History University Park, Portland, Oregon

a 1902 proposed site plan, on land later became university park neighborhood, lewis , clark centennial exposition. exposition instead held on artificial island in guild s lake.

university park named proximity former portland university, methodist institution founded in 1891. property of 71 acres university , 530 acres surrounding neighborhood platted land owned pioneer families , sold @ half-value methodist episcopal church, owners of willamette university in salem. church planned sell individual lots through realty company in university park finance university, home site sales did not sustain institution. financial failure of brief existence, university closed in 1900.

after portland university closed, land , buildings purchased archdiocese of portland in 1901, , columbia university opened on site, later renamed university of portland. public transportation installed, , industry began develop in area.

as designers of university park, methodist episcopal officials aligned streets along northeast – southwest axis , northwest – southeast axis in order maximize exposure sunlight. church officials chose street names in remembrance not of institutions of higher learning persons , places important methodists of time. result, university park neighborhood without ordinal relationship among streets; therefore, navigation requires knowledge of streets.