Creator: Commission of Public Docks; Port of Portland
Dates: 1925-1955
Description: Minutes and related documents from both the Port of Portland Board of Commissioners and the Commission of Public Docks.
Collection Background/History: Established by the Oregon Legislature in 1891, the Port of Portland originally managed the dredging and maintenance of shipping channels. The City of Portland formed the Commission of Public Docks in 1920 to oversee the construction and operation of docks and terminals. In 1970, the two entities merged, creating the modern Port of Portland.
Today, the Port’s responsibilities include not only maritime operations, such as deepening the Columbia River shipping channel and managing three marine terminals, but also the development and management of three airports and six business parks. Meanwhile, the former Dock Commission remains significant for its historical role in the development of Portland’s dock infrastructure.
Collection Highlights & Research Value
This collection offers a valuable glimpse into the critical decisions, policies, and public priorities that shaped Portland’s maritime and aviation sectors throughout the mid-20th century. It also illustrates the evolution of the Port as a public agency responding to economic and infrastructural challenges over time.
Note on Digitized Materials: The Commission meeting minutes were scanned from bound volumes. You may notice:
This reflects the original record format. To ensure you view the complete minutes of a particular date, open the scanned document covering that date.
Disclaimer:
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology has been applied; however, due to the historic nature of the original materials, some characters may not have been accurately recognized. Screen readers and search results generated through the Google search tool may not always reflect precise or relevant matches.
Citation Notice:
If you reference meeting records from this collection in your work, please cite the Port of Portland using the following format:
Port of Portland. [Title of Document]. [Date of Meeting]. Retrieved from [URL]
Example:
Port of Portland. Commission Meeting Minutes. March 12, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.portofportland.com/meetings
Related Records:
Port of Portland Commission Minutes and Related Materials dated July 8, 2015 - Present
Source Citation:
Oregon Historical Society Research Library. Org. Lot 10. Sharon M. Howe, 2004. Accessed online 01 July 2025.
Oregon Encyclopedia. Carl Abbott, n/d. Oregon Historical Society. Accessed online 01 July 2025.
Use the field below to search the contents of the historical commission minutes and docks commission minutes PDFs listed on this page.