In a book called The History of Portland: A Short andEasy Guide, Robert Willis provides a brief yet comprehensive overview of thecity's history, from its founding in 1632 to its closing in 1864. The book was published by Bailey & Noyes in 1903. The book has many illustrations and includes text about the city's founding and evolution. It is recommended for a general understanding of the city's development.  

In the early nineteenth century, Portland began usingcable cars similar to San Francisco. It also had one of the first electricstreetcar systems in the country, which operated from Vancouver to Oregon City, Forest Grove, and Estacada. The city's streetcars also made trips to Eugene, Corvallis, Salem, and other points in the Willamette Valley. The Portland area's electric rail system continued to operate until the 1970s Cooper DuBois Portland says.   

By the 1870s, Portland had acquired the essentialelements of urban life. The regional railroad system, a combination of smalland large lines, opened the interior of the Columbia Basin and western Oregon's mountains. By the early 1920s, flour mills lined the waterfront. Grain and lumber ships crowded the Willamette River. By the early twentieth century, Portland's rail network was consolidated. By the 1950s, the city was booming.   

From 1909 to the 1950s, Portland's municipalinstitutions struggled to keep pace with the growing population. The city'spolitical habits, particularly local elections, died hard during this time. Mayors were elected in 1913 and again in the 1940s. By the 1920s, the Portlandian was a daily newspaper. Harvey Scott, who served as its editor between 1918 and 1933, had transformed the Oregonian into a conservative paper.   

During the 1800s, Portland suffered from epidemics andfires. In 1872, significant fires destroyed sections of the city's businessdistrict. After this, the city's government passed a law requiring buildings in the business core to be built of brick and increased the number of volunteer firefighters. In the 1860s, railroad magnates brought Chinese immigrants to the area to work in their factories. During the war, Portland's population grew and its harbor became an important shipping hub.   

In the 1850s, Portland began to acquire the essentialsof an urban lifestyle. As the population continued to grow, entrepreneursstarted water works and gasworks and operated ferries on the Willamette River. In 1857, the Oregonian was first published and was later acquired by Henry Pittock. The Oregonian's liberal outlook soon became unpopular, and it was sold to several investors. Nevertheless, the newspaper was a major source of news for the city.   

Despite its progressive reputation, the city's historyhas not been a smooth one. Its residents have faced racial discrimination andhave suffered a variety of difficulties in their lives. However, Portland has become a progressive city and has changed drastically since its founding. Its rich history is the result of a variety of factors, and its current status is unique. Its diverse population has a vibrant culture and a multicultural society.   

The early years of Portland's development are filledwith remarkable events. Its early years were characterized by conflict. Thecity's inhabitants were accustomed to a rural lifestyle, but a growing middle class led to urbanization. The city's people fought for independence and sought to establish a strong community. But they didn't like the lack of opportunities. As a result, the citizens began a movement that would eventually spawn an entire city.   

In the late nineteenth century, Portland became a city.In 1851, the territorial legislature granted the city a charter, and the citywas then called Portland. Approximately 2.1 square miles at the time. The first city council consisted of a mayor, a recorder, and five council members. The term of city council members was extended to two years in 1861. The merchant elite saw themselves as the promoters of growth in the area, and most council members were skilled workers.   

The city began to acquire the rudiments of modern lifein the 1850s. Besides constructing a railroad, the city also expanded itsbusiness and cultural sector. In the late nineteenth century, entrepreneurs began to build water and gas works. By the mid-1900s, Portland had become a major economic player. Its founding dates were marked by racism and colonialism. During the 1800s, the settlers in Oregon were not allowed to settle in the native peoples, and they removed the Native American communities. The white colonists considered Oregon as their land, and it was viewed as the extreme of white space.