P4 Milepost on Stark Street - Portland, OR - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

The following verbiage is taken from a blog site managed by an individual who's devoted much time to researching and possibly locating additional mileposts around the Portland area.

The original Base Line survey was performed by William Ives in 1851. An east-west road was built adjacent to this survey line shortly after this. The road was called "Baseline Road" and was opened to the public on November 24, 1854. Sometime after this (probably during the 1870's), large stone markers carved from basalt rock were placed along this thoroughfare at every mile from the Multnomah County Courthouse (originally built in 1866) out to the Sandy River. There were 15 original stone markers. Nine stones remain while six have been lost. Each stone is approximately 6-feet long and weighs a hefty 500 pounds. The stones are tall, four-sided shafts of carved rock that taper towards the tip. Each is buried with only the top 2 to 3 feet above ground. Each stone is beveled at the top in a pyramidal fashion. These special stones or obelisks are very historical and remind us of how much travel has changed in the last 150 years.

Heading Out of Town
Imagine starting your journey from downtown Portland out to the Sandy River back in the day with a ferry ride across the Willamette River on the Stark Street Ferry. After docking on the east side of the river near SE Oak Street, you would depart the ferry and travel over a long, wooden trestle until you reached Base Line Rd (approximately where MLK Blvd and Stark Street are today). From here, you would follow the dirt road due east (with the aid of a horse or wagon) to the Sandy river using the stone mileposts as beacons to guide your way. These stones were welcome sights to road travelers acting like mileposts indicating your progress. Before Base Line Rd was built, there were only 2 roads leading from Portland on the east side of the Willamette River. Base Line Rd was later renamed Stark Street.

More about the Obelisks
Each stone marker is unique. Some of the stones are pointed at the top (P7), others are flattened (either by design or trauma over the years). Each has the "P" and the it's number hand carved so they are all different. The "P" stands for Portland. Some stones are weathered and some lean (P14, the one by Mt. Hood Community College). One stone has an iron rod attached to it (P5 on 78th). One has a banner above it (also P5) while another has a nice plaque next to it. The majority of the markers are located on the south side of Stark Street. The two exceptions are the markers at 61st (P4) and 117th (P7). When the mileposts were initially placed, they all occupied the south side of Baseline Road/Stark Street. Most of the stones have been painted yellow or white at some time. Some of the stones have a square, concrete base (P7 and P8). It is doubtful that any of the markers occupy their original location. Stark Street has been widened many times since the original construction of Baseline Road. It is thought that most of the stones are within a few feet of their original locations. Some of the obelisks seem to have a caretaker (Thank you David Douglas Historical Society!) while others persevere. These old mileposts are some of Oregon's oldest monuments. The stones are probably close to 150 years old! Mileposts P4 and P5 are listed as Historic Landmarks for the City of Portland. They are classified as street furniture.

This particular milepost was concealed pretty well with juniper shrubs and is pretty weathered and worn, so I put talcum powder over the engravings to see the symbols better.

I also located another blog site that contains old newspaper articles highlighting the history of Stark Avenue and some of the other milestones that existed around Portland.

NORTH ROUTE MILEPOSTS: The north mileposts would have been laid out along St. Helens Road (current US Hwy 30). There is documentation that indicates the presence of 3 mileposts at the following locations: P3 at NW 31st Ave; P6 at 6600 block and P9 opposite of the playground north of Linnton.

SOUTH ROUTE MILEPOSTS: The presence of one remaining stone gives a clue to the possible existence of mile markers along Capitol Highway (one of the state's oldest paved roads). P7 is located at the Capitol Hill Branch of the Multnomah County Library at 10723 SW Capitol Highway.

WEST ROUTE MILEPOSTS: Speculation would lead to a route along the Sunset Highway, Burnside Street or Jefferson Street.

Monumentation Type: Stone post Monument Category: Pre-1900 Post Road Milepost Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: This milepost, along with eight other surviving milesposts along Base Line Road, were monumented most likely during the 1870s to mark the mile distance from the City Courthouse in downtown Portland. Base Line Road was renamed Stark Street in the early 1970s. County: Multnomah County USGS Quad: Portland Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Monument Category (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: Not listed Monument Website: Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed Approximate date of monument: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the monument is required.
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2. A 'distant' photo including the monument in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.

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