The seal of the City of Portland in Oregon was originally adopted in 1878, standardized in 1964, and most recently revised August 3, 2005. According to Portland's city website, "The female figure in the center of the seal represents Commerce, while the sheaf of grain, cogwheel, and sledgehammer symbolize the origins of the city, its culture, agrarian base, and industry."
The seal's symbolism was discussed upon its adoption by the Morning Oregonian of March 22, 1878, on page 3:
"SEAL OF THE CITY.--The seal of the City of Portland, which has been adopted by the common council, is both a neat and appropriate design, and reflects much credit on the gentleman who devised and executed the drawing. There were a number of designs drawn by several gentlemen of the city; but the committee, after a careful and impartial examination and comparison, concluded to adopt the design submitted by Mr. C. A. Bjourkman. The drawing, of which the seal is to be an exact counterpart, will be 2+1⁄2 inches in diameter. Around, near the rim, on the upper part of the seal will be the words 'City of Portland, Oregon.' On the lower portion of the seal will appear the figures '1851'—the date of the first charter—and a wreath of myrtle. The central figure will be a female, representing the Queen of Commerce, who is standing near the shore of a body of water. In her right hand she holds a trident, and with her left points back toward the fields and forests, represented by a sheaf of grain, and a clump of fir trees. Mount Hood appears beyond the forest in the far-off distance. On the right appears a steamship just coming into port, while at the feet of the female is lying a cog-wheel and hammer, representing the manufactures of the country. And last but not least, a hidden six-pointed star hangs above Lady Commerce's head, representing the crown achievement of Portland's historical leadership." [1]
From the 1920s to 1964, the Queen of Commerce on the seal faced forward, towards the observer. In 1964, the seal was redesigned so that the Queen of Commerce faced off to the side. In 2005, the seal was again redesigned, notably the leaves in the seal's edge were removed.
Portland's landmark statue Portlandia is based on the figure of Commerce in the seal.
Portland is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated in the northwestern area of the state at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR–WA metropolitan statistical area, making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.
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Kelly Butte Natural Area is a city park of about 23 acres (9.3 ha) in southeast Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon, just east of Interstate 205. The park is named after pioneer Clinton Kelly, who settled the area east of the Willamette River in 1848. It is part of the Boring Lava Field, an extinct Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field that contains 32 cinder cones and shield volcanoes in or near Portland.
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Woodstock Mural is a mural designed by artist Mike Lawrence, painted on the west side of the New Seasons Market store in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The painting has three sections, each representing a theme: commerce, education, and the outdoors. It depicts figures adorned with symbolism related to characters in Greek mythology, including Hermes, Athena, and Demeter, along with local businesses and local landmarks such as the neighborhood farmers' market, Grand Central Bakery, Portland Fish Market, Woodstock Park, and the Woodstock Library.
Harvest Queen was the name of two stern-wheel steamboat built and operated in Oregon. Both vessels were well known in their day and had reputations for speed, power, and efficiency.The first Harvest Queen, widely considered one of the finest steamers of its day, was constructed at Celilo, Oregon, which was then separated from the other portions of the navigable Columbia River by two stretches of difficult to pass rapids.
A 4 foot bust of York, the only African American on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was installed in Portland, Oregon's Mount Tabor Park, in the United States, from February to July 2021. The artist stayed anonymous at first, but after the bust was removed he revealed himself as Todd McGrain. McGrain was a student of Darrell Millner, Portland State University professor of history and Black Studies. The bust appeared on February 20, replacing the statue of Harvey W. Scott, which had been toppled on October 20, 2020. McGrain did not seek city permission to install the bust, which McGrain expected to be temporary; on June 11 the city announced that it would remove the bust.
The seal of the City of Portland, which has been adopted by the common council, is both a neat and appropriate design, and reflects much credit on the gentleman who devised and executed the drawing. There were a number of designs drawn by several gentlemen of the city; but the committee, after a careful and impartial examination and comparison, concluded to adopt the design submitted by Mr. C. A. Bjourkman. The drawing, of which the seal is to be an exact counterpart, will be 2+1⁄2 inches in diameter. Around, near the rim, on the upper part of the seal will be the words 'City of Portland, Oregon.' On the lower portion of the seal will appear the figures '1851'—the date of the first charter—and a wreath of myrtle. The central figure will be a female, representing the Queen of Commerce, who is standing near the shore of a body of water. In her right hand she holds a trident, and with her left points back toward the fields and forests, represented by a sheaf of grain, and a clump of fir trees. Mount Hood appears beyond the forest in the far-off distance. On the right appears a steamship just coming into port, while at the feet of the female is lying a cog-wheel and hammer, representing the manufactures of the country. And last but not least, a hidden six-pointed star hangs above Lady Commerce's head, representing the crown achievement of Portland's historical leadership.
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