Next time you’re traveling in Terwilliger Parkway, and especially if you’re having thoughtful moments in the Walpole Garden, please give a shout out to our board member Bob Bonner. He’s an inspiration to all of us! Here’s his nomination for PGE Parks Champion.
Meta Sequoia Trees (aka Dawn Redwoods or the fossil tree) were once thought extinct until living trees were discovered in inner China in the early1940’s.
The seeds were collected and shared with arboretums all over the globe, including ours right here in Portland. You’ll recognize these dawn redwoods on either side of Mt Hood in the background of this photo. They’re deciduous, so don’t panic if they loose their needles in the fall. Thanks to Doug Weir for the photo!
The Walpole Garden, a collaboration with our partners at Portland Parks and Recreation, is named after the noted American botanical illustrator Frederick Andrews Walpole who built a house at Eagle Point (300 ft to the north of the garden) in 1895. We are gradually planting many of the native plants he illustrated for the US Botanical Garden before his untimely death of typhoid in 1905.
The Olmsted Brother’s Portland parks master plan is contained in the “Report of the Park Board, Portland, Oregon, 1903”. This report called for a “South Hillside Parkway” which eventually became Terwilliger Parkway 9 years later.
2024 was a successful year. Hundreds of Terwilliger Parkway volunteers engaged in restoration and advocacy. From our forested linear parkway, to open viewpoints such as the newly created Walpole Garden, to our one-of-a-kind public Duniway track and lilac garden. We couldn’t have done it without you!!
Our January 2025 Volunteers
Friends of Terwilliger received several calls/emails last month from concerned users of the Parkway regarding the many trees cut down uphill towards the OHSU campus.
Environmental Services is designing a project to replace approximately 1600 feet of aging, large-diameter public sewer pipes along Duniway Park. Having provided over 100 years of service, the pipes require repairs to maintain reliable sewer service and protect public health and the environment. Construction is currently scheduled to begin late fall 2025 and will take about up to two and a half years to complete.
A few years ago we came across this picture of a wooden trestle spanning a ravine in Terwilliger Parkway. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have lasted very long.
Thanks to OHSU who partnered with us to remove invasive plants during our No Ivy Day 2024 Event
Have you noticed the “comfort station” at SW Hamilton St and SW Terwilliger Blvd is now open and got a much needed and deserved painting? Many thanks to Wyatt with Portland Parks & Recreation for the painting and clean up of this very old and still used facility in Historic Terwilliger Parkway.
Friends of Terwilliger is partnering with KAYAK’s Portland Oregon Travel Guide to have Historic Terwilliger Parkway included in it’s suggested destinations for Portland Visitors.
Many THANKS to the Friends of Terwilliger who showed up to improve this labyrinth at the Walpole Garden area of Historic Terwilliger Parkway.
Thanks to our April 2024 Volunteers who working like surgeons, carefully removing the invasive ivy while simultaneously protecting and saving our native plants. Now our native plants will have room to spread and thrive
.
The Walpole Garden artwork covering the utility box was applied Tuesday morning, April 9th. Many thanks to Northwest Natural Gas for installing this and partnering with Friends of Terwilliger whose vision is to showcase these century-old illustrations for all to see.
The Frederick Andrews Walpole Garden is a public garden created in the strip of land between SW Terwilliger Boulevard and SW Hamilton Terrace with spectacular, unobstructed views of the Willamette Valley and Mount Hood. The garden is named after Frederick Andrews Walpole, a major US botanical illustrator hired by the US government who settled in Portland and built his home at Eagle Point in 1894.
The project has been developed by the Friends of Terwilliger and Portland Parks & Recreation over the past six years: reflecting our volunteer capacity, funds raised, and exploring what works in the area.
If you look closely, you’ll see that our native trilliums are bursting with their flowers and showing us that spring is definitely here.
2023 is now in the rear-view mirror and it’s time to congratulate ourselves for our restoration accomplishments.
Were you a part of our native planting event in December 2023 at Eagle Point in the Terwilliger Parkway?
A big round of applause for our wonderful volunteers who helped us rid Historic Terwilliger Parkway of those darn invasive plants like ivy and blackberries. Yeah!!!!
Friends of Terwilliger wants to thank the twenty+ volunteers, photographed here, who came to help us plant natives in the Eagle Point area of Terwilliger Parkway.
We couldn’t have done it without all of our tenacious and dedicated volunteers! THANK YOU!!!
What a great sunrise we had Friday, December 15th, 2023 and thanks to past FOT president Doug Weir for sharing!
Do you have any photos taken from Terwilliger Parkway you’d like to share?
Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) has been working with Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) for a few years helping to construct a “nature patch” on the flat of Eagle Point, just off Terwilliger Blvd. at the Hamilton Terrace intersection. Eagle Point is a 1 acre plot that FOT helped alert the city when it was for sale. It was purchased in 2013 and added to Terwilliger Parkway and is now in the public’s hands.
What a beautiful fall day to enjoy this view of Mt Hood from the Walpole Garden/Bancroft St right-of-way.
Here’s a photo for you to remember the fall colors with a bit of sun.
With help from the Hillsdale Troop 1, incoming Lewis & Clark students (seated above), and neighbors, Friends of Terwilliger has established log bench seating areas with views in the Bancroft right of way and the elevated park area to its south
Sadly, we had to say goodbye to 2 of our favorite Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) employees last month.
Weren’t we lucky to have a second day of students from Lewis & Clark College volunteering to help us restore another area of Terwilliger Parkway? This time it was in the Walpole Garden area; part of the Bancroft right-of-way FOT has been improving for many years now.
Terwilliger Parkway and all of its friends were thrilled to have 20 Lewis & Clark College students and staff help free the trees of the invasive ivy growing up into the canopy.
The Olmsted Network is the first and only national organization dedicated to championing Olmsted parks, places, and principles through advocacy, education and stewardship. Check out their new website.
Cooper and his Hillsdale Scout Troop 1 spent a full morning completing this path and bench area today.
As you can see from the “before” photo of the area below, these improvements further enhance this ugly street right-of-way into a welcoming garden for humans and nature.
A BIG thank you to our volunteers who showed up to tackle the ivy in George Himes Park, along the Terwilliger Parkway.
It’s spring in Portland. Time to enjoy all the blooming native plants and trees. It’s also the time we see newly-born animals and birds traveling through our area. Please slow down and follow the speed limit. Look out for this little ones and give them the space and care they need.
Hillsdale-based Scout Troop 1 offered their muscles and tenacity at Friends of Terwilliger’s restoration site in the SW Bancroft right-of-way on EarthDay 2023.
You may have noticed on-going work here:
Friends of Terwilliger have been working with Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) for the past five years to restore a narrow strip (~120ft wide) of ~1 acre parkland centered around the Bancroft St right-of-way just below Terwilliger Parkway and the Marquam Hill hospitals.
As we develop the Walpole Garden and its related app-based guides to its Oregon native plants illustrated by 19th century artists such as Frederick Walpole, we hope to extend this effort into the adjacent sunny Hamilton Street Playground area to the south and the heavily forested Eagle Point to the north.
From the adjacent sunny Hamilton Playground to the heavily forested Eagle Point nature paths, these areas provide additional microclimates, while the Hamilton Playground Park area provides an opportunity to provide native plant learning to children and families using the playground.
Terwilliger Parkway got the best of both worlds last month! Volunteers put in native plants and had time to also do ivy removal! How good is that?
Imagine our surprise when 10 crew members from the USS Tulsa showed up, all the way from San Diego, to volunteer at our February 2023 Restoration work party!
Students and coaches from Central Catholic High School gave a few hours of their time to help us clear some ivy near Duniway Track.
A big Thank You to Portland Running Company’s Race Team for coming out the help us rid Duniway Track of some of that darn ivy. Here’s the “gang” below.
Check out this sunrise photo taken by a Friend of Terwilliger volunteer.
Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) was honored to guide participants of the “Preserving the Historic Road International” (PHRI) Conference on a tour of Terwilliger Parkway during their conference being hosted in Portland in late September.
(photo from 1912 bus tour)
Hillvilla, where the Chart House restaurant is now located on Terwilliger Blvd, was most famous for its pumpkin pie and owner Ed Palaske’s special recipe. When restaurateur and baker Eddie Palaske died, the recipe was posted in the Oregonian in his obituary. The special seasoning for this pie is different, but makes the best pumpkin pie many have ever eaten and has become a tradition in many Portland homes for the holidays.
It is sure to get rave reviews!
Well, if you thought the harvest moon wouldn’t be visible from Terwilliger Parkway because of our smoky air, you were mistaken!
Eagle Point, the area of Terwilliger Parkway with spectacular views of the mountains to the east and the Willamette River, got a welcome clean up in July.
3-4pm Reception and quiet contemplation
4-5:30 Remembrances–stories and memories
5:30-7 Potluck supper
West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
8470 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR 97223
__large.jpg)
FOT is concerned that the inadequate Draft Environmental Assessment and the VA’s conclusion of “no significant impacts” to Terwilliger Parkway by their Washington, DC office, will prevent effective mitigation in the final designs and construction and cause real harm to the Parkway and environment.
Look what has appeared uphill from the Lilac Garden in the Parkway!
Did you know that you can support Friends of Terwilliger just by shopping at Fred Meyer with your Rewards Card, clicking “Donate Now” on our website, or both?
Check out these natural elements seen in Historic Terwilliger Parkway recently.
It’s been a long time coming, but Terwilliger Parkway has finally been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 the Portland Park Bureau hired a consultant to prepare nominations to the National Historic Register for several older city parks. But then they never submitted them to the National Park Service for listing. Now FOT has completed the task!
Ever wonder what Bioswales are and what they do? Check out this fantastic video made by our partners at the Westside Watershed Resource Center.
Over a hundred years ago, civic leaders of the young city of Portland hired the world-famous Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm to create a comprehensive park plan.
September 13, 2019 as the “Harvest” full moon rose over Mt Hood, about 50 neighbors gathered at Eagle Point for a ice cream social viewing sponsored by Friends of Terwilliger and Homestead Neighborhood Association (HNA). In 2020 we sought to continue the tradition in a Covid-19 appropriate way.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax-deductible. All donations go directly to support our restoration, advocacy and outreach efforts.
These words were overheard in historical Terwilliger Parkway recently. We often take for granted the places we visit often, and that seem so familiar to us.
We’re happy to report that the recent Terwilliger Blvd. paving project has been completed. Yeah!
Throughout Portland, developed public parks and playgrounds are closed to limit the rate spread of Covid-19, but Terwilliger Parkway footpath and bike lanes are still open for use if we continue to practice social distancing. We can continue to walk, jog, or cycle in Terwilliger Parkway enjoying the nature and its splendid views as spring bursts forth, but let’s protect and look out for one another by practicing a few simple rules:
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has largely completed the installation of new LED light fixtures on the light poles along Terwilliger Parkway between Duniway Park and Capitol Hwy. The change is notable!
A few months ago, a realtor’s “For Sale” sign in Terwilliger Parkway prompted concern from neighbors and Parkway supporters, fearful that a development might threaten the integrity of this linear park. This led to calls to both Friends of Terwilliger and the Portland Parks & Rec (PPR).
On November 26, 2019, Commissioner Nick Fish and PP&R Director Adena Long presented “A Sustainable Future” to the Portland City Council for discussion and guidance. This is the first step to determine funding options for PP&R.
Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) Board Members met with the new Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) Director Adena Long and PP&R City Nature Manager, Rachel Felice recently. The goals for the meeting were to provide Director Long with information about FOT and its mission of protecting and advocating for Terwilliger Parkway, to describe the challenges FOT sees for the Parkway today, and to review the partnerships FOT has established with PP&R over the past 30 years.
November’s restoration work party brought us back to the Norris “foundation” to remove tree and ground ivy as well as blackberries. This 2-acre site was once considered by the Portland chapter of the Rhododendron Society for its test garden before locating to its current site at Crystal Springs.
Thanks go out to all of you hearty volunteers who made the most of our calm fall weather to rid Terwilliger Parkway of those nasty invasive plants.
It’s only March and already Friends of Terwilliger’s dedicated volunteers have planted hundreds of native plants.
WOW, another year of amazing Terwilliger Parkway restoration comes to an end. December 15th was our last work party of the year. Mark your calendars for a productive 2019!!
A trio of big development proposals with profound implications for Terwilliger Parkway are working their way through the public approval process. All three relate to OHSU and how people get there and are located on Terwilliger at Campus Drive. It’s early in the process for all three proposals and FOT is determined to be there every step of the way to advocate for the preservation and enhancement of the parkway. The involvement and support of you, our Friends, will be critical to whether or not these projects improve the parkway or alter it irreparably.
A Metro steering committee has decided that a new Southwest Portland light rail line will travel out Barbur Blvd. from downtown Portland to Tigard and Tualatin. A planned station at SW Gibbs St. (below the tram) is intended to serve OHSU and other Marquam Hill institutions that are located several hundred feet up a steep hillside with Terwilliger Parkway lying in between. TriMet and Metro have proposed a “Marquam Hill Connection” to get people up the hillside from the SW Barbur MAX station to OHSU. Three of the proposals involve a combination of above-ground elevator towers and bridges and ramps, most of which would be located in Terwilliger Parkway and will necessitate the removal of many trees and significant alterations to the park. A fourth proposal is to build a pedestrian tunnel under the hillside with an underground elevator to bring people up to OHSU.
In our last newsletter, we announced receiving a Portland Parks Foundation grant to conduct a targeted social media campaign. The object of our campaign: to engage a new, younger, generation of volunteers to help preserve Terwilliger Parkway for the future. Looking to get the word out about Terwilliger Parkway, we hope to target audiences of younger adults.
One Saturday morning in July, Friends of Terwilliger(FOT) hosted a water/Gatorade table to engage with Parkway users. We wanted to know the who, what, and why stories behind people’s choice of Terwilliger Parkway as a place to exercise and enjoy day and night. We counted over 300 people exercising in the 4 hours we were there: half were runners and a third cyclists. Walkers, dogs with owners, strollers, and a skateboard were there too! Of the 300 active exercisers, we were able to engage with 200 asking them 3 questions:
Ask Larry McLaughlin why he volunteers in Terwilliger Parkway, and he’ll say he just likes to feel he’s accomplished something worthwhile.
Friends of Terwilliger has contacted the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) to express our concern for the Totem Pole in the Terwilliger Parkway. The Totem Pole has numerous holes inflicted by wood-boring woodpeckers and is in need of protective restoration, repainting, and care.
The RACC public art “Totem Pole” is located at the Elk Point Viewpoint in the Terwilliger Parkway and was carved by Chief Lelooska in 1959. It became a partof RACC’s Public Art Program in the late 1980’s.
We just learned that the Portland Parks Foundation has awarded Friends of Terwilliger a grant to fund our new social media campaign. Want to get involved?
