Research > Guides > House History > Tracing House Facts

Tracing House Facts

These resources will help you trace miscellaneous facts about Portland houses, such as a home's construction date, its occupants over the years and its various address changes. The Central Library has historical city directories for other Oregon cities and for Vancouver, WA. Ask at the reference desk in the Humanities North room (on the third floor) for help finding them.

—: Directory of Street and Name Changes; Humanities North Reference Desk (Central Library) O-917.951 C89

An index to the street name and address changes instituted in the 1930s. For use in the library only.
—: Historic Resource Inventory, City of Portland, Oregon: Identified Properties

(1984)

Humanities South Room (Central Library) O-720.9795 H675i

This ten volume set of binders provides information on Portland houses and other buildings of historical note. Names of architects, original owners, current owner (c. 1980), previous addresses, and other data is included. Many of the buildings in listed in this set are grand houses, but a large number of more "regular" properties that exemplify the character of the city's neighborhoods are included as well.
—: Library Association of Portland Newspaper Index

(c1930-c1987)

Periodicals Room (Central Library)

This "card catalog" index is primarily to articles from The Oregonian and Oregon Journal for 1930-1987, though some articles from before and after these dates are indexed here too. There are also several bound volume indexes shelved above the card catalog, which cover earlier years in varying degrees of comprehensiveness. Microfilm copies of local newspapers and the microform readers/printers are located in the Periodicals room on the second floor of the Central Library.
—: Polk's Portland (Oregon) City Directory

(1863-1996)

Humanities North Room, City Directories Shelf (Central Library) O-917.951 P852

Portland city directories for the years 1894 through the 1980s are kept in the Humanities North room at Central Library. Older directories, prior to 1894, are available on microfilm located in at the Humanities North Stack Call Desk. The earliest volumes discuss new construction and give information on ownership, renovations, fires, etc. Newer volumes have information on ownership, residents' occupations, and telephone numbers. The directories for 1934 and after have an index by address.
—: Polk's Gresham (Multnomah County, Oregon) City Directory: Including Troutdale

(1962-1985)

Humanities North Room, City Directories Shelf (Central Library) O-917.95 G84 and (Gresham Library) O-917.95 G84

Gresham directories for the years 1962 and 1966-1985 are located at both the Central Library and the Gresham Library. Like the Polk's Portland directories, they are searchable by name and by address, and include information on home ownership, residents' occupation, and more.
—: The Portland Block Book ... Showing Sizes of Lots and Blocks and Names of Owners, Comp. from Latest Official Records.

(c1907)

Humanities North Stack Call Desk (Central Library) O- 912.7951 P85

A two-volume book of maps of the city of Portland, circa 1907, showing ownership of residential property and other real estate information.
Snyder, Eugene: Portland Names and Neighborhoods: Their Historic Origins

(1979)

917.9549 S675p (Oregon Collection reference copies also)
This easy-to-read history discusses how Portland's neighborhoods and streets developed and changed from the city's founding in the 1840s through the 20th century; and explains the origins of the names of many of our streets, parks, schools, and neighborhoods.