Forest Grove Promotional Card

Title

Forest Grove Promotional Card

Description

A card promoting the town of Forest Grove, Oregon, showing a forested block "between Fourth and Fifth Street," which have since been renamed Douglas and Elm Streets. It may be the site of what is now Rogers Park. A large house is barely visible behind the trees. Lettering on the bottom and back of the card brags about how Forest Grove is the "prettiest town in Oregon" and provides facts about its infrastructure and industries. This is an example of "boosterism," a common practice in smaller towns in the American West circa 1900, in which towns promoted themselves as destinations for new residents and businesses. This particular card was published by the Forest Grove Board of Trade, which was founded in 1904 to promote the commercial interests of the community.

[front] [typeset] A Forest Scene Between 4th and 5th Street. Forest Grove, the Prettiest Town in Oregon. (Over). [back] [typeset] Facts about Forest Grove, Ore. Forest Grove is the Metropolis of Washington County, and is located on the West Side Division of the S. P. Ry., 26 miles West from Portland. It has six churches. It has a city of fine homes. It has an Electric Light Plant. It has a payroll of $400,000 per annum. Its population is 2100, with 8000 tributary. It has a large flour mill--the Crescent Mill. It is surrounded by the best farms in the state. It is the prettiest city in the Oregon Country. It has a good Water System of pure, wholesome water. It has a fine Public School with 500 pupils and ten teachers. It is the home of Tualatin Academy and Pacific University. Carnation cream, the cream of creams, is manufactured here. For further information address, W. H. Hollis, Secretary Board of Trade. [typed] (over)

Identifier

WCMpic_015571

Subject

Communities

City promotion

Boards of trade

Hollis, W. H.

Human Migration

Urban Planning & Development

Spatial Coverage

Forest Grove, Oregon

Language

English

Date Created

circa 1904-1910

Date

1904/1910

Medium

photographic postcards

Rights

Online access to this image is for research and educational purposes only. To inquire about permissions, order a reproduction, or for more information, please contact the Five Oaks Museum at Research@FiveOaksMuseum.org.

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Type

Still Image

Source

Washington County Museum