Port of Portland (Or.)

With improvements to navigation on the Columbia, Willamette, and Snake rivers and many rail lines converging on Portland, the city’s harbor became an important shipping point, especially for agricultural and lumber producers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The Port of Portland and the Commission of Public Docks built and maintained much of the infrastructure that made that possible.

The Port of Portland was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1891, and the Commission of Public Docks (also commonly referred to as the Dock Commission) was established by the City of Portland in 1910, each with similar statutory powers over Portland harbor and shipping channels on the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Until the two merged in 1970, however, they generally operated in tandem, each with a different focus. The Port of Portland took responsibility for deepening and maintaining shipping channels, constructing and operating dry docks, providing towage and pilot services, building airports, and reclaiming lands for industrial use. The Commission of Public Docks focused primarily on construction and operation of docks and terminals.

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