North Park Blocks

North Park Blocks
A statue of Elephants in the North Park Blocks
Type	Urban park
Location	Portland, Oregon
Coordinates	45°31′28″N 122°40′43″W / 45.52444°N 122.67861°W / 45.52444; -122.67861Coordinates: 45°31′28″N 122°40′43″W / 45.52444°N 122.67861°W / 45.52444; -122.67861[1]
Area	3.11 acres (1.26 ha)
Operated by	Portland Parks & Recreation
Status	Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

The North Park Blocks form a city park in downtown Portland, Oregon.^[2]

Captain John H. Couch deeded the five blocks to the city in 1865, probably officially platted and dedicated to the city in 1869.^[3][4] An ordinance was passed in 1904, setting aside one park block for women and children.^[5] In 1906, another block was added for a children's playground.^[5] The playground was divided into a boys playground and a small child and girl's playground.^[5] Use of the North Park Blocks declined, especially as the 1924 zoning code did not preserve residential uses near them.^[5]

By the 1940s, the North Park Blocks area was decidedly neglected.^[3] A problem with the homeless and aggressive panhandlers led to Daisy Kingdom and the U.S. Customs House to hire security guards, and park sprinklers set to intermittently spray sleepers; in 1989, the problem had been worse, with the local Montessori School finding drug users and discarded needles in the city playground.^[6]

In 2002, Chinese foundry owner Huo Baozhu gave bronze elephants, full-size reproductions of Shang Dynasty statues, to Portland. Portland placed them on the North Park Blocks where children could interact with them.^[7]

References

1. ^ "North Park Blocks". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. May 26, 2004. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:2040335. Retrieved February 26, 2010. 
2. ^ "North Park Blocks". Portland Parks & Recreation. http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewPark&PropertyID=447. Retrieved February 26, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Pickett, Nelson (March 20, 1992). "North Park Blocks improvements under way". The Oregonian: p. E02. 
4. ^ Nicholas, Jonathan (December 24, 1991). "Setting straight the crooked record". The Oregonian: p. D01. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Mackenzie, Hilary (1988). The Portland Park Blocks: their origin and development (thesis). Seattle, Washington: University of Washington. OCLC 19841853. 
6. ^ Lane, Dee (May 27, 1990). "Running out of patience". The Oregonian: p. B01. 
7. ^ Leeson, Fred; Chuang, Angie (May 11, 2002). "Elephant in bronze will grace Portland". The Oregonian: p. A01.