Comments on: ...Timelords?

Question: ...Timelords?

gc — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:22:38 -0800

Mysterious blue boxes, Pioneer Courthouse, Portland?

&panoidI've been to Portland a few times, and saw these two blue boxes sitting on the southwest corner of the Pioneer Courthouse block. What are they? What do they or did they do? I was once told Portland had a subway, but it flooded and was closed, but I can't find any sort of information to that effect, and I'm dubious about it.

Pictures:
In the upper right-hand corner

Google Street View

By: amanda

amanda — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:46:20 -0800

Hm. I'm going to say "no" on the subway. What I think these are are secure doorways to the jail area under the former courthouse? That's what I always assumed.

By: Chocolate Pickle

Chocolate Pickle — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:05:28 -0800

Portland has never had a subway.

I believe those are restrooms.

By: gc

gc — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:45:38 -0800

hattifattener: I certainly did look in them. They appeared to lead down to somewhere, and they had a good amount of trash and dead leaves inside.

Two views inside, and one more outside.

Ass =D

By: robtf3

robtf3 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:11:31 -0800

It looks like they might provide access to the ground base isolators.

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:16:22 -0800

You know, I didn't remember until you posted the second pictures. Those things blend in so well to most Portlanders that they're almost invisible. If I remember correctly, those were the entrances to the areas underneath the courthouse that access holding cells and other administrative functions -- kind of like a secret back entrance. These days a modern jail/courthouse (like the new justice center a few blocks away) will have a garage that they pull into.

Most large buildings downtown extend underneath the sidewalks; those metal doors or grates that you walk over are usually freight elevators or shafts for dumpsters.

Re: the subway -- Portland has never had a subway nor was there one ever attempted, although there were attempts to tunnel through the west hills before the current MAX tunnel. There is a long history of streetcar, tram, and commuter trolleys in the area that could be the source that yo overheard.

By: dawson

dawson — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:30:21 -0800

Not visible in this 1920 photo, taken about 50 years after construction, but visible in this 2005 view. Also Public Resource's youtube (part 1) looks interesting, but I've not watched it all.

By: MuckWeh

MuckWeh — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:46:29 -0800

This article makes reference to them as entrances to underground public restrooms (men's and women's). The ladies even had bidets.

By: dawson

dawson — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:43:22 -0800

Gosh, MuckWeh. I'd love hearing how you managed to find that gem.

By: catlet

catlet — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:19:10 -0800

Ooh, I remember using those restrooms (and the ones in MuckWeh's cited article around the corner from Mary's) as a kid. My dad was a commercial real estate broker/manager in downtown, and he knew all the secret little places.

By: blueberry

blueberry — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:47:07 -0800

Bathrooms, and another photo.