Most likely, you are familiar with Portland’s Dill Pickle Club, which is dedicated to “broadening knowledge of Portland’s past, present and future.” If you’ve always wanted to get involved, now may be your chance: Through this Friday (Dec 10) they’re soliciting ideas for their winter series of thematic tours, titled “Peripheries.” If enjoy vague, open-ended challenges as a starting point for your creative projects, this could be for you: “DPC currently seeks proposals for tours exploring our “PERIPHERIES” theme, with the overall goal of broadening our collective understanding about aspects of the city that may otherwise go unrecognized. While we do not have a definitive definition of “PERIPHERIES,” one can interpret it in multiple ways: physical places located on the outskirts of the city or metaphorically as in people, places and ideas on the margins.”
This could be the perfect opportunity to guide your fellow townspeople through the hidden gems of outer East Portland, our city’s social services programs, non-English speaking citizens, right wingers in liberal Portland—the possibilities are endless, really. Go here to submit your idea.
- The Dill Pickle Club
Are they affiliated with the Wobblies?
How about something related to history and outer East Portland? I think that there’s some interesting history out there that is left untold or at least under-appreciated. Agriculture, post war neighborhoods, the Kelly Butte Civil Defense Center, the Mt. Hood Freeway. I’m sure there are plenty more that could be woven into a tour of some sort.
@pdxhistorian Sounds fascinating. I’d go on that tour.
I was recently reading about “The White House,” a hotel/booze joint/possible bawdy house that was on the west side of the Willamette, across from Milwaukie. It burned to the ground many decades ago. I’m not sure if any trace is left or if it’s on private land or what. For a while Macadam was apparently called “White House Road.” I’ll have to do some research.