Salem, Downtown and Waterfront

This walk starts at Oregon's State Capitol and winds through Salem's downtown to the Willamette River and then back. Highlights include historic downtown Salem buildings, a pedestrian bridge across the river (formerly a railroad bridge), and a visit to Salem's Riverfront Park. The walk is 3.3 miles along, and is on level terrain.

Oregon's State Capitol, finished in 1938, replaced the previous capitol, with a traditional dome, that burned to the ground in 1935. This capitol building definitely has a 1930's art deco look to it. The dome is topped by the Golden Pioneer, also known among the building's staffers as Capitol Man. The Golden Pioneer is only gold-sheathed - his interior is made of bronze.

  

Continue to the west of the State Capitol (to rhe right when facing the building's Court Street entrance), and on the west side of the building is the pavilion of flags. Flags from all 50 states and also the nine flags of the Oregon Native American sovereign tribes are displayed. Plaques below each flag identify the state or the tribe it represents.

   

Winter Street stubs into Court Street to the west of the Capitol grounds. Cross Court Street and continue on Winter. On your right is the Oregon State Library. This building was completed in 1939 in the same art deco-public monument building style as the State Capitol, completed a year earlier. This library is definitely not for book browsing - go here if only if you are looking for a specific reference book, or come to attend the historical lectures the library hosts on a more or less monthly basis.

         

On the right side of Winter Street is First Presbyterian Church. Amazingly, this substantial church building was moved to this location. The church was originally at the northeast corner of Winter and Chemeketa Streets. In 1958 it was moved diagonally across the Chemeketa/Winter intersection to its current location, to make room for the State's Bureau of Labor and Industries building.                       

At Chemeketa Street, turn left at the next block, cross Cottage Street, and you will come to Ike's Box, a non-profit coffee shop. Ike's Box is operated by Isaac's Room, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help "divested young people build the capacity to rise to the challenges of life." The husband-and-wife founders of Isaac's Room named the organization after their son Isaac, who died in 1998 at the age of two months. Ike's Box also hosts concerts and other events in furtherance of its mission.

Continue on Chemeketa another block to Church Street. On your left, between Church and High Streets, is Courthouse Square, which contains some Marion County government offices and is a transit center for Salem public bus system, which goes by the cutesy name of Cherriots (Salem is "the cherry city"). Built in 2000, in 2010 the building was declared too dangerous to occupy and required four years and $23 million to repair. The series of events that led to this debacle remains, perhaps purposefully, murky, with Marion County, the construction contractors, the engineers, and everyone else involved  blaming each other.

Continue on Chemeketa Street three additional blocks to Commercial Street. On your right you will see several blocks devoted to the Salem Center, a shopping mall with several department stores and connecting skybridges over the intervening streets. Multi-story adjacent parking garages provide the final suburban touch. At Commercial Street turn right and go two blocks to Marion Street. Off to the left are two one-way auto bridges across the Willamette River, often choked with traffic, only one (Marion Street bridge) with a sidewalk. But the route of this walk, while going across the Willamette, does not take you across either of these bridges.

At the northwest corner of the intersection of Commercial and Marion is Marion Square Park. Head into the park and cross it on a diagonal path. The park includes a skateboarding area. At the other end of the path is the intersection of Front and Union Streets.Cross Front Street on the right side and proceed on the sidewalk toward the river along Water Street. You will cross railroad tracks which belong now to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, but were originally completed in the early 20th Century by the Oregon Electric Railway. This rail line provided electric passenger service between Salem and Portland until the late 1920's, but has hauled freight only for many decades since.

As Water Street veers right, keep going forward and you will come to the former Union Street Railroad Bridge, completed in 1912 to serve a branch line of the Southern Pacific Railroad. This line left the Southern Pacific's main line in east Salem, followed the present-day course of Union Street, crossed the rival Oregon Electric Railway's tracks, and then crossed the Willamette on this bridge to connect to lines in Polk County to the west. After the railway ceased operations in the 1980's the bridge lay abandoned until the City of Salem assumed responsibility and spent the money to repurpose it as a pedestrian bridge. It reopened in 2009. The wide bridge surface has plenty of room for both bicyclists and pedestrians.

   

From the bridge, there is a great view of the Willamette River, both north and south. This is the view to the north, and there is little trace of civilization right along the river banks. The Willamette Queen, shown in this picture, is a small paddleboat steamer that cruises up and down the Salem stretch of the river several times per day. Passengers embark and disembark to the south, in Riverfront Park.

 

Cross the river on the bridge to West Salem. While the surface of the bridge betrays no trace of its former railway use, a look below shows a typical railroad trestle underneath. There isn't much to see in West Salem - if you want to extend the walk, you can traipse around Wallace Park and its softball fields. Otherwise, once you reach the end of the bridge, turn around and head back to the east side of the Willamette.

   

Once you reach the east end of the bridge take a right turn onto Water Street and pass underneath the Marion and Center Street vehicle bridges. Beyond, on the left, is A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, a children's museum located in these brightly painted Victorian structures. A.C. Gilbert (1884-1961) was a Salem native who became a renowned toy maker, most famous as the developer of the Erector Set. The museum is home to the world's largest Erector Set tower, at 52 feet. The museum itself is a private non-profit. In this picture is the Andrew T. Gilbert house, built on this site in 1887.

 

On the right is the Willamette River. As you pass under the two auto bridges you can look back at the pedestrian bridge you crossed earlier.

 

Continue on Water Street to its end. A pathway continues into Salem's Riverfront Park. Prior to the 1980's the 23-acre park site was a Boise Cascade lumber mill. After the mill closed the city purchased the property and created the park. There are many benches such as these with scenic views of the Willamette River. The view in this picture is actually of a side channel to the Willamette. Across the channel is the 1.5 square mile Minto-Brown Island, another Salem city park, with the only access several miles upstream. The city plans to construct a pedestrian bridge from this spot to the island.

 

Follow the path along the riverfront to its southern tip, which is the location of the eco-earth ball. The source material for this sculpture came from an acid ball left over from the Boise Cascade lumber mill formerly on the site. The acid ball was necessary to the processing of wood pulp into paper. The sculpture is described as "a vibrant symbol of our world's struggle for peace, cultural diversity, and ecological awareness."

 

The eco-earth ball is at the south end of Riverfront Park. Go around the ball and start north on the pathway that is farther inland from the river. After a few hundred feet of walking you will come to Salem's Riverfront Carousel. Inside is a carousel for youngsters and those who feel young, costing $1.50 per ride. Given Northwest weather, the enclosure of this carousel is a good idea. The carousel is operated by a non-profit association.

   

At the carousel, turn right and cross the railroad tracks and then Front Street. Continue straight ahead on State Street, which begins once you cross Front Street. One block beyond, at the corner of Commercial and State, on the right, is the Ladd and Bush Bank Building, constructed in 1869, with the original cast iron facade intact. After another block, at the corner of Liberty and State, also on the right, is the Capitol Center, originally the First National Bank of Salem, built in 1927, and at 151 feet and 11 stories the tallest building in Salem other the Capitol (and not counting the spire on the First Methodist Church, which you will see later on this tour).

 

Continue on State Street. One block beyond, at the corner of State and High Streets, on the right, is 101 High Street, now the home of the Willamette Valley Bank, but originally constructed in 1911 as the Masonic Building. The first floor was streetfront commercial space, the second through fifth floors were office space, and the top floor was the Masonic Hall. The building has beautiful details in an Italianate terra cotta style, especially on the top two floors.

As you cross High Street, look to the right. Halfway down the street is the historic Elsinore Theater, constructed in 1926 as a palatial movie house, and now refurbished for showing of vintage films and live shows. But perhaps the most interesting sight involving the Elsinore is not on High Street, as you shall soon see.

   

Continue straight ahead on State Street for another block to Church Street. The street is most likely named for this structure, the First Methodist Church of Salem on the corner of State and Church Streets, originally built in 1878. It's spire is taller than every other structure in the city other than the State Capitol.  The original spire had to be replaced in 1984, but the new spire is an identical match.

 

At Church Street turn right. One the left side of the street is the First Methodist Church. On the right side, after a Wells Fargo bank building, you will see this mural painted on the back of the Elsinore Theater building. It is a homage to silent films, which played at the Elsinore when it opened in 1926. The man in the hat on the left is Charlie Chaplin; the hatted figure on the right is W.C. Fields. But do you recognize the female silent film star between them? Here are some hints: despite being characterized by her studio as "the daughter of an Arab sheik and a French woman, born in the Sahara," she was actually born in Cincinnati. She became known in her films as "the vamp," and her most famous screen line (as revealed on one of the intertitle cards in a 1915 silent movie) was "kiss me, my fool."

 

Continue on Church Street one more block to its intersection with Ferry Street.  At Ferry, make a sharp left. The traffic on Ferry Street curves to the right (with a name change to Bellevue St.), and the original Ferry Street continues straight ahead to the east. Stay on the "old" Ferry Street. After one block, turn left on Cottage Street. Before you reach State Street, the MICAH building is on your left. MICAH is the Methodist Inner City Activities House, but this building was originally constructed in 1925 as an Elks Lodge.  The Cottage Street frontage of the building is a Baha'i Faith Center. The Baha'i Faith was founded in 19th century Iran, and asserts a synthesis of past prophets of many world religions into a new monotheistic religion of world peace and unity. There are about 5 million adherents worldwide. The largest number used to be in Iran, but the Islamic regime under Ayatollah Khomeini and his successors has worked to ruthlessly extirpate the faith from that county since 1980.

 

At the intersection of Cottage and State Streets, cross State and continue into Willson Park on the right. This park blends into the State Capitol Grounds to the north. A site in the park along Cottage Street was home to several dozen "occupy Salem" protesters in 2011-2012.    

Continue through the park back toward the State Capitol, past the Walk of the Flags again. And here is the end of the walk, back at the State Capitol building.   

SOUTHEAST PORTLAND CHURCH WALK

SOUTHEAST PORTLAND CHURCH WALK

This walk is the first of several to be devoted to seeing the religious institutions in a walkable neighborhood. The Southeast Portland church walk will take you by eleven local religious institutions, some grand, some modest, some historic, some not, some "mainstream," some "out of the ordinary." In addition you will see an historic structure that used to be a church, as well as Portland's first cemetery. If you are feeling adventurous, go into one of these places and talk to someone, or perhaps even go back and attend a service or other event. The walk is a long 4.5 miles, but the terrain is pretty level.

You could really start this walk anywhere along the route, but we'll start this one at the corner of SE 35th Ave. and Yamhill St. by the first religious institution on this walk, the Sunnyside Methodist Church.

Sunnyside Church is member of the nationwide United Methodist Church. Methodism was founded in the 18th century in England by John Wesley, who actually spent most of his life as a clergyman in the Church of England (ancestor of today's Episcopal churches in the United States). It began as an alternative to the established and government-supported Church of England, emphasizing a more direct and informal approach to spreading the Christian message. It is the largest "mainline" church organization in the United States, and is the third largest such organization overall, after Roman Catholicism and the Southern Baptist Convention. It's mission statement reads: Sunnyside Church is a place of rest, laughter, growth, and joy. We honor diversity and support those who seek new insights, question assumptions, and employ a variety of means to realize the Divine. Into this family we welcome people of all ethnic groups, income brackets, religious or spiritual traditions, and sexual orientations. The beautiful church building itself is more than 100 years old.

Go south on 35th to the intersection of 35th and Main St. (three blocks), and on the corner will be the Portland Mennonite Church.

The Mennonites are perhaps the most prominent American church representing Anabaptism - other Anabaptist churches in the US include the more famous Amish. Anabaptism literally means "baptized again," because the original 16th century Anabaptists believed that baptism required the baptized to be a conscious adult, not an infant. Anabaptists actually rejected this name given to them by their opponents, because in their view the "first" infant baptism was actually not a baptism at all, and conferred no Christian status upon the baptized. Unlike the "Baptist" churches in the US with the same belief about the practice of baptism, Anabaptists such as the Mennonites have also traditionally rejected the taking of oaths, participation in civil government, and participation in military actions. The church's website provides some interesting material entitled "What is a Mennonite?" The Anabaptists were considered Christian "radicals" in the 16th and 17th centuries, and were persecuted by other Christians for their beliefs. One angry "Christian" ruler at the time advocated that Anabaptists be given a "third baptism" and be drowned. Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" contains a heartrending account of Baptist (Anabaptist) women burned at the stake in front of the young king in disguise as the pauper.

Turn right on Main St., go one block, and then turn right onto 34th Ave. Go two blocks, then turn left onto Taylor St. At 32nd and Taylor is the Mars Hill Church

Mars Hill Church is a very new congregation in a very old building. The church began in the Seattle area in 1996, and has grown to membership of 6500 persons on 15 church sites located in five western states. The church moved into this historic old building, constructed in 1905 as a Congregational church (the denomination of the original Massachusetts puritans), in 2011. Mars Hill is a non-denominational church, and combines a very fundamentalist religious message with modern accoutrements such as Christian rock music at services. Most notably, the church is strongly opposed to gay marriage and homosexual conduct of any kind. The name "Mars Hill" is a translation of "Areopagus," a spot where the Apostle Paul preached as is related in the New Testament's Book of Acts. UPDATE: As of 2015 the Mars Hill Church dissolved in an agony of acrimony over the actions of chief pastor Mark Driscoll. The church building is now occupied by a new non-denominational congregation, the Redeemer Church.

Continue on Taylor to SE 28th St., and then turn left. Go three blocks, and on your right, before you reach Madison St.,will be the Epworth United Methodist Church.

Epworth United Methodist Church was founded by Portland's Japanese American community early in the 20th century and moved to this site in 1952. It has served an important role in supporting Portland's Japanese-American community during the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. Epworth and other Japanese Methodist churches integrated with the United Methodist Church (which also has nearby Sunnyside Church as a member institution) in 1964. While the congregation has had non-Japanese members, 95% of the congregation consists of Japanese-Americans. The congregation included George Azumano, founder of Azumano travel, who recently passed away in December, 2013.

Continue south on 28th one more block to Hawthorne St., and turn right. On the other side of the street is a Safeway market. Go one block to 27th Ave. and then cross Hawthorne. Continue three blocks on 27th to Stephens St. Turn left on Stephens, and on the right side of the street is the Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church.

Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is an amalgamation of several other Southeast Portland Presbyterian congregations, who all moved into this new building in 1962. The congregation is a member of the Presbyterian Church USA, a "mainline" protestant denomination with 1.8 million members. The Presbyterian Church is the official Church of Scotland, founded in the mid-16th Century by John Knox, based upon the principles of John Calvin's Reformed Protestant Church of Geneva, Switzerland. Knox led the Scottish church in its break away from Roman Catholicism. Presbyterian churches are notable for their absence of bishops, and are governed by groups of "presbyters" all the way up to the national level of the Presbyterian General Assembly. Colonial Heights' objectives include: "honoring diversity and support of vulnerable communities, strengthening families and children, increasing stewardship of the environment, promoting music & the arts, and supporting opportunities for education and nurture across generations."

Continue on Stephens St. one block to 29th Ave. Turn right, and on your left is a stake house for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known (at least to non-members) as the "Mormon" church, needs little introduction as to its history and doctrine, which generate controversy and passionate opinions to this day.  The church has a strong hierarchical organization, and this building is a "stake house," one of many in the Portland region.  Each of the stake houses is home to one to three "stakes" (congregations) which are geographic groups of Mormons. Unlike most religious institutions, the LDS church requires its members to belong to a geographically based stake. This stake house was constructed in 1929, and is more attractive than the more recently-constructed stake houses in suburban locations.

At the intersection of 29th Ave. and Harrison Street the front facade of the LDS stake house is to the left. The route of this walk turns right at Harrison, and within two blocks you will see St. David of Wales Episcopal Church on your left.

St. David of Wales Episcopal Church is a member of the Oregon Diocese of the Episcopal Church USA. As such it is also a member of the Anglican Communion, led by the venerable Church of England established by Henry VIII in the 16th century. St. David of Wales states "we are a sacramental community: our holy table is the center of our common life," and also "we are an open and affirming church. Wherever you may be on your journey, there is a place for you here, and all are welcome." The Episcopal church can best be described as the Protestant church that is closest to Roman Catholicism in terms of its liturgy, even with "priests" rather than "ministers" in charge. But, unlike Roman Catholic priests, Episcopal priests can be women, and can be married. The church has 1.9 million members nationwide. It survived controversy in the last decade over the ordination of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire, with a few conservative congregations breaking away, but most staying and either embracing or accepting the change.

Continue west on Harrison and then turn left on 26th Avenue. After three blocks turn right onto Sherman Street, and go three long blocks to 20th Avenue. Turn left on 20th and then right on Division. Continue on Division for one block to Tamarack, then turn right. As you head down Tamarack, which is one of the diagonal streets in the Ladd's Addition neighborhood, St. Philip Neri Catholic Church is on your left, and the former Mizpah Presbyterian Church is on your right.

The Mizpah Presbyterian Church building was originally constructed in 1891 on a site at SE 13th and Powell, and was moved to this site in 1911. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. As the congregation dwindled it consolidated with other Presbyterian congregations into the Colonial Heights congregation, and after several other short-lived religious endeavors, the building was vacated in 1978. The owner then converted the building into four apartments. A nice placard in the front yard explains the building's history. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the opposite side of Tamarack is St. Philip Neri Catholic Church and the Paulist Center.

St. Philip Neri Catholic Church consists of two buildings, the original church located on Hickory Street, built in 1913, and the more modern building facing Division Street, built in 1952. The latter was designed by renowned architect Pietro Belluschi. Philip Neri was a 16th century Italian priest known for his work with the poor, and he was canonized by the Roman Catholic church for his achievements. The church is managed by the Paulist Fathers, an American Catholic evangelizing organization founded by Isaac Hecker in the 1850's.

Continue on Tamarack, and then turn left onto Hickory Street. The 1913 building is located on the corner of Hickory and 16th, with the front facade in this picture facing 16th Street. The mission of the Paulist Fathers was to convince the skeptical majority Protestant population to return to the fold, but now that mission has evolved into converting the unchurched and bringing lapsed Roman Catholics back to the church.

Continue on Hickory to its end at Orange Ave., then turn right. Turn left at Birch Street, go three blocks, and turn right on Spruce Ave. The I AM Sanctuary is on the left, at the corner of Spruce and Harrison Street.

The I AM movement was the creation of Edgar Ballard in the 1930's, and gained quite a following. The AM stands for Ascended Masters, who are individuals that have evolved and perfected themselves to a degree that they, unlike the rest of us, are not reincarnated upon death, but instead ascend to heaven. After Ballard's death in 1939 his wife and son were prosecuted for mail fraud, and eventually convicted in 1942 after their case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and back on a question of interpretation of the religious exercise clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The conviction was eventually overturned in 1946 on the grounds that women had been excluded from the original jury. The movement claims to be Christian because it asserts that Jesus Christ was among the greatest of the "Ascended Masters." This I AM Sanctuary began operation in 1956, occupying a church building originally constructed in 1923 for a Swedenborgian congregation (an obscure and very small Protestant sect).

Continue on Spruce Street and on your left is one of the Ladd's Addition rose gardens. After passing the rose garden, turn right onto Harrison St., go one block, and you will be at the Ladd's Circle park in the actual center of Ladd's Addition. There is a nice coffee shop along the circle to the right if you want to make a stop. However the walk continues to the left along the circle, and between Ladd Ave. and 16th Ave. is the Chinese Baptist Church.

The Chinese Baptist Church moved to this location in 1954. The church is a member of CBNorthwest, which describes itself as a "covenant community of conservative Baptist churches in the Pacific Northwest." A Yelp review states that the church is closed, but the church's website lists Sunday services and bible studies and the telephone number is active. While the term "Baptist" encompasses a wide variety of denominations, they all generally share a belief that the Christian sacrament of baptism must be performed upon consenting adults, rather than infants who are unable to make a conscious decision to become a Christian. The existence of this church, as well as the Japanese-dominated Epworth Methodist church seen earlier on the tour, also exemplify Martin Luther King's statement that "the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."

Turn left on 16th Ave. and go one block to the next Ladd's Addition rose garden. On your right will be St. Sharbel Church.

St. Sharbel is a Maronite Rite Church. The building was constructed in 1911 as the First United Evangelical Church of Portland. The Maronites took over in 1970. The Maronite Church is the primary Christian denomination in Lebanon. Church services are in both English and Arabic, and the Eucharistic consecration is said in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and first century Palestine. Unlike most other Middle Eastern Christian churches, the Maronites are in harmonious communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Sectarian strife in Lebanon has reduced the membership of the church in that nation.


At the rose garden, veer to the right onto Poplar Ave. Follow this street through several blocks of stately Ladds Addition homes, all the way to Hawthorne St. Turn right and go one and one-half blocks to 20th Ave., where you will cross Hawthorne and continue northward three blocks to Hinson Memorial Baptist Church.

Hinson Baptist Church's imposing structure was constructed in 1918. These Baptists are members of the Conservative Baptist Association of America, an organization of 1200 churches and about 200,000 members. The history of formations, splits, and unions of groups of Baptist churches in this nation is much too complicated for any explanation here. Groups of Baptist churches are often very loosely organized, and the particular theology of individual Baptist churches in the same grouping may vary widely.

Continue north on 20th Avenue and in two blocks you will see Colonel Summers Park on your left. The park has a community garden along its 20th Ave. frontage. The park was established in 1921, and was renamed in 1938 in honor of Colonel Own Summers, an Oregon Legislator and commanding officer of a volunteer regiment in the Spanish-American War.

 

Continue north on 20th past Belmont to Morrison St. On the northeast corner of Morrison and 20th is the beginning of the Lone Fir Cemetery, established in 1846. The vacant lot at the street corner has an interesting history, which the Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery summarize on their website. Once enough funds have been raised, this former site of a Multnomah County building will have a memorial to Portland's Chinese community, whose ancestors were buried here.

Turn right on Morrison and go one block. On the north (left) side of the street will be a pedestrian entrance to the Lone Fir Cemetery. The Cemetery contains a number of the gravesites of prominent early Portlanders.

The cemetery is divided into blocks, with walkways between the blocks. Once you enter the cemetery, turn right at the first intersection, and then left at the next path. On your right you will see this mausoleum constructed for the MacLeay family (who also have a West Hills park named for them). If there are any MacLeays left in Portland they are not concerned too much about this mausoleum, as the "Macl" remains of the block lettering above the structure.

At the end of this pathway turn right at the T-intersection. Soon on your left you will see this memorial to Portland's Civil War soldiers.

Continue down the pathway to the east end of the cemetery. Take a look at some of the ornate headstones and small buildings that house our ancestors. The park exit will put you on 26th Ave. Turn left, and then right on Washington St.

Continue on Washington St. two blocks to 28th Ave. and turn right. The modern, well-landscaped building along the right side of the street is Our House, which has provided care to Portlanders living with HIV/AIDS for over 25 years. This facility provides residential care for those living with AIDS.

Turn left on Alder St. The first block is a glorified alley, and then turns into a normal street. At 30th Ave., jog left and then cross the street to continue on Alder. The streets start to curve in this area, and at the first intersection keep to the left on Alder Ct. Turn right on 32nd Ave., and then left again onto Alder St. At 33rd Ave. turn right. On your right you will see this bungalow court, a popular and attractive form of apartment housing from the days when lots of people living in apartments didn't have cars.
 

Continue on 33rd Ave. two blocks to Belmont St. At the corner of Belmont and 33rd is the Belmont Dairy redevelopment project from the late 1990's. A Zupans market is on the corner, and behind the old dairy are modern new apartments and condominiums. Turn left on Belmont, which has some interesting shops and the Avalon Theater along this two-block stretch. At 35th, turn right and you will be back at your starting point near Sunnyside Methodist Church.

Downtown Bend

Bend, Oregon is an exciting place because it is the jumping off point for visiting the natural splendor of Central Oregon - hiking, skiing, river rafting, lake boating, camping, cycling, fishing - and much more. But the city itself has some interesting things to see and do as well. This short 1.4 mile walk will introduce you to the historic core of the community.

Downtown Bend is located to the west of Highway 97, along the east side of the Deschutes River. The old dreary route along State Route 97 north and south through town, or the new quick trip on the expressway that replaced it, do not show off the highlights of this great little city. From the expressway, follow the directional signs for downtown Bend to get to the start of this walk.




This walk starts at a juxtaposition of old and new. One on side of Wall Street is the Deschutes County Public Library, opened in 1998 as Bend was transforming from a small resource-industry community into the city we see today. A large "monumental" library building, especially one as attractive as this one is, shows a strong civic-mindedness regarding important cultural institutions. Take a walk around the library interior, especially the open and light-filled second floor.


In front of the library you'll find this playful sculpture illustrating one of the "natural resources" that is abundant in Central Oregon.

Across the street from the new public library on Wall Street are buildings from "Old Bend," the community that mushroomed from a tiny hamlet to a prosperous town with several large lumber mills. This occurred after the Great Northern and Union Pacific Railroads reached Bend in 1911, following the famous Deschutes River Railroad War. The building on the right is the Bend Amateur Athletic Club Building, completed in 1919, and operated by the Bend School District starting in 1923. While the indoor pool and bowling alley are gone, the building was otherwise renovated in 1998 and is operated by the Boys and Girls Club of Bend. The building on the left is the side of the original Bend High School, which you will see fully at the end of the walk.

Continue to the south on Wall Street, and as the road bends to the left you will see Bend's Trinity Episcopal Church straight ahead. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and was constructed in 1929. Note the door - all Episcopal Churches in the U.S. have traditionally welcomed parishioners and visitors with a front door painted red. In 2013 the building suffered an arson attack, which fortunately did not damage the front, but the structure is currently (April 2014) being reconstructed in the back, and parishioners are holding services in the St. Helens Parish Hall located right to the west of this building.

 Turn to the right as you face the church onto Idaho Avenue, and proceed west to Broadway, where the road turns into a pedestrian stairway down a short hill into the Drake Park historic neighborhood. Note the volcanic rock used to make the stairway - there's a lot of that particular building material lying around in the Bend area!

 The house to the left of the stairway pictured above is a beautiful 1 1/2 story brick bungalow craftsman structure, built in 1912.

At the bottom of the stairway, Idaho Avenue resumes. Turn right at Congress Street, but before you do so take a look at one of the largest of the houses in this historic neighborhood, the Georgian revival-style McCann home, constructed in 1916. The house is located to the left on Congress Street. As of Spring 2014 the home looks to be in need of some maintenance, including a good paint job.

Continue north on Congress Street. The next two blocks contain a number of beautiful historic homes, most built during Bend's first boom during the 1910's. This home, at 640 NW Congress St., is just one of them, a 2-story craftsman bungalow built in 1910. 

At the intersection of Congress and Louisiana, continue across Louisiana and then Riverside Drive, and you will be into Drake Park, which runs along the Deschutes River. This major waterway originates south of Bend and eventually empties into the Columbia over 100 miles to the north. After you cross the street walk over to the pathway that winds through the park, passing by a large antique log loader.

Continue to the right along the park pathway. After a few hundred feet you will see a parallel path right along the Deschutes River. Cross the grassy area to this pathway.

This part of the Deschutes has a small impoundment behind an old power dam to the north. The result is Mirror Pond, a signature view for Bend - especially on a clear day with a snowcapped North Sister in the background. The lake also gives its name to one of the better offerings from the local Deschutes Brewery, Mirror Pond Pale Ale. But the old power dam holding the water back is decrepit, and sediment has been building up behind the dam. So Mirror Pond may not be with us forever - enjoy the view while you can!

Continue up a stairway next to the river, and then continue up the pathway. Where it forks, go to the right, and you will be entering the downtown Bend commercial district.

To the right along Brooks Street, as seen here, is the Bend Brewing Company restaurant and brewpub. This smaller brewer produces a nice variety of beers, and the restaurant has an outdoor patio overlooking the Deschutes River.

Continue straight ahead through a narrow arcade, and you will find yourself back on Wall Street, one of downtown Bend's two major commercial thoroughfares. There are lots of restaurants and stores along here to explore, amongst the old "main street" style buildings. Turn left after leaving the arcade and go two blocks to Greenwood Avenue, where you will turn right. Proceed one block to Bond Street, Bend's other major commercial thoroughfare, and turn right. On the left side of the street is the Deschutes Brewery Public House, serving the beers of Bend's largest local brewer.

Continue down Bond Street, and notice that the older historic commercial buildings have quite a few new "neighbor" buildings housing retail establishments, offices, hotel rooms, and residences. Downtown Bend is a thriving place because people want to be there in an attractive locale with interesting things to do and see. It's an inspiration for other cities with old downtowns waiting to be revived and made the center of things again. Walk for three blocks on Bond Street and you will come to the McMenamin's Old St. Francis School on the left. This 1936 Catholic schoolhouse has been given the McMenamin's treatment, and now has restaurants, taverns, and a hotel. It's another great, lively place to be in downtown Bend.


After passing the St. Francis School, turn right on Lousiana Street. On the left side of the street is the monumental original Bend High School. This building, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1925 and served as a high school and then junior high school until 1979. It now houses the school district's administrative offices. Continue back one block on Louisiana Street to your starting point at the Bend Public Library.


Now that you've seen the urban side of Bend, go out and enjoy some of the great outdoor experiences of Central Oregon, including forest and mountain hikes.