Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/859



The growth of a city is something hke the growth of a living organism; except that it is far more complex, and not subject to accidental mortalities. The founding and building of a city opens wide the consideration of every human agency, and brings into play the whole vast and almost innumerable motives of human conduct. To commence with the beginning and follow this development and expansion of a limited and concrete organization, is a most interesting study.

The first census taken in 1850, five years after the town was started by a survey and plat of lots and blocks shows a population of 821. This could be in no sense an index to its growth; for the question was not yet then settled whether the place was "to be, or not to be"—a village, or a city. And other evidence shows that the town did not have more than 400 population in 1850.

But starting with the next census, the census of 1860, fifty years ago, and at the period when the town had taken on an assured and regular development, its growth can be followed from cause to effect with ease and certainty. The census taken in 1860 shows a population of 2,874. Two years later the census taken by S. J. McCormick for the first directory of the town, shows a population of 3,357; an increase of about 8 per cent per annum, exclusive of a floating population going to and coming from the gold mines in eastern Oregon and Idaho, which averaged probably one thousand.

At this date the town was 14 years old, and its increase up to 1860 must have been slow. And if divided into annual periods, it would not have averaged an increase of more than 208 per annum. In 1870 the population had increased to 8,293; and in 1880 to 17,577; and in 1890 to 46,385 in the city, and 6,742 in Multnomah County outside the city. In 1900 the population of the city had increased to 90,426; and in 1910, it is reported by the census authorities at 207,214.

The population of the city under the recent census has been under examination for errors. It is understood that on the face of the returns by Oregon enumerators under control of the U. S. superintendent for this congressional district, the population of Portland is shown to be 221,214. Examiners from Washington city have cut that down to 207,214 for alleged errors or "padding." This is a great injustice to the city; for the reason, that since the census was taken in April last, probably more than 14,000 persons who spent the winter in this city have left for the mines and salmon fisheries in Alaska, and the logging camps in Oregon and Washington, and the railroad construction work in central Oregon. This floating population would not be counted anywhere unless counted here.

But even taking out 14,000 for errors, a fair consideration of Portland's population would include the people who work and do business here but live in the Portland suburbs outside the corporate limits of the city. That would include Linnton, St. Johns, Montavilla, all the people on the Mt. Scott Railroad (about 15,000) and Milwaukie and Oak Grove—probably 25,000 altogether.

The first impulse of growth beyond what seemed to be the average growth of a new town in a new country, came from the discoveries of gold in California,