Comments for The Urban West

Comment on Oregon Encyclopedia by James V. Hillegas

James V. Hillegas — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:34:00 +0000

Thanks for the overview, Carl! We've recently published our 900th entry, as a matter-of-fact, Edwin Battistella's "Pears and the pear industry."

Comment on Edward Glaeser channels George Tucker by James V. Hillegas

James V. Hillegas — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:28:55 +0000

Thanks for bringing Tucker to my attention; I hadn’t heard of him before. I particularly like your analogy that, in our present time Tucker would have been “an op-ed columnist and blogger” — this helps me understand better who he was an what role he played. I also appreciate learning about the deeper history of thought and thinkers that seem to be oh-so-contemporary but, in truth, have decades, if not centuries, of antecedents.

Comment on Oregon Encyclopedia by Tanya March

Tanya March — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:16:52 +0000

Having just turned in three entries to the Oregon Encyclopedia, I was happy to learn that they have an experienced copy editor. I was challenged to condense the topic of my PhD into 500 words. I enjoyed reading many of your blog entries tonight.

Comment on Robert Moses in Portland by James V. Hillegas

James V. Hillegas — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:47:45 +0000

Thanks, Carl. I came upon this post as I was composing a blurb that will be part of my chapter focusing on the period 1939-1948 in the Willamette River pollution abatement saga. As you mention above and also in Portland (pp. 137-140), Moses’ report recommended a $12M proposal for sewer interceptors and a primary treatment facility. My research has discovered that Abel Wolman and his team had first developed this proposal as part of their 1939 report to the City of Portland.

The section in my book covering Moses’ involvement in the Portland sewer issue will be relatively concise, but it is highly important. City officials had been dragging their feet on adequately funding and preparing to build the sewer improvements since early 1939, and Moses’ report provided the leverage that advocates and a core group of city commissioners had long sought.

This vignette provides a fascinating example of the ways in which external pressure and/or assistance can often be quite helpful in generating positive changes at the local level. Moses’ report spurred acceptance of Wolman’s recommendations, and Wolman’s recommendations were spurred by his leadership of the National Resources Planning Board’s (NRPB) Water Resources Committee; the NRPB had provided funding and guidance to the Oregon State Planning Board (OSPB) beginning in 1934, including assistance to a sub-committee of the OSPB that conducted research and generated recommendations that were essential in the formulation of the 1938 citizen’s initiative to create the Oregon State Sanitary Authority (OSSA).

By 1943, Portland city leaders were ignoring pressure from the OSSA and others to build the sewage interceptor and treatment system. Thus, Edgar Kaiser called-in Robert Moses to get the ball rolling in this and many other areas where Portland city leaders were failing.