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Book of congratulatory pigeongrams sent for Burnside Bridge opening, 1926 May
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Book of congratulatory pigeongrams sent for Burnside Bridge opening
- Dates
- 1926 May1926-051926-05
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box)
- Collection Number
- Coll 917
- Summary
- Bound volume of "pigeongrams" (messages sent by pigeon) from political figures, congratulating Portland Mayor George L. Baker and Oregon Governor Walter M. Pierce on the opening of the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon. The Burnside Bridge opened in May 1926, replacing an older bridge of the same name from the 1890s, and was still operational in 2022.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
In 1922, voters of Portland, Oregon, approved a bond to build a new bridge at Burnside Street, which would be more suitable for automobile traffic and would replace a previous bridge that had opened in 1894. In 1924, the new bridge's construction erupted in scandal upon revelations that Multnomah County commissioners had awarded the contract to a firm that had bid $500,000 above the lowest bid. As a result of public outcry, three county commissioners were ousted from office in a May 1924 recall election and indicted; that July, the contract was awarded to the Pacific Bridge Company, and demolition of the old bridge began.
The new Burnside Bridge was dedicated on May 28, 1926. Portland Mayor George L. Baker (1868-1941) and Oregon Governor Walter M. Pierce (1861-1954) attended the dedication. As of 2022, the bridge was still operational.
Sources: Articles in the Oregonian, 1922-1926 and April 16, 1984.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of a small bound volume containing 11 "pigeongrams" (messages delivered by pigeon) offering congratulations on the opening of the new Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon. Seven of the pigeongrams are addressed to Portland Mayor George L. Baker, while the other four are addressed to Oregon Governor Walter M. Pierce. Officials sending the pigeongrams include San Francisco, California, Mayor James Rolph, Jr.; Washington Governor Roland H. Hartley; Tacoma, Washington, Mayor A. V. Fawcett; Spokane, Washington, Mayor C. A. Fleming; and Seattle, Washington, Mayor E. J. Brown. The pigeongrams are dated from May 22, 1926, through May 27, 1926.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Book of congratulatory pigeongrams sent for Burnside Bridge opening, Coll 917, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Bridges--Oregon--Portland
- Politicians--Oregon
- Politicians--Washington (State)
Personal Names
- Baker, George L. (George Luis), 1868-1941--Correspondence
- Pierce, Walter Marcus, 1861-1954--Correspondence
Geographical Names
- Burnside Bridge (Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
