Clackamus County

Jackson Street Mural. The Jackson Street Mural was located at 10801 SE Main Street in the town of Milwaukie. The mural faced Jackson Street. Completed in 2001, the public art prominently depicted the cherries developed by Ah Bing at the Lewelling Nursery. The mural no longer exists. Reference: West n.d. “Milwaukie, Oregon.”

Lewelling Nursery. In the 1870s, Seth Lewelling of Milwaukie cultivated 100 acres of nursery stock. The foreman was Ah Bing who was in charge of the nursery’s 20-30 Chinese laborers. Lewelling planted two rows of experimental cherries, with Bing responsible for one row. Lewelling named the variety produced in Bing’s row in honor of the foreman. Reference: Olson 1930s.

Oregon City Canal. See Willamette Falls Locks, Clackamas County.

Oregon City Woolen Manufacturing Company. The Oregon City Woolen Manufacturing Company, established in 1865, was on the Willamette River in Oregon City. In 1868, it became the first textile manufacturer in the state to hire Chinese workers. Reference: Ooligan Press and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association 2007: 56.

Oswego Iron Works. Oswego Iron Works of Oregon City, also known as Oswego Iron Company, is reported as the first industry in the Northwest to employ Chinese in a foundry and nearby iron mine. Starting in 1867, 18 Chinese began work in the mine. By 1888, there were as many as 150 Chinese workers, mostly in the charcoal-making process. The iron furnace is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Reference: Corning 1973: 177; Tucker 2002; National Registry of Historic Places n.d.

Willamette Falls Locks. Willamette Falls Locks, also known as the Oregon City Canal, is located on the Willamette River between West Linn and Oregon City. Chinese labor was used in the construction, being completed in 1872, and opening on January 1, 1873. The locks are on the National Registry of Historic Places and a Oregon Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Reference: McConnell 1979: 74; West n.d. “Oregon City Oregon.”

References
Corning, Howard McKinley. 1973. Willamette Landings. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society.

McConnell, Gregory. 1979. “An Historical Geography of the Chinese in Oregon.” Masters thesis, University of Oregon.

Miller, Marilee. 2009. “The Corvallis Gazette, Corvallis, Oregon.” Coos County and Oregon History. http://coquillevalley.org/history/years-ago/covallisgazette/ Accessed November 29, 2010.

National Registry of Historic Places. n.d. “Oregon Iron Company.” http://nrhp.focus.nps/natregsearchresult.do?fullsheet:true&recordid=0/ Accessed December 5, 2010.

Olson, Charles Oluf. 1930s. The History of Milwaukie, Oregon. Federal Writers Project of the Works in Progress Administration, (date estimated).

Ooligan Press and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. 2007. Dreams of the West. Portland, Oregon: Ooligan Press, Portland State University.

Tucker, 2002. “Oswego Iron Works.” The Oregon History Project. http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=0000436F-F705-1DBE-BB3880B05272FE9F/ Accessed December 5, 2010.

West, Robert D. n.d. “Milwaukie, Oregon.” Places. http://myweb.msoe.edu/~westr/milwaukie.htm Accessed December 5, 2010.

_______. n.d. “Oregon City Oregon.” Places. http://myweb.msoe.edu/~westr/oregon.htm/ Accessed December 5, 2010.