East Columbia is a Portland neighborhood bordered roughly by Marine Drive on the north, the Columbia Slough on the south, Interstate 5 on the west and the Levee Road dike on the east. The area’s history has been shaped by the character of its wetlands and its role as a link between Portland and Vancouver. Before it was annexed to Portland, this general area was known as Faloma.
Early Years
Native Americans of the Multnomah tribe living on nearby Sauvie Island hunted and fished along Columbia Slough for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.
Late 1700s
Early European explorers brought unfamiliar diseases to these tribes. Epidemics drastically reduced their numbers, and the malaria epidemic of the 1830s killed about 90 percent of them.
1805-1806
The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed nearby but did not camp here.
1846
John Switzler and his family settled here. He supplied Fort Vancouver with cattle, which he pastured where Columbia Edgewater members now play golf. He also ran a post office and the first Portland-Vancouver ferry. The fare was 50 cents for a pedestrian and one dollar for a horse and rider.
1888
The Portland and Vancouver Railroad reached Switzler’s ferry landing.
1905-1910
Local residents built a rough dike along the Columbia.
1907
The original Columbia School was built as a one-room schoolhouse.
1908
Portland Yacht Club was founded on the Willamette River. In 1926 they floated their clubhouse and boathouses to the current Marine Drive site.
1917
Peninsula Drainage District #2 was formed to manage area flood threats.
1921
A more substantial river dike was constructed.
1925
Columbia Edgewater Country Club opened.
1936
The Flood Control Act led to dike improvements by the Corps of Engineers over the next few years.
1937
Columbia School was rebuilt to its current size.
1942-1943
Henry Kaiser created Vanport nearby to provide homes for shipyard workers during World War II. Their children attended Columbia School.
May 30, 1948
Flooding from a levee break destroyed Vanport, which was never rebuilt. The Vanport Flood also reached East Columbia. The Corps of Engineers soon strengthened the levees enough to withstand a 100-year flood.
1952
Jubitz Truck Stop opened.
Early 1960s
The Interstate 5 freeway was built.
1964
The “Christmas Flood” spurred evacuation, but the area did not flood.
1964-1965
Columbia School became a middle school and part of the Portland Public School District. It created an outdoor classroom that is now the Columbia Children’s Arboretum, administered by Portland Parks and Recreation.
Early 1970s
Portland annexed East Columbia, established commercial zoning here and required sewers. Area residents organized to deal with the high cost of sewer installation.
June 1977
East Columbia Neighborhood Association was formed.
1980
At this point in its history, East Columbia included widely-spaced homes, recreational areas, open meadows, vegetable farms, horse stables, dog kennels and businesses related to the trucking industry.
1983
Columbia School closed as a general school. Today, it provides classes for children with special social and emotional needs.
1990
As of the 1990 census, East Columbia, with 475 acres, had 474 people living in 238 households.
1993
The Albina Community Plan opened zoning for higher density housing.
1996-1997
Lija Loop added 32 new homes to the area. Other new houses expanded Meadow Drive and Faloma Road during the 1990s.
2000
By the 2000 census, East Columbia had grown to 753 people living in 282 households. In 1999-2000, Blue Heron Meadows added 104 new homes.
2003-2004
Mariner’s Gale/Loop brought 86 new households to East Columbia.
Nov. 2009
East Columbia Neighborhood Association expanded its borders to welcome Deltawood and Fox Hollow residents and Hayden Meadows businesses.
2010
As of the 2010 census, East Columbia has a population of 1,750.