The city of Portland has been slowly, steadily repaving NW 23rd. There are big banners unfurled across the streets to ensure shoppers that, yes, no stores have been paved over and still accept all major credit cards.
Streetcar rails at 23rd and Burnside
It’s been fun to watch the construction. They close down a few blocks at a time and excavate the street. In the process old streetcar rails have been been dug up.
In one place, the old tracks peeked out from underneath the end of the uncut street.
End of the line
There are stacks of railroad ties that have been unearthed, in surprisingly good condition after being underground for years.
Pile of old railroad ties
This all feels like a recent-history urban archeological site: “Portland at the turn of the twentieth century.” I wonder if any of this stuff is worthy of preserving for historical reasons.
I am tempted to swipe a cobble stone for a door stop.
