By Ed Jones, LNA Chair
There was a time — more than fifty years ago — when Linnton’s Kingsley Park was a center of community activity. Now, many residents do not even know where it is.
In 1960, downtown Linnton was both run-down and vital; a narrow street lined with stores, a bank, a barber shop, churches, bars, shops, and many homes. It was the sort of rough and tumble place where the kids rode rail cars from one end of town to the other, sat on the floor reading the new comix at the drug store while men played cards and carried on in the back, ran around on the mill’s log rafts in the river, and played baseball in Kingsley Park. Then St Helens Road was expanded, and two lanes became four and one side of downtown disappeared.
The widening also imposed on Kingsley Park: a tall cement wall cutting the ball field in half, hidden and awkward access to the park. Kingsley Park became the only city park with no frontage on a city street. Other than an occasional visit by a lawn mower. The park got no attention from the city. Not even a sign. What had been a playground and picnic site became an empty lot.
The park was donated to the City in 1925, a gift from E.D. Kingsley, president and general manager of the West Oregon Lumber Company. At that time, the park sat between Kingsley’s West Oregon sawmill, and an Associated Oil facility.
Mr. Kingsley had been planning the move for years to provide proper play facilities for Linnton’s increasing child population. Beforehand, children in Linnton had been forced to play in the streets or around the industrial plants of the district.
“Day by day I have seen little ones playing by the roadside with automobiles tearing by at 40 or 50 miles an hour,” said Mr. Kingsley. “My blood has run cold at the thought of what might be the outcome. In fact, only a short time ago two lads were run over by a reckless driver, and there have been numerous other accidents.”
Forward 90 years later, the moribund park started to change. Using their own time and resources (and a few small grants), volunteers began to restore the park. Weeding, new plantings, and fencing changed the park’s look. A community garden came to the north end. Now there are plans for a picnic table, more plantings, and dreams of a hedge to screen the highway from the park.
Back in August 2018, Portland Parks and Recreation reported efforts to improve parks, and noted that Kingsley Park was one of two Northwest Portland parks that would “benefit from a master plan or natural resources management plan.” That remains true; there is still no plan in place.
Nonetheless, the park improves. If you are interested in Kingsley Park, as a prospective visitor, community gardener, or as a participant in its restoration, talk to Rob Lee at 971-212-1854.