Oregon City Municipal Elevator
Encyclopedia
The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a 130 feet (39.6 m) elevator
which connects two neighborhoods in Oregon City
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. It is the only outdoor municipal elevator in the US and one of only four in the world. The upper portion contains an observation deck which accounts for its flying saucer
appearance.
There have been two elevators at this location; the current elevator was built in 1954-55.
and a basalt
cliff, and is only several blocks wide. At the top of the 90 feet (27.4 m) cliff lies another neighborhood. Indian
trails negotiating the cliffside were used originally to connect the two areas beginning with the founding of the town in 1829.
Numerous stairways were built in the mid 1860s,
but a better transportation solution was needed.
A bond measure to raise $12,000 for construction was put to voters in July 1912. This levy failed, but a second referendum
passed in December of the same year. The elevator opened to the public in 1915, delayed by politics. The original elevator was water-power
ed and took three minutes for the ride. The elevator was so popular that most of the cliffside stairs were removed. The elevator was converted to electric drive in 1924, which reduced the time to 30 seconds.
The elevator essentially serves as 7th Street, as both entrances (top and bottom) are on S. 7th Street, a major thoroughfare on both ends. The lower entrance is at the intersection of 7th Street (Oregon Route 43) and Railroad Avenue; a short pedestrian tunnel runs under the Union Pacific Railroad
tracks, and into the elevator itself. The upper entrance is accessed from S. High Street, a short distance from the intersection with 7th Street and Singer Hill (a road which descends the side of the cliff, connecting 7th Street on the top with S. 10th Street on the bottom). The upper level includes an observation deck, from which one can see Willamette Falls
, the Oregon City Bridge
, and the Abernethy Bridge
.
The elevator has an operator
. It is open 6:45 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Saturday; 11 AM to 7 PM Sunday Pacific Time
. There is no charge to use the elevator. It was carrying an average of 500 people per day as of 1989, and by 2008 this had grown to nearly 800. Ridership is as high as 1,300 people per day during the city's summer tourist season.
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
which connects two neighborhoods in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is the only outdoor municipal elevator in the US and one of only four in the world. The upper portion contains an observation deck which accounts for its flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
appearance.
There have been two elevators at this location; the current elevator was built in 1954-55.
Geography of Oregon City
The city of Oregon City includes dramatic changes in elevation. The city's central business district is sandwiched between the Willamette RiverWillamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
and a basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
cliff, and is only several blocks wide. At the top of the 90 feet (27.4 m) cliff lies another neighborhood. Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
trails negotiating the cliffside were used originally to connect the two areas beginning with the founding of the town in 1829.
Numerous stairways were built in the mid 1860s,
but a better transportation solution was needed.
Initial elevator
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
passed in December of the same year. The elevator opened to the public in 1915, delayed by politics. The original elevator was water-power
Water-power
Water Power is a pornographic film released c. 1976 directed by Shaun Costello. It was loosely based on the real-life exploits of the Illinois "Enema bandit", Michael H. Kenyon, who administered forced enemas to female college students in the 1960s and 70s. The film starred Jamie Gillis as a...
ed and took three minutes for the ride. The elevator was so popular that most of the cliffside stairs were removed. The elevator was converted to electric drive in 1924, which reduced the time to 30 seconds.
Current elevator
After 40 years of service, a replacement was authorized by a $175,000 bond by a special election held May 1952. The specifications called for the design to be "as plain as possible, without ornament". The new elevator, designed by Gordon E. Trapp, engineered by Ervin Aksel Sööt, and manufactured by Otis Elevator, featured push-button operation and automatic doors, and shortened the ride to about 15 seconds. It was dedicated May 5, 1955 and remains in service today. The machine room was upgraded with a digital controller in 2004.The elevator essentially serves as 7th Street, as both entrances (top and bottom) are on S. 7th Street, a major thoroughfare on both ends. The lower entrance is at the intersection of 7th Street (Oregon Route 43) and Railroad Avenue; a short pedestrian tunnel runs under the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
tracks, and into the elevator itself. The upper entrance is accessed from S. High Street, a short distance from the intersection with 7th Street and Singer Hill (a road which descends the side of the cliff, connecting 7th Street on the top with S. 10th Street on the bottom). The upper level includes an observation deck, from which one can see Willamette Falls
Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the eighteenth largest in the world by water volume. Horseshoe in shape, it is wide and high with a flow...
, the Oregon City Bridge
Oregon City Bridge
The Oregon City Bridge is a steel through arch bridge spanning the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, United States. It was built and is owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation as part of Oregon Route 43 and is the third southernmost Willamette bridge in the...
, and the Abernethy Bridge
Abernethy Bridge
The Abernethy Bridge is a steel plate and box girder bridge that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, USA. It is also known as the Oregon City Freeway Bridge and the I-205 Bridge as it carries Interstate 205....
.
The elevator has an operator
Elevator operator
An elevator operator is a person specifically employed to operate a manually operated elevator...
. It is open 6:45 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Saturday; 11 AM to 7 PM Sunday Pacific Time
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. There is no charge to use the elevator. It was carrying an average of 500 people per day as of 1989, and by 2008 this had grown to nearly 800. Ridership is as high as 1,300 people per day during the city's summer tourist season.
External links
- Oregon City Municipal Elevator at city's Department of Public Works web page
- OregonCity.com: Capitol of the Oregon Territory