Community

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 8:30AM-2PM Where: Arts Plaza NE 3rd Street and NE Hood Avenue Get Map!

The Gresham Farmers Market is a community gathering place where you can stroll, shop and listen to live music. The market offers shoppers fresh, local produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, crafts, fresh food and live music.

Dont forget to bring your bag or basket from home.

Enjoy a picnic on the grass and a splash in the Children's Fountain splash pads on the Arts Plaza.

For more information about the Gresham Farmers' Market contact us at 971-303-2248 or manager@greshamfarmersmarket.com, or visit the Gresham Farmers' Market website.

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 9AM-3PM Where: Mt. Hood Community College Parking Lot W 26000 SE Stark St. Get Map!

The Gresham Saturday Market is a farmer's market that includes in-season farm-fresh produce, fruits and berries, crafts, artisans, fresh flowers, plants, services, and unique offerings, plus great food and live entertainment. Ample on-site parking is available next to the market.

For more information, call 503-912-4122 or visit the Gresham Saturday Market website.

2019 Summer Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Summer 2019 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Columbia View Park improvements National Night Out, Tuesday Aug 6th Back to School, Movies in the Park Nadaka Happenings & Changes WENA Meeting Mon, Aug 12, 6:30PM

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our regular meetings.

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Sparks Will Fly As We Celebrate Our Nation's Birthday!

Fireworks
July 4, 2019
Best Fourth of July fireworks

• Waterfront Blues Festival - Downtown Portland. (See below)
• Oaks Park - 2 miles south of Portland.
• Fort Vancouver - 10 miles north of Portland. (See below)
• Corbett Fun Fest - 22 miles east of Portland.
• St. Paul - 30 miles SW of Portland. (See below)

St Paul Rodeo
July 2-6, 2019
30 miles SW of Portland
Watch fearless cowboys and cowgirls ride bucking broncos, rope and wrestle steers, and even ride bulls at the St. Paul Rodeo. Also enjoy a barbecue, carnival, art show, and nightly fireworks. Schedule.

Molalla Buckaroos Rodeo
July 1-4, 2019
30 miles SSE of Portland
Molalla Buckeroo: Rodeo competition, a carnival, barbecue, live music, dancing and fireworks (nightly following rodeo). Various times Wednesday-Saturday. Visit molallabuckeroo.com for schedule. Molalla Buckeroo Grounds, 815 Shirley St, Molalla; $15; or 503-829-8388

Waterfront Blues Festival
July 4 - 7, 2019
Portland Waterfront
Waterfront Blues Festival features over 75 performers on four stages, plus fireworks on July 4th, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette River. Visit their website for schedule and details.

Fourth of July at the Fort
July 4, 2019, 10PM!
10 miles north of Portland
Independence Day At Fort Vancouver fireworks at 10:05 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Jun 01, 2019 9AM-3PM Where: Mt. Hood Community College Parking Lot W 26000 SE Stark St. Get Map!

The Gresham Saturday Market is a farmer's market that includes in-season farm-fresh produce, fruits and berries, crafts, artisans, fresh flowers, plants, services, and unique offerings, plus great food and live entertainment. Ample on-site parking is available next to the market.

For more information, call 503-912-4122 or visit the Gresham Saturday Market website.

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Jun 01, 2019 8:30AM-2PM Where: Arts Plaza NE 3rd Street and NE Hood Avenue Get Map!

The Gresham Farmers Market is a community gathering place where you can stroll, shop and listen to live music. The market offers shoppers fresh, local produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, crafts, fresh food and live music.

Dont forget to bring your bag or basket from home.

Enjoy a picnic on the grass and a splash in the Children's Fountain splash pads on the Arts Plaza.

For more information about the Gresham Farmers' Market contact us at 971-303-2248 or manager@greshamfarmersmarket.com, or visit the Gresham Farmers' Market website.

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Jun 08, 2019 8:30AM-2PM Where: Arts Plaza NE 3rd Street and NE Hood Avenue Get Map!

The Gresham Farmers Market is a community gathering place where you can stroll, shop and listen to live music. The market offers shoppers fresh, local produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, crafts, fresh food and live music.

Dont forget to bring your bag or basket from home.

Enjoy a picnic on the grass and a splash in the Children's Fountain splash pads on the Arts Plaza.

For more information about the Gresham Farmers' Market contact us at 971-303-2248 or manager@greshamfarmersmarket.com, or visit the Gresham Farmers' Market website.

Saturday's thru October When: Sat, Jun 08, 2019 9AM-3PM Where: Mt. Hood Community College Parking Lot W 26000 SE Stark St. Get Map!

The Gresham Saturday Market is a farmer's market that includes in-season farm-fresh produce, fruits and berries, crafts, artisans, fresh flowers, plants, services, and unique offerings, plus great food and live entertainment. Ample on-site parking is available next to the market.

For more information, call 503-912-4122 or visit the Gresham Saturday Market website.

Join Us in Downtown Gresham For An Evening of Fun! When: Thu, Jun 20, 2019 5PM-8PM Where: Downtown Gresham Get Map!

Stay later downtown for live music, art, kids activities and more on Third Thursdays when the downtown Gresham businesses extend their hours. Bring the family for a fun evening downtown to stroll, eat, shop and explore.

For more information about Third Thursdays, contact the Historic Downtown Gresham Business Association at exploregresham@gmail.com or visit the Third Thursday Facebook page.

Click to enlarge

Love, Heartbreak, and Renewal Local history says un the summer of 1845 Payton & Anna Wilkes and their seven children left Independence Missouri in a two-yolk oxen-drawn covered wagon and headed west on the Oregon Trail for Oregon.

They arrived by late fall after crossing the Cascade Mountains during a particularly strong snow storm and settled into their new life style in Oregon City. More than 3,000 wagons arrived in Oregon that year.

In 1850 their son William Wilkes took a Donation Land Claim on Sandy Road east of Portland.

The Donation Land Claim Act (DLC) became law on September 27, 1850 as a means to promote homestead settlements in the Oregon Territory (comprising the resent-day states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and part of Wyoming).

The Act granted 320 acres of designated areas free-of-charge to every unmarried male citizen eighteen or older, and 640 acres to every married couple arriving in the Oregon Territory before December 1, 1850. A total of 7,437 land claims were issued under the Act which expired in late 1855.

Soon after receiving his land, William gave up his claim after his wife died and headed to California to mine gold.

Rich with cash, William Wilkes returned to east Portland and purchased the Milton Frazer DLC (see photo above), which was located immediately to the east of his original claim. And that's why there are two Wilkes neighborhoods.

Wilkes, the original land claim. And, Wilkes East, the purchased land to the east of William Wilkes original claim.

William C Wilkes Click to enlarge

William C Wilkes grave Click to enlarge

Sarah A Wilkes Click to enlarge

To learn more about local history, read "Gresham, Stories of our Past". Available from the Gresham Historical Society, area book stores, and Amazon.com

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