell tower in their yard or neighborhood, so we have no real cell service ( too many mountains ), they can't even agree on traffic lights ( so we don't have any ) or 4 way stops ( took 35 years to put in our first 4 way!!) The island trust, which is our governing body- are just a bunch of business owners who want to monopolize, corner their markets with no competitors, so no one gets a business license unless they pay them off, are related or trade favors. Even the garbage pick up our taxes should pay for is monopolized by two families that price fix...and they still take government money and have the nerve to charge us by the lb...everything is over priced by 1/3rd BEFORE COVID!! IF we were to incorporate, we would have local government, held accountable to the law. We would have our federal tax dollars to maintain our roads, keep our hospital emergency staffed with doctors- they wouldn't be financially bankrupt, an we could keep from having to close schools, we could build rent controlled housing. We could get rid of the pampered, entitled attitudes that refuse to make room for poor families and single parents. ( they all have this attitude ' if you can't afford to buy a 3 million dollar home, maybe you should move to somewhere else' and they don't care if you were born here, or your ancestors are buried in the cemetery here- you don't belong here in their eyes. They expect the working class to live off island, to travel here 5 days a week for work, pour the coffee for minimum wage/ house keepers, gardeners, tradesmen and all - shouldn't be allowed to live here and asking for affordable housing to be built will drop property values. Why should you get to live in paradise in subsidized housing while they had to pay full price, spending almost every penny they have earned for 40 years to buy here? "Why should you get something of value for a 20th the price I paid? What makes you special?" Is what I see and hear from the wealthy. Most of whom didn't earn a cent of the money they have, it's generational wealth. They have never done anything to contribute to our community, none were invited, they saw the island and began to move in and take over. Now they want to build a fence around the island and refuse entry to "undesirables ". Sorry you lost your town, I hope we can save mine. Peace be with you Why does money turn people cold to those who weren't born into money? Why must they make our lives harder than it has to be?

[@kurium3d216]

Take a hike . It’s life

[@c.a.greene8395]

@@kurium3d216 remember this ----> once the poor/ working class are removed from island due to cost of living the wealthy will have no place to buy groceries as they will have to close both grocery stores due to no employees - no one is going to live off island and travel 2 hrs in both directions (4 hrs total - and that's IF you can make the ferry) to come pump gas, bag groceries or do minimum wage work...there won't be a single store to shop at, buy booze or drink your $10 coffees, removing these people shuts down every service we all rely on - rich and poor alike. I'm not sure any of them have thought this one through...

[@AlejandroMadrid-tn1gp]

It sounds like a great place for kids to grow up in.

[@alhernandez3699]

In Richmond cal there are some houses that are the same that was there we had a big ship yard .

[@Jeaniesunshine-fb5rk]

Native American Indians moved out of their traditional fishing villiges at Celilo falls. .now like a lake.

[@curtisowen3233]

What a sad loss. Honestly not the smartest place to put a bunch of houses though. "Floodplain" its in the name.

[@lisatarr3078]

It is about time they they do a full length documentary regarding Vanport,that racist cesspool that needs to be brought to America's attention even though many of the people that lived there fought long and hard to overcome the racism and bigotry of that period.

[@paulazemeckis7835]

Glad none of my relatives were slave holders. We immigrated from Lithuania back in the 1920's to Chicago...long after slavery was abolished. I saw some homes in Chicago that had secret basement rooms that were part of the underground railroad.

[@Kimba0724]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@xbankrobber6978]

Don’t let this distract you from the fact that this was not an accident

[@sabrinamj4850]

Please share any other information you have

[@tm1464]

Exactly.

[@Three_Random_Words]

links, more info would be helpful.

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

I have old photo albums of my grandfather and step grandfather. In one of them, there are a lot of photos of s flood. I always wondered about them. The pictures were developed in June 1948 and I bet they are of this flood. Next time I’m in Portland, I’m going to take them to the Oregon Historical Society to get them verified.

[@Tina06019]

Oregon was very racist, so yes, those white families who took in her family were some good Christian people. My grandparents moved from Kansas to the Portland area to build Liberty ships. I remember that my grandfather was, well, “casually racist.” Fortunately, he didn’t pass that attitude on to my father. I suspect Dad’s service in the US Navy would have affected his attitude towards other people positively.

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

My mom was a Navy WAVE Officer in the Navy in WWII

[@liduvinamoralez8557]

😥🙏✝️

[@maxwellethan_]

Not segregating classrooms in Vanport is what made Portland so progressive. ❤️

[@larrypriser6413]

We are faced with this kind of disaster happening again here in Oregon, certain environmental groups are trying to remove all Dams in Oregon, they want nature restored and I get it, but, in order for that to happen, all human habitation will be at risk, the question we have here is, and must accounted for is, how many lives are allowable to restore the rivers to their once beautiful and wild nature?

[@paulazemeckis7835]

What are the environmental groups' solutions for the dam replacements?

[@martenkrueger8647]

@@paulazemeckis7835 Not a damn thing...if they could have it their way the human race would cease too exist....yes they are really that radical...it is because of the EnViRoNmEntalIst...California is burning!

[@mapratt]

I don't want to enter a discussion of pro and con here, but when a dam is removed, the people downstream are first relocated.

[@lorirees21]

Shhhhhhhhh please. This is a history lesson, not a debate for you to whitewash.

[@ericbrown5588]

Even though Vanport was built in a crappy way, let's never forget Vanport.

[@BenjiDaRula]

✨🥰

[@henrimatisse7481]

A history of actual "community" cut short by extremely bad judgement. I didn't know Portland was an entitled town until now

[@MonsterMacLLC]

Veterans village also had the latent function of keeping blacks out. When they could not serve in the same numbers as other wars.

[@airgunfun4248]

4:45 they were right!!

[@JuanRodriguez-xd5gx]

Puede pasar otravez

[@randymorgan8375]

mother jumped out the window " that save her from drowning she was a extremely good swimmer unlike her older sister that never learn to swim didn't end well with her... My grandpa found a car with keys left in it !! he put his family in it and heading back to Missouri leaving everything in the flood..

[@garlicjrmade6409]

you down with opb?

[@createa.googleaccount713]

WHY wasn't this in Our USA School History Lessons?????

[@garymitchell7551]

It’s sad that vanport flooded but learning from this disaster we now have FEMA, evacuation orders, and warnings of a coming disaster

[@normanweimer8333]

God Bless Amen 🙏

[@rockercater]

NEVER BUILD A CITY (BELOW SEA LEVEL) ***CATER***

[@danielkavanaugh4544]

Ever heard of New Orleans

[@maureennelson4513]

It's a flood plain and sloughs... Today building cannot be built on the flood plains and insurance cannot be given to older buildings nor INS collected by distruction caused by acts of God. But this disaster was created by ignorance of Man and none were compensated for the distruction... 😢

[@rockercater]

@@danielkavanaugh4544 TOUCHE

[@rockercater]

@@maureennelson4513 *YEP*

[@coralmonty5280]

They wiped out whole forests in Montana to send the logs down the river

[@Fearzero]

'...Sections of levees in danger of collapse.' Ya umm at that point I'm outta there lol.

[@archiehendricks6093]

Jan 2024, that 76 years ago, 6 years befor i might have been born.

[@brandonvalentine2555]

Wake of the flood…

[@wm3277]

Haters... I dont like Portland anymore..

[@jonathanweir6084]

That black lady talking about oki from muskogie, she's glad she didnt end up in that singers hometown neighborhood of oildale bakersfield. Still no black guys there.

[@demaskus2016]

Alot of black folks died

[@nancytaylor5569]

White folks were also there, from what I’m seeing.

[@CrustyUgg]

“I saw the water and it was like a wall of water..” How profound.

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@SuperNoncents that's not mocking that's admiring. Dang y'all need to learn some common courtesy before you are eaten alive by lack of it.

[@CrustyUgg]

@@SuperNoncents cry about it

[@jonathanweir6084]

It was socialistic, damn, look at portland now.