Portland University

Willamette University chancellor Charles Carroll Stratton founded the Methodist school in Portland in 1891.Corning, Howard M. (1989) Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 202. The school lured away some faculty members and students from Willamette, and even enticed Willamette's president Thomas Van Scoy to serve as dean.Gibby, Susan. [http://www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm Salem Online History: Willamette University.] Salem Public Library. Retrieved on April 8, 2009. In 1891, the school built the Administration Hall that became West Hall.Horner, John B. (1919). [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_J8IdAAAAMAAJ/page/n273 Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature.] The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 273. Portland University opened in September 1891 with an enrollment of 256 students the first year. This was the only building on the campus with a nearby general store, Hemstock & Sons, serving as the bookstore.

Located at University Park, the school sold plots of property surrounding the campus to raise funds for the school. They had partnered with the Portland Guarantee Company to sell bonds, using the proceeds from the sale to buy {{convert|600|acre|km2}} in what is now North Portland.Gauntt, Tom. "Moo-vers and shakers on Waud's Bluff", The Oregonian, September 26, 2004, p. H2. This venture then deeded {{convert|71|acre|m2}} to the school and sold plots for as much as $550. The location of the campus was on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River, with the river to the west.{{cite book

|last=Jones

|first=Edward Gardner

|title=The Oregonian's Handbook of the Pacific Northwest

|publisher=The Oregonian Pub. Co.

|url= https://archive.org/details/oregonianshandbo00jone

|quote=Portland University oregon methodist.

|page=[https://archive.org/details/oregonianshandbo00jone/page/135 135]

|date=1894}} Much of the area was rural farmland at the time and local homes served as boarding houses for the students. Due to the remoteness, the school offered to have teachers meet new students at the streetcar stop located at University Park for the trek to the school. One impressive home in the area was the university president's home, which was not on campus at the time.

Courses of study included Latin, science, art, and literature.Oregon. (1898). [https://archive.org/details/resourcesstateo00agrigoog/page/n94 The Resources of the State of Oregon: A Book of Statistical Information Treating Upon Oregon as a Whole, and by Counties.] Salem: W.H. Leeds. p. 90.

OCLC 8902178. The school grew to an enrollment of 500 by 1894 and included a literary department, a school of theology, music and fine arts department, and a college preparatory division. This last division had affiliations around the state with academies including Drain Academy, Lebanon Academy, Ashland Academy, and the La Creole Academy in Dallas.

Following the Panic of 1893, the school suffered a series of financial setbacks. The panic led to decreased enrollment and a severe drop off in the sales of the homesites. Bonds for the venture became due in 1896, but the school was unable to make these payments. Thus the property reverted to the original owners of the property. Internal disputes and these financial problems led the school to leave the campus and hold classes in East Portland in 1896 to 1897 after Van Scoy became president of the institution. Other difficulties included a lawsuit in 1898 against the school's affiliated corporation that sold the plots for the surrounding homes.Bellinger, J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ARk4AAAAIAAJ&dq=%22portland%20university%22%20oregon&pg=PA178 Maxwell v. Akin], 89 F. 178, C.C.Or. 1898 (D. Or. 1898).

By 1898, the school had abandoned the University Park campus.Herbermann, C. G., Pace, E. A., Pallen, C. B., Shahan, T. J., Wynne, J. J., & MacErlean, A. A. (1907). [https://books.google.com/books?id=hO7Mu8qYbeYC&dq=%22portland%20university%22%20oregon&pg=PA202 The Catholic encyclopedia: An international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic Church.] New York: Robert Appleton. Vol. 15, p. 202. OCLC 1017058. Others who served as president of the university were Arthur J. BrownScott, Leslie M. [https://books.google.com/books?id=_UDglcQqaloC&dq=%22portland%20university%22%20oregon&pg=PA146 “Review of Mr. Scott’s Writings on his Favorite and Most Important Subjects”], The Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 14. (1913). p. 146. and George Whitaker (1899).Eliot, Samuel Atkins. (1911). [https://books.google.com/books?id=snIWAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Portland%20University%22%20oregon%20methodist&pg=PT374 Biographical History of Massachusetts Biographies and Autobiographies of the Leading Men in the State.] Massachusetts Biographical Society, Vol. 3. Portland University finally closed in May 1900 with many of students and faculty reuniting with Willamette University in Salem. Alumni of the Portland school were then recognized as alumni of Willamette, and most of the records of the school were transferred to Willamette.Gatke, R. M., & Gregg, R. D. (1943). Chronicles of Willamette. Portland, Or: Binfords and Mort. Vol. I, pp. 472–481.

{{see|University of Portland}}

In 1901, Rev. Alexander Christie with financing from the Congregation of Holy Cross purchased the former campus and opened a Catholic school at the site that would eventually become Columbia University and is now the University of Portland.[http://www.up.edu/about/default.aspx?cid=8264&pid=3169 About UP: UP History.] University of Portland. Retrieved April 8, 2009. He was able to purchase the campus itself in trade for a couple of properties owned by archdiocese in Portland and $1. Land sold by Portland University became the subject of a lawsuit by a subsequent landowner over an easement for a road through the campus.Wolverton, J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=jbgDAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22portland%20university%22%20oregon&pg=PA610 Houston v. Zahm], 44 Or. 610, 76 P. 641 (Or. 1904). West Hall still stands, but was renamed in 1992 as Waldschmidt Hall. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.{{cite web | title = Oregon National Register List | publisher = State of Oregon | url = http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/NATREG/docs/oregon_nr_list.pdf | access-date = 2009-04-08 | archive-date = 2011-06-09 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110609105953/http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/NATREG/docs/oregon_nr_list.pdf | url-status = dead }}

• John P. Rusk

{{Reflist|2}}

• McIntire, G. R. (1942). History of the Methodist University of Portland, 1891–1900, in Relation to the Educational policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church (North). OCLC 28162598

{{Colleges and universities in Oregon}}

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Category:Universities and colleges established in 1891

Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church

Category:1900 disestablishments in Oregon

Category:Defunct private universities and colleges in Oregon

Category:University of Portland

Category:Willamette University

Category:1891 establishments in Oregon

Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church