Mock's Bottom

Mock's Bottom
Lowlands
View of part of the industrial park from Mock's Crest, 2019
View of part of the industrial park from Mock's Crest, 2019
Mock's Bottom is located in Portland, Oregon
Mock's Bottom
Mock's Bottom
Location in Portland, Oregon
Coordinates: 45°34′13″N 122°42′18″W / 45.5703952°N 122.7050973°W / 45.5703952; -122.7050973
LocationPortland, Oregon, U.S.
Elevation13 m (43 ft)
[1]

Mock's Bottom (also Mocks Bottom)[1] is a lowland northeast of Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, United States. It acquired its name from Henry Mock, who settled a donation land claim in the area with his family in 1852. Mock's Crest (45°34′30″N 122°42′40″W / 45.5751173°N 122.7112086°W / 45.5751173; -122.7112086), named for Henry Mock's son John Mock, is a bluff that overlooks the lowland.[2]

Mock's Bottom existed as a wetland under natural conditions.[3][4] In 1920, a committee appointed by Portland mayor George L. Baker recommended that Mock's Bottom be filled for future industrial development. At the time, a large portion of Mock's Bottom was owned by private interests, and was considered to be one of the best duck hunting areas in Portland.[5]

The Port of Portland purchased Mock's Bottom from Multnomah County in 1958.[6] In 1980, the Port reached an agreement with the City of Portland whereby 177 acres (72 ha) of Mock's Bottom would be developed into industrial land.[7] Port officials designated the project the "Mocks Landing Industrial Park", as they felt "bottom" was not dignified.[2][8] The first land sale at the industrial park was completed in May 1981,[9] and dredging was nearly completed by January 1982.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Mocks Bottom". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Lewis A. McArthur; Lewis L. McArthur (2003). Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 653. ISBN 0-87595-278-X.
  3. ^ Jim Speirs (February 28, 2014). "Mock's Bottom Adventures" (PDF). St. Johns Review. Portland, Ore. p. 1+. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-19.
  4. ^ Jim Speirs (April 22, 2016). "The Cut: Part III" (PDF). St. Johns Review. p. 4, col. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-13.
  5. ^ E. Kimbark MacColl (1979). The Growth of a City: Power and Politics in Portland, Oregon, 1915 to 1950. Portland, Ore.: The Georgian Press. p. 229. ISBN 0-9603408-1-5.
  6. ^ a b "Business notes: Dredging nearly finished". The Oregonian. January 28, 1982. p. A19.
  7. ^ Steve Jenning (March 8, 1980). "Mocks Bottom plan unveiled". The Oregonian. p. A10.
  8. ^ Rod Patterson (September 21, 1980). "In one ear: Mocks Bottom offends Port marketing staff". The Sunday Oregonian. Sec. 2, p. 2.
  9. ^ Bob Olmos (May 14, 1981). "Mocks Landing site sold to equipment firm". The Oregonian. p. C7.