1912 Catlett Bird's-Eye View of East Portland, Oregon

This is an unrecorded 1912 Gibson Catlett bird's-eye view of Portland, Oregon, and the many residential subdivisions east of the city. The map captures the development of suburban Portland through an enterprising subdivision and streetcard system.

A Closer Look

Looking west toward Portland from a fictional highpoint, the view depicts from Reed College (here as Reed Institute) on the left to the Columbia River on the right. Real estate developments and subdivisions occupy the foreground. Many, if not all, of these subdivisions were promoted by the Jacobs-Stine Company and the Fred A. Jacobs Company as locations where families could purchase a newly-built home at an affordable price while still being in a desirable neighborhood. These include Belle Crest, Parkhurst, Palmyra, Ridgemont, Montclair, Hyde Park, and Manitou, along with several others. Today, the only two subdivision names that are still used are Argyle and Errol Heights (situated along the left border just below the Reed Institute, along with Berkley and Dover). A train operated by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company speeds through the foreground toward the bottom edge, not far from the 'proposed Mt. Hood Electric Line'. This streetcar line was eventually built by the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company and operated as its Mt. Hood Line. The Montavilla streetcar line and the Mt. Tabor streetcar line are also illustrated.

The Jacobs-Stine Company and the Fred A. Jacobs Company

The Jacobs-Stine Company (1907 - c. 1912) was founded in 1907 by Fred A. Jacobs and Harry G.  Beckwith. The Jacobs-Stiles Company quickly built a reputation for organizing the most desirable subdivisions in Portland. It sold over 3400 building lots in its first two years. It is unclear why Jacobs and Beckwith discontinued working under the name Jacobs-Stine Company. The Fred A. Jacobs Company (1910 -  19xx) was incorporated in 1910 by Fred A. Jacobs, Harry G. Beckwith, and two other partners. By 1910, these two companies advertised as 'the largest developer of residence property on the Pacific Coast.' By 1910, the Fred A. Jacobs company was advertising as the successor to the Jacobs-Stine Company. The firm operated until at least 1921.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Gibson Catlett for the Jacobs-Stine Company and the Fred A. Jacobs Company, two real estate businesses based in Portland. This is the only known cataloged example.