09 April 2020

Troutdale: Mayor's Square Park

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I am, generally speaking, a fan of any public thing that teaches what came before. A great example of this was found on our visit to downtown Troutdale.

At the southwest corner of SE Dora Ave and East Historic Columbia River Highway is a small corner park and it's decorated with Troutdale history. Did any of you know that, just about a year after women won the franchise in Oregon, a woman was elected mayor of Troutdale? It's true. The year was 1914, and this was the woman:


This is Clara Latourell Larsson. If the name sounds at least one-third familiar, it should; there's a cataract a few miles up the Gorge named for her pioneer family (Latourell Falls). She came from a tradition of civic involvment: her relative, Lizzie Latourell, served on early school boards a few years before that. It's said that Clara served in one capacity or another in Troutdale civic life until shortly before her death in 1939.

Troutdale, the legends say, was originally named Sandy, but was renamed to Troutdale by the city's father, Aaron Fox, after trout ponds he had. Coincidentally, Sandy still stands as an Oregon city name, but that town is about ten miles southeast of here.


Knowing this, it's not hard to figure what the other focal point of the park honors.


Us locals sometimes call it Fishburg, but it's a nicknaming with no small amount of affection.


Mayor's Square finished the tableau with a vision of Troutdale's history, looking down upon you. The mural, credited to Duane Harty and Tammy Callens, proclaims it being released to the public domain, so the image is yours and mine. Being history, it seems only fitting.

For the Clara Larsson sculpture, we can credit Marlena Neilson.

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