June 06, 2005

Revisiting The Great Light Way

Third Streeters And Their Illuminated Arches

Ninety-one years ago this evening, a series of arches which crisscrossed above intersections along SW 3rd Avenue were illuminated for the first time, inaugurating what was known as The Great Light Way. It existed in some form into 1940. What follows is a republication of three items we published last year, presented here verbatim from their original posting.

Bring Back The Great Light Way
Originally published on January 11th, 2004.

SW 3th Avenue and Morrison Street, 1934
Courtesy Portland Remembered 2004 Calendar

According to Portland: A Pictorial History by Harry Stein, Kethleen Ryan, and Mark Beach: "Third Avenue merchants in June 1914 financed the Great Light Way of arches similar to the earlier wooden and plaster structures used for civic decoration. Sometimes illuminated, the arches remained in place until the last 1930s."

Courtesy Portland: A Pictorial History

As part of efforts to revitalize downtown transit and pedestrian livability, the City of Portland should bring back such illuminated arches, perhaps as part of the reconsideration of the transit mall through the project to bring light rail onto SW 5th and 6th Avenues, although I wouldn't be adverse to using them elsewhere.

Musing upon these two old photographs of the Great Light Way, it's easy for me to imagine that such potentially elegant forms might help tie together opposing street sides, unite street-level sightlines with upwardly-drawn gazes at surrounding buildings and architecture, as well as provide lighting for pedestrian crossings at night.

There are, of course, issues of much greater and more pressing concern. But since, for instance, the principles of "great pedestrian streets" of the world (as determined by a study by a local architecture, interior design and planning/urban design firm) are being taken into consideration during the transit mall project, this could be worth adding to the mix.

There are also postcard views of these arches, including representations of what they would have looked like at night.

Rediscovering The Great Light Way, Part I: The Newspaper Trail
Originally published on February 16th, 2004.

Last Friday, we began our historical investigation into the series of illuminated arches which once crisscrossed above the intersections along SW 3rd between Yamhill (although some sources say Taylor) and Burnside. As previously reported, these arches existed from 1914 until sometime in the late 1930s.

We began at the Oregon Historical Society research library, with the 1914 volume of The Oregonian Index, where indeed we found seven citations under the heading "Great Light Way" -- six from June and one from July of that year.

Turning to the Library Association of Portland Newspaper Index (which indexes The Oregonian for 1851-1984, The Oregon Journal for 1902-1982, and various other additional sources), we found no references at all under "Great Light Way." But a single listing taken from what we had found in The Oregonian Index hinted at another possibility.

"Third Streeters organize," said the listing for a June 26, 1914, article. Thinking that might be a reference to the group responsible for the arches, we tried the term "Third Streeters" in the Newspaper Index.

While we found nothing under that term, there were a fair number of items listed simply under "Third Street" which pointed to articles in The Oregonian, The Oregon Journal, and The Evening Telegram (of which we had not heard previously).

Thus began an hour of spooling through microfilm archives of those three newspapers. What follows are selected excerpts from what we found. Most of the article detail the week leading up to the grand "opening" of the Great Light Way, leaving the actual origins of the arches a mystery for the time being.

The installing of great steel arches at street intersections from Burnside to Yamhill streets, supporting hundreds of high-power electric lights, it is believed, will increase business on the thoroughfare, and the intention is to make the "Third Streeters" a permanent organization looking to the advancement of the neighborhood's businesses interests.

- The Evening Telegram (June 1, 1914)

The great steel and concrete arches across the ten street intersections, between Yamhill and Burnside, will be completed late this week. The arches arise from the four corners of the street and meet in a common center above. A big electric arc light surmounts the entire structure. The frame of the arches will be studded with hundreds of incandescent lights.

The steel frame at each corner is encased in columns of solid concrete, finished in graceful curves and ornamental designs.

- The Oregonian (June 3, 1914)

Promptly at 8 o'clock next Saturday evening, the blaze of lights in the 10 great steel arches which span the street intersections between Taylor and Burnside streets, will be turned on and a general spirit of festival will prevail along the thoroughfare.

- The Oregonian (June 4, 1914)

The massive steel arches, with their hundreds of incandescent lamps, will be given the first shot of "juice" at 8 P. M. and from then until 10:30 there will be joy and revelry all the way from Taylor street to Burnside.

- The Evening Telegram (June 4, 1914)

The stage is all set for the premiere of the new Third street. The scenery, meaning the arches, is all in place, resplendent in green paint, and the electricians are today trying out the lighting effects.

...

At the present time the arches extend from Yamhill to Burnside streets, a distance of 10 blocks, but is is expected that in time they will be placed as far south as Madison, and as far north as Glisan.

...

The arches are made of structural steel, set in decorative concrete pillars at each corner. Each arch has a span of 82 feet, and weighs approximately five tons. Over 200 outline incandescent lights will burn on each arch, while hanging from the very center is a 1000 watt nitrogen filled Mazda lamp. Two pendant eight-inch lamps are attached to each pillar. The mitrogen filled lamps are something absolutely new on the coast, and are being used for the first time in Portland on the Third street arches.

...

When the switch is turned on tomorrow night 10 nitrogen filled globes will throw their refulgent rays from the centers of the arches to the street below, 80 six inch globes on the pillars will cast their warm glow on the faces of the promenaders, 2000 incandescents will shine like the myriad stars from the spans of the arches themselves, while scores of store windows will cast their brilliance along the sidewalk. Never will Portland have seen so much light before.

- The Oregon Journal (June 5, 1914)

One is moved to ask, why should this movement of rejuvenation stop with Third Street? If we can be brilliant in one spot, why not in many? There is no patent or copyright on this business of the conversion of streets into avenues of luminance. If on Fifth street, or Fourth street, of Sixth street there is envy of Third-street enterprise, what's to prevent that envy from materializing to good effect? Why let the blaze glory abide in only one avenue of business and traffic?

- The Evening Telegram (June 5, 1914)

The few showers promised by the weather man for tonight will not deter in the least the scheduled grand opening of "The Great Light Way," formerly called Third street.

Tonight is the night of nights. The 10 initial arches have been completed, thelights placed in position and all tested today, and the merchants of Third street are ready to receive all Portland as their guests.

The hour is 8 o'clock and the celebration will last until 10:30, consuming 218,750 watts the while, or 87.500 watts the hour, the power being furnished gratis by the Northwestern Electric company.

...

The improvement of Third street through the construction of these arches, one at every street itnersection from Yamhill to Burnside streets, has cost some $15,000. The work has been executed from plans made by the engineers of the Northwestern Electric company, by W. A. Kranen & Co., general contractors, who have successfully accomplished the difficult task of raising the arches over trolley wires and across busy street corners without disturbing traffic or even calling undue attention to the work.

- The Oregon Journal (June 6, 1914)

Tonight will be "the night" of all nights on Third street, hereafter to be known as "The Great Light Way."

Promptly on the eighth stroke of the clock electricity will be sent through the wires of the 10 great steel arches which span the street intersections from Yamhill to Burnside streets, will flash into light that represents an hourly consumption of 87.500 watts, and the carnival of the Third Streeters will be on.

...

The construction of the arches alone has cost the "Third Streeters" approximately $15,000. At each of the 10 intersections a double steel arch weighing nearly five tons and spanning 82 feet has been erected by W. A. Kraner & Co., who had the general contract for the work.

Large 750-watt light globes have been placed in the apexes of each arch and 200 40-watt lights distributed alone its arms.

The two weeks' work of erecting and equipping the arches was exceedingly hazardous, but it was accomplished without even interfering with the streetcar traffic. So great was the risk because of the proximity of the wires and trolleys that it was necessary to pay 16 1/4 per cent of the payroll to pay the insurance.

The Northwestern Electric company has volunteered to supply the power for the lighting.

While the painters were climbing around on the arches yesterday putting on the finishing touches of paint, the switches were turned on in order to test the globes and see that everything was in readiness.

It is now virtually assured that the arches will be extended in the near future to Glisan street on the north and to the Market block location of the proposed new Auditorium on the south. The merchants and property owners on the northern end have already signed up for the improvement and a large enough share on the sourthern end of the street have agreed to the extension to make the prospect almost certain.

- The Oregonian (June 6, 1914)

Portland is being felicitated upon the birth of a street, named "The Great Light Way," at 8 o'clock last night. The event was attended by a great crowd which thronged for many hours the sidewalks and streets of what formerly was known as Third street.

Wilbur E. Coman, general manager of the Northwestern Electric Company, pressed a button in the company's new plant in the sub-basement of the Pittock block. Instantly every one of the 2090 light globes in the great steel arches spanning every intersection between Burnside and Yamhill streets contributed its share in the inauguration of a wonderful illumination. Hearty cheers from the crowds welcomed the brilliancy.

Visitors were on hand by the thousands. It was difficult to nudge into elbow room anywhere along the walks. A squadron of policemen was kept busy at every intersection. Automobiles paraded along the streets. Many upstairs office windows were filled with spectators.

...

Did it rain? A little, but that didn't chill the triumph. In fact, the rain was a mere side issue, not important enough except to show that the spirit of the "Noble Order of Third Streeters" is of the dyed-in-the-wool variety and that the people of Portland were sufficiently interested in "Great Light Way" to turn out and help a good thing along, rain or shine.

- The Oregonian (June 7, 1914)

And such was the week that saw the raising of the Great Light Way. What prompted the idea to begin with will take more investigating -- but scattered throughout the articles from which these excerpts are taken are hints of several possible new directions for research.

Missing from the story as well, so far, is the continuing mystery of just why the arches were removed sometime in the last 1930s. All that turned up in this initial scouring through Portland newspapers of the time was a single reference to an item in The Oregonian of August 2, 1940:

Arches Ordered Down -- Removal of the last evidences of the 1914 ornamental lighting system on 3rd avenue was ordered by the city council Thursday and the Northwestern Electric company was directed to install arc lights in the place of the three steel arches that now remain on the street. The arches are to be removed within 60 days. They were part of the system that undertook to make 3rd avenue a great white way 26 years ago. The rest of the arches were removed several years ago.

So we know for certain that the late 1930s indeed is the time of the end of the Great Light Way. Just how and why the arches originally were removed remains to be seen, as do the answer to other questions: Whose idea were the arches to begin with? Were they ever extended to the south and north? Do any of them still exist, somewhere, perhaps in storage?

Readers will have to stay tuned for the eventual Part II of "Rediscovering the Great Light Way" for these answers. As will your humble editor, since we oursleves have not yet begun that part of our historical exploration.

And, of course, there will yet be one remaining question about the steel arches of the Great Light Way, even when all of their history is found and told: Can we bring them back?

Rediscovering The Great Light Way, Part II: Piecing Together The Timeline
Originally published on February 21st, 2004.

As learned in our previous report, the Great Light Way of illuminated arches along SW 3rd opened in June 1914. At that time, they rose above each intersection from Yamhill to Burnside.

Also in our previous report, quotes from newspaper accounts of the time indicated that there were plans to extend the Great Light Way as far south as Madison and as far north as Glisan.

Today at another visit to the Oregon Historical Society research library, we found the first indication that the northward expansion, at least, at some point did occur.

In a 1997 report published by the City's Office of Transportation called A History of Street Lighting in Portland, Oregon (and presented to City Council on May 28 of that year), Catherine Sohm wrote:

The arches were a distinctive feature of downtown Portland for many years. The ones north of Burnside were removed for a street widening project. The rest survived until 1937.

After a related disgression which briefly explains the fight over Northwest Electric Company's franchise indicates that at some point in 1936 or 1937, their franchise was not renewed and "the arches were removed as a matter of public safety." It does not elaborate on this point.

However, in the vertical file for "Portland - Lighting" we found a reference to an article in the July 29, 1934, edition of The Oregonian which slightly disputes that 1937 date:

Portland's first brightly illuminated street was feeling the march of time yesterday when employees of the Northwestern Electric company were removing the ornamental lighting arch spanning Southwest Third avenue and Yamhill street in compliance with requests of property owners.

Third avenue was a proud street back in 1914 when the lighting system was set up, perhaps even prouder than was Broadway when the present dazzling illumination was installed a few years ago. The lighting arches originally extended along Third from Yamhill to Glisan. Street widening at the northern end of the street, however, already has eliminated those at Glisan, Flanders, Burnside and Ankeny.

Of course, we already know that, in fact, "originally" they only extended to Burnside, and shortly thereafter (it's unclear just when) were extended to Glisan.

(For whatever it might be worth, the City's Transportation History Timeline lists a "Burnside widening project" for 1931.)

Returning again to our previous item, we now should revisit an item in The Oregonian from August 1940 which further, if unspecifically, refutes the 1937 date mentioned in the Office of Transportation report:

Removal of the last evidences of the 1914 ornamental lighting system on 3rd avenue was ordered by the city council Thursday and the Northwestern Electric company was directed to install arc lights in the place of the three steel arches that now remain on the street. The arches are to be removed within 60 days. They were part of the system that undertook to make 3rd avenue a great white way 26 years ago. The rest of the arches were removed several years ago.

So let's try to piece this together as best we can at this point.

In 1914, the arches of the Great Light Way were erected, extending along SW 3rd from Yamhill to Burnside.

At some point early in the period between 1914 and 1934, the Great Light Way was extended northward to Glisan.

But by 1934, the arches north of Burnside were gone, having been removed for a street widening project possibly related to the 1931 project at Burnside.

In 1934 itself, what appears to have been the southernmost arch, at Yamhill, was removed at the behest of property owners.

Around 1937, it seems that more of the arches were removed, possibly because of some sort of public safety concerns.

Finally, in 1940 the "last evidences" of the Great Light Way were removed, although as of yet we don't know just how few of the arches remained at that time.

Meanwhile, we are now in the possession of photocopies of 22 photographs of the Great Light Way, most of which appear to be from the 1920s and 1930s, although more than several are undated. These may or may not find their way into a later post in this series, depending upon the required approval from the Oregon Historical Society for their use.

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