The historic exhibit “Those Other County Bridges” was dedicated on Friday, August 6, before a gathering of community members and county officials in the Multnomah Building. The exhibit highlights four of Multnomah County’s lesser-known bridges—Sauvie Island, Interstate, Cedar Crossing and Beaver Creek.
County archivist Terry Baxter designed the exhibit using photos, maps and historical documents to illustrate the bridges’ relationship with the county and how it has evolved since their construction.
Author Sharon Wood-Wortman animated the event with a reading of her new poem, "6th Inning Stretch" 6th_inning_stretch_told_in_four_parts (15.5 KB), which imagines the county’s bridges as a motley baseball team.
Commissioner Judy Shiprack also spoke at the event, illustrating her vision of the county’s 21 bridges. “Portland’s bridges surround us; they bind us together,” she explained. “As a metaphor and a means from getting from one place to another, they are a powerful icon in our community.”
The dedication of “Those Other County Bridges” was part of the PDX Bridge Festival, which ends Sunday, August 8. The exhibit, however, will stay up in the lobby of Multnomah Building (501 SE Hawthorne Blvd) through October.