Approximate Site of the Former Chinese Community
Around 1:30 a.m. on March 1, 1886, a group of thirty or more white men came to a camp of Chinese men who were employed in cutting wood in the area, just north of Albina. The white men, who were armed, ordered the Chinese to pack up and leave.
After escorting the Chinese to the ferry on the Willamette River, the mob went back into Albina and made the same demand of the Chinese residents of the town. In all, about 180 Chinese men and women were removed from the Albina and East Portland areas and forced to move into Portland, on the west side of the river.
The Oregonian newspaper reported at the time that police had questioned the white men involved, who reported they "had a hell of a fine time." No arrests were made.
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Sources: Pfaelzer, Wong, local newspapers
Also in this area: Oregon City | Portland
About this site: In 1886 the City of Portland existed only on the west side of the Willamette River. On the east side of the river were several separate towns, including Albina and East Portland; these areas were consolidated into Portland in 1891.
The area once called Albina lies directly on the east side of the Willamette near the Fremont Bridge (see above) and I-5. An 1885 Sanborn Fire Map of the area, found in the Multnomah County (OR) Public Library, shows several Chinese businesses and dwellings located in what is now the industrial area under the Fremont Bridge.