Southwest Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

The Great Plank Road

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

1. The Great Plank Road Marker

Inscription. First planks for the Canyon Road connecting Portland with the rich Tualatin Valley were laid near this spot in September 1851. As a community effort it brought farm produce to our docks and established Portland as a port and market for the old Oregon country.

Erected 1960 by Lang Syne Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1851.

Location. 45° 30.946′ N, 122° 40.982′ W. Marker is in Portland, Oregon, in Multnomah County. It is in Southwest Portland. It can be reached from the intersection of Southwest Jefferson Street and Southwest Park Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 901 SW Jefferson Street, Portland OR 97201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge

and in the Willamette Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Theodore Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); Peace Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles A. Sprague (within shouting distance of this marker); The Washington Ellipse (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Congregational Church of Portland (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lincoln Bicentennial (about 400 feet away); Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial (about 700 feet away); Roosevelt Hotel (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portland.

Also see . . . Great Plank Road (Tyler Wayne, Oregon Encyclopedia).

Construction was simple. Relatively light 'sleepers' or 'stringers' were laid along the route of the road in two parallel rows about four feet apart. Planks, eight feet long and three or four inches thick, were laid across the stringers and spiked into place (if spikes were scarce, they could be held in place by dirt piled at each end).

(Submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York,
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

2. The Great Plank Road Marker
The marker is located centrally on the South Park Blocks, facing Southwest Jefferson Street.
New York.)

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

3. The Great Plank Road Marker

The marker affixed to its plinth.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.