Moments in History
An ongoing feature in which former longtime Portland sportswriter Paul Danzer highlights key milestones in the development and evolution of the Portland Interscholastic League and in Portland sports in general. Check back regularly for updates.
June 25, 1897
An article in The Oregonian announces the debut of the "Oregon Interscholastic League" with a track and field event held at Multnomah Field.
There is no mention of how many schools participated, but the report focuses on athletes from Portland High School, the city's lone public school at the time. Other schools mentioned are PA (we assume Portland Academy), Pacific University and HBC (which we assume stands for Hudson’s Bay Company).
With the exception of a Ben Norden of PHS, who won the novice 100-yard dash, only the last names of the young participants are listed. We presume that Ben had a brother ,necessitating the use of his first name.
Among other PHS athletes to win events were guys named Blumenthal, Wickersham, Dammasch, Upton, Wisdom and Scholler (or Schuller or Schaller. In the article, the name is spelled multiple ways).
Portland High School eventually became Lincoln High. It was located on several sites in what is now downtown Portland over the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Multnomah Field, of course, was located where Providence Park now stands.
•The same edition of The Oregonian includes items about an upcoming cricket match between the Married Men and the Bachelors at Riverside Park.
• A basket ball (sic) exhibition was scheduled for that evening at the EastSide Young Men’s Christian Association grounds at East Sixth and Salmon between the host club and the champions of California from San Francisco.
• Another item stated that, though a local bicycle dealer was suspended for hosting a race on a Sunday, participants wound not be suspended.
March 9, 1915
A story in The Oregonian states that a meeting was planned yo discuss admitting the Portland School of Trades to the "Portland Interscholastic League," which included Portland Academy, Hill Military Academy, Columbia University and public high schools Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Franklin.
June 4, 1925
The Oregonian reported that the high school baseball season would not be completed and that no champion would be crowned. Reasons included ineligible players on several team, rainouts and scheduled final exams. Benson and Washington were tied for first place when the season was abandoned.
Be sure to check back here for more key dates in the history of the PIL and Portland high school sports.