The Forgotten Story of Harbor Drive: Portland's Demolished Freeway 

As a Portland native, it is fascinating to learn more about our cities infrastructure history. I would love to see you cover the history of I-205. Great video!

I just spent 40 minutes watching a video about a freeway in a city I've never been to and will probably never visit. That's how good your narration and presentation is. I'm loved your ACI video and SPSF merger video. I'm looking forward to more of your work!

This was a refreshingly engaging documentary. Fascinating topic, excellent production.

We need another Tom McCall. The concept of all beachfronts & navigable waterways being accessible is so foreign to those outside of Oregon. Many places you cannot even see the waterfronts because of all the development & private ownership. That & urban growth boundaries has made Oregon a wonderful state. Sadly there are still many environmental issues that need to be addressed.

everything about this is so polished and informative. absolutely cannot wait for more from you!! i like how you label changes in topic as "detours" it's funny

I am from New Zealand, and we drove through Seattle as they were underway with the project. I remember saying to my husband, "Why would you built all that built up freeway right next to the water- you can't even see it!" We were very relieved when we saw all the signs detailing the fact it was all coming out.

Robert Moses was a national tragedy, He also proposed an expressway edging the French Quarter at the Mississippi, The people of New Orleans protested and stopped it

I live in Zürich, Switzerland, where planners in the 50s and 60s wanted to build three freeways through the middle of the city and along the river Limmat, destroying most of the medival old town. Some of their "ideas" were rejected - thank God - but some were not. And the city still suffers from these sins. Hats off to Tom McCall for his vision at a time when practically nobody thought of the environment.

Going down that ramp into Waterfront park on a bicycle is a weird feeling, using this massive concrete structure that abruptly ends in a grassy park.

Never been to Portland, but I’m high, and really enjoying this.

There's so many great shots of downtown Portland at various times-- I have to keep pausing it to admire them. Thx for posting.

I am truly amazed by the quality of this video. Research, narration, graphics, music. This it really a top quality documentary. Thank you. The effort, time and love put into this was certainly immense.

Love your channel. I'm not from the US but have a real interest in American infrastructure and Freeway removals. Keep up the good work!

Woah- Portland resident for my entire life, never heard of this and it answers some of the questions I had about Portland-

I didnt realize Robert Moses did damage on the west coast too

We need more state governors like Tom McCall.

as a native Oregonian and my husband a native to portland, we cannot thank you enough for both this and the other video you made about the unbuilt freeways. your videos are some of the best ive seen, giving so much interesting information about the cities past . please i hope you will keep making more videos about the history and many stories about portland and oregon in general . :) . again just amazing videos, we were captivated the whole time and bummed when it was over :) .

I am a Washington state resident who just discovered your channel and I can’t get enough! Keep it up! Learned so much about the PNW history

If it wasn't for this video, I wouldn't of known any of this. Glad you are taking the time to make these. Keep it up!

Wow Peter. This is a fantastic documentary. I first visited to Portland in 1959 and moved here in 1969. In 1959 the trip from Salem north through Portland was a nightmare that seemed like it took the better of a day. My dad, a Montana boy was a nervous wreck. We had to stay the night in Vancouver to be able to face the trip east on the old Evergreen Highway. This video brought back lots of good memories as to the progress Portland made in transition to and away from the Harbor freeway. Thanks for all the good work

Awesome video! Being a truck driver that drives through & delivers within Portland, I always assumed I-405 was the original pathway of I-5. I’ve driven along the waterfront & never even knew it used to be home to the original highway. Keeps up the great videos! Thanks!

This is fascinating history. Now I wish every US city/state could have their own Tom McCall!

Fantastic documentary! I love the pacing, music, animation, archival footage and all the details. We are lucky on the west coast that we have moved away from urban freeways. I just drove across the country. In Texas and Florida they were constructing freeways like crazy. I had never heard of Tom McCall before. Seems like he was ahead of his time and made a big, positive impact.

I'd love to see a video about Swan Island's forgotten airport! This is a great channel

As a new driver, driving down Harbor Drive past the Journal Building was an exercise in terror with seemingly inches between the car mirror and the building. I was never so happy as when they closed that highway and demolished that building. I never knew the Journal Building was the produce market in an earlier time. Great video, you told a really good story about old Portland.

Very nice doc! I'm a Portland native and hadn't realized all of the complex stubs and weird bits & pieces left over were part of something I wasn't even aware of. God bless Tom McCall for his work. I can't imagine where we'd be if he hadn't done the hard work of getting these things implemented. Thanks so much for your work revealing the heroes and villians of our beautiful city.

I can't express how satisfied I am with your choice of music. A bad soundtrack can seriously ruin an otherwise amazing documentary for me.

This is so neat! I always wondered why the road was so strange at the southern most part of the park. It always felt off when I looked at it. It makes sense that it's the last remanence of that freeway!

The center span of the Freemont was floated down the river and lifted into place over many hours. It was the heaviest lift ever, a great engineering feat.

Superb documentary! I've lived here for four decades now, and I've only had a vague notion that there was a Harbor Dr once where the fabulous waterfront park has been since I moved here. I wasn't aware Tom McCall was a newsman before getting into politics. What an amazing visionary! The state owes him a deep debt of gratitude!

I researched this topic back in 2016 for an AS class in Switzerland. Thanks for reminding me.....

Great video! I’m not from, nor have I ever been in Portland, but the last 40 minutes just flew by! Really interesting history told beautifully. Looking forward to future videos.

Your channel is an amazing contribution to Oregon history. It would be awesome to see you do a story about the history of Fred Meyers. You are suited to do this in a great way!

After reading the amazing biography of Rober Moses called “The Power Broker”, I would always think, as I drove on I-405, this is must have been inspired by what Moses was doing in NYC… but until now I never knew it was actually conceived by the man himself. While it pales in comparison to something like the Cross Bronx Expressway (CBE), I’m sure that I-405 was a hugely disruptive project. Anyone interested in this video should read “The Power Broker”, to appreciate the incredible impact that one man had on the physical structure of American life. Thank you for this video, and the wonderful history.

WOW So much information. This really connected the dots for the Portland area and the water front park. I can tell this took a lot of work and research. Thank you for the history lesson.

Never been to Oregon, not even from the West coast. Watching this 2:00 in the morning in South Sudan and loving it.

This is an incredibly well done video - I look forward to many more

As someone who lives in the Portland area, I'd heard of Harbor Drive long before this video was made but I never knew how much more there was of its history. I love learning about the history of roads and highways especially here in the Pacific Northwest.

The hero in all of this was Gov. McCall. A man with a purpose and integrity. Not a lifelong, bought and paid for politician, but a person with a vision that brought Oregonians together.

This is a fantastic documentary. Growing up in Oregon, this really was special. Tom Mccall was my grandfathers close friend. Every time that I ever drove through Portland I always wondered about the history of the waterfront.

How does this video not have more views and your channel not have more subscribers? I know some day you'll blow up. Keep up the amazing work!

...now if someone would just let me move left one lane on the Marquam bridge so I could get to route 26 west, that'd be great.

Nice work! Can't imagine what you had to go through to dig up all these old photos and videos/films. Can guess that it's easy to find historical images for a very large city like LA or Seattle, but not so Portland.

“Impossible things have been done before” .. great doco

Great documentary. I'm a Seattle native and I witnessed our Viaduct being torn down. It's interesting to compare the two projects, both here and in Portland. I never knew of this freeway.

Not sure why RU-vid AI algorithm presented your video to me but I’m glad I clicked on it. I’m a subscriber now! Thanks for taking time to produce video. Glad Portland was able to reuse concrete as a waterfront park! Very professional. Next time I go to Oregon to see a USC game I’ll see if I can drop by and checkout the area and USS Oregon memorial.

That finally explains why I've accidentally ended up in Downtown Portland multiple times while trying to stay on I-5 going north through the city. It's the ghost of the original terminus along Harbor Drive!

Peter, your Portland videos made for an unexpected but fascinating rabbit hole today!

Lovely video! Just one point you didn't mention about San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway - it was removed in 1991 after suffering structural damage during the 1989 Loma Prieto earthquake. There was talk of removing it previous to the earthquake, but the damage was the deciding factor. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_480

Great video, and it explains why I recall taking different routes when travelling through Portland as a kid in the 60's and early 70's

This was a very interesting and informative documentary. I always wondered why there was ramp extension when you head south on I5 and enter the I84 bridge and now I know. And knowing is half the battle. ; )

This was one incredible video, I loved the ending, it felt so hopeful but slightly sad, like a big change that’s scary to do but eventually will work out for the better. The music choice was incredible, it got me feeling a bit emotional for a road I didn’t know existed in a city I’ve never been to in a country on the other side of the planet. I’m glad I found your channel, I’m subscribing and looking forward to seeing what’s next!

Thank you for this great documentary! As a native, lifelong Portlander, I’ve grown up with stories about Harbor Drive & Robert Moses’ grand freeway plans, so it’s very interesting to get more of a back story!

My dad clued me in to this park's history as a kid, and still to this day I can't unsee the fact that there's a whole missing highway!

These Portland history episodes are absolutely brilliant! I hope this channel starts to blow up soon! Keep 'em coming!

I love to see a video about the history of Detroit's freeways.

That’s the first time I’ve heard I-405 called the Stadium Freeway! Fascinating history!!! I live in the Rose City and enjoyed every moment learning how the infrastructure changed over the years. The flyover bridge from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-84 amazes me! Sometimes I wonder as I drive over these bridges... what would it be like driving on these bridges if an earthquake happened?

This was a really well done video. I visited Portland a few years back and walked around in the park, had no idea about the history. The story of Tom McCall is also interesting, He was ahead of his time. We need more like him.

Beautifully done! I've often wondered about the abandoned stubs. Thank you for sharing this history! There's been talk in recent years about covering I-405 over and about making other changes to the freeway system along the east side of the Willamette River to further beautify our city. We also face a mounting pressure for more infrastructure due to greatly increased population.

Well researched, well written, and well produced. This is another great example of what a historical documentary should be. Thanks!

it's so cool to learn what all the offramp stubs were that I see every day on my commute. I'm absolutely fascinated and I totally love these videos. Keep up the amazing work.

Peter, just want to thank you for the time and effort you’ve put into these videos. As a Portland resident, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the history of this city and you’ve done a fantastic job doing so. Your attention to detail and context is not unnoticed and I can’t wait to watch any future videos you might make. - Andy

Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed history of Harbor Drive and Portland in general. It's amazing how much we take for granted today as just the way things always have been, when in fact they're the way our predecessors chose.

Tom McCall was one of the best things that has ever happened to Oregon & Portland… We need another one of him and get rid of the goons currently running (destroying) the state and the city of Portland… Tom would be turning over in his grave to see what Portland has turned into today!

I love the old video footage and pictures. Thanks for collecting them, putting them together so well, and making it all available for a wider audience.

Dude your video is amazing! great work!!

Great video. I’ve lived in Oregon longer than any place in my life and I always enjoy learning the history. Very informative and beautiful videography.

Thank you for all the effort that goes into these videos! It’s amazing how much you can learn about a city and it’s people just from the roads we take for granted.

Being a Spokane native, it is surprising Portland was getting rid of its freeway. Spokane was getting rid of its railway viaduct to transform it into an urban park after Expo 74 concluded. I found it fascinating Riverfront park in Spokane and Waterfront park in Portland were both completed in 1978, which both cities reclaim its rivers. Thanks for the documentary.

When I lived in Portland I loved the Water Front Park!! In the summer, after work, I would meet the Cyclepalooza group every Tuesday and Thursday night at 6pm for a bike ride around the city in a group averaging 30 plus people. On Saturdays I would ride my bike downtown with a small inflatable pillow, a big towel, and my backpack. I would go to the bookstore, get lunch at one of the foodtrucks and ride over to the park. I would sit under a tree, eat lunch, read some of my new book and take a nap. The park always has people playing music, juggling, flying kites, skateboarding, roller skating, cycling around, shuffleboard, playing chess, talking and more. They have concerts, an open air arts & crafts pavilion and a farmers market in the park. They have a big event every year where the Navy will send a mid sized ship, sometimes a small destroyer or submarine come and dock at the park. The ships are always ones that are interesting and not super top secret so the crew can give limited tours of the ship. The fire department has a boat facility just down river and they have a fire boat come up and do circles in the middle of the river. It will play music over the loud speaker while it sprays water way way up in the air creating a dancing water fountain. Sometimes on really hot days they point a water hose up so that it drops water on just a bit of the park and you can go stand under it to cool off. Kids love playing in it along with the kids Salmon Street Prings water feature shooting water up timed to music that is right by where the fireboat sprays water. The park is the best place to watch the 4th of July and New Years fireworks shows. There is an old steamer ship that has been made into the Maritime Museum. Water Front Park is one of the best parks out of many cities I have visited or lived in that keeps downtown relevant. At the north end at Steel Bridge and south Morrison Bridge are connections to bike paths to stay on the West Side or cross the bridges and go to the East side of Portland. On the first Saturday of the month after my nap I would ride over Steel Bridge along the bike path, witch floats on the river for a while, to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) to see the real attack submarine in the river and tour the museum. On Sundays I would skip the bookstore & nap, just eat lunch in the park with my mountain bike and ride up into the hills on the west side for the mountain bike trails. Sooooo much to do in Portland that can center around the park.

@24:34 OMG it shows the bomber restaurant and gas station! This place recently closed it's doors for good this year due to COVID. It didn't have the bomber plane for a long time though. I grew up in the Portland area and remember my dad getting gas at the bomber and parking under the plane to fill up. I used to get out of the car every time. I think they eventually took it down due to the plane starting to fall apart, first the cockpit was taken off and then a few years later the whole plane. Right off 99-E McGoughlin in Oakgrove. God I miss that Portland. I'm only 33 but it has changed so much.

I can't WAIT to see your channel blow up in subscribers and views. These videos are so well done. Keep up the good work!

Fantastic video. Thank you for bringing this piece of Portland’s history to light.

I just watched a 40min video about a demolished freeway on the other side of the world and was both entertained and educated at the same time. I enjoy that you spend time to show the viewer what's left as for me that is the most interesting. Nice work.

This was fantastic to watch, Peter - thanks for producing and sharing this!

As a frequent past visitor and now resident of Portland these videos were most fascinating and now I know the story of some of these ramp stubs to nowhere on the freeways around town.

That was truly fascinating! I’m excited to walk along the waterfront now and be thankful for all that happened! Plus I know so much more about the roads that I see everyday! Thank you 🙏🏻🙌🏻

This was a wonderful story and you told it so well! I didn't know so many of the events that led up to what we have now in Portland. Amazing history!

Great story. Driven down Front Street many times and had no idea how the park came to be. Glad I watched this documentary.

So, so, so well done. These are amazing documentaries, Peter. Thanks so much for doing this work.

This was designed and produced beautifully. Form AND function at play. Good work, Peter!

I'm always fascinated when a channel like this pops into existence with such excellent production value

I can't believe this channel only has 3 videos, I was expecting hundreds. Brilliant work on all three, really really good content. Keep it up man!

Extremely enjoyable..the detail and clear storytelling are a pleasure to watch..thank you..

this was an AMAZING video. holy heck. well done mate, a great watch.

Great Video! Thank you for taking the time to make this!

Loved every second. Well done! Thank You.

oh my god please make more videos like this one and the one you did about forgotten portland freeways. i love hearing history about the city and you're doing a great job with these. great music choices too i realize now that i have spent a LOT of time on the remaining portion of Harbor Drive as i went to practice for the Rose Festival's dragon boat races. knowing its history makes me even more endeared to the area.

Such a well documented and interesting segment!Thank you🌟

This video is fantastic! Please keep making more like it, you've got great talent. Portland has plenty of material I'm sure!

This is the best documentary of my city I've watched since your last video! You have a knack for this stuff. :)

Wow great piece of film and historic narrative. Thank you!

I lived in Portland for over 10 years and this is a piece of history that I had no idea about. Thank you for this wonderful documentary and for bringing back many fond memories.

This is superb! So well done, informative, engaging, and inspirational.

*Peter Dibble* *AMAZING Research and Dedication it takes to do a project like this* *THANK YOU Peter Dibble, *CATER*

Loved this, I learned a lot and I grew up in Beaverton. I'm 48 and I've asked people quite a bit older than me why Portland has odd things about it and they don't even know. Glad I know now, too bad I don't go there anymore and I still live in Beaverton. My previous comment explains why. **Appreciate you making this.

Outstanding documentary, Mr. Dibble. Wish more were like it.

Brilliant work Peter! I just binged all 3 of your videos and can't wait for more!

There are many words that can be used to describe this important historical retrospective of Portland. Superb. Professional. Interesting. Engaging. Educating. Organized. And on and on. I am so impressed with the quality of this video and like many, knew nothing of the Harbor Drive saga. Peter you are incredibly talented and I wish you the very best in all your endeavors.

Harbor Drive. Remember it well and loved it. Straight shot to that portion of downtown I needed to go. I do recall one dark day back in the '60's when the Willamette River flooded. The water was just cresting the seawall and from a car you were looking eye to eye with it. No more seawall. I hope the engineers have come up with some other protection for the city.