309 SW 6th Avenue
The Wells Fargo Building is one of the city’s earliest skyscrapers. It was completed in 1907, at a time when most buildings in Portland were only a few stories tall. Rising 12 stories, it seemed extremely tall for its day and showed that Portland was becoming a modern and important city.
This building is often called Portland’s first true skyscraper because it used a steel frame structure. Before steel frames, buildings had to rely on thick walls to hold them up, which limited how tall they could be. The new steel technology allowed buildings to rise higher while using thinner walls and larger windows.
The Wells Fargo Building was designed in a style that looks strong and formal, which matched the image banks wanted to show — safety, trust, and importance. One famous detail is the building’s massive granite entrance. At the time it was built, the granite slab used at the entrance was said to be the largest single piece of granite ever shipped to Portland. This impressive stone helped show the power and stability of the bank.
The building was originally associated with banking and financial businesses that helped Portland grow in the early 1900s. During this period, Portland was expanding quickly because of trade, railroads, and shipping along the Willamette River. Buildings like this one showed confidence in the city’s future.
In 1946, the building was purchased by U.S. National Bank of Portland, which used it as part of its headquarters. Over the years, the building continued to be used for offices, but its historic design remained an important part of downtown’s character.
Because of its age and importance, the Wells Fargo Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it is officially recognized as a historic landmark worth protecting. Today, when you walk past it, you can still see how early 20th-century architects used stone, steel, and careful design to create buildings that looked strong and lasting.
The Wells Fargo Building helps us understand how Portland grew from a frontier town into a modern city. It stands as a reminder of early skyscraper technology and the important role banks played in the city’s development.
Wells Fargo Stage Coaches
We know Wells Fargo as a banking company today, but a large part of its early business was express delivery of mail and packages by stagecoach after the Gold Rush of 1949. The Wells Fargo stagecoaches made the trip from St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco, California, in three weeks–stopping only long enough to change horses and/or drivers. Passengers could get off to spend the nights in coach inns or hotels and board another coach on a following day. There were three levels of fare. Those paying the least had to get out and push the stagecoach on uphill roads. Those paying a medium fare had to get out and walk up the hills. The highest fare permitted the passenger to remain in the coach while the other pushed and walked!
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Discussion Questions:
Do you know what Wells Fargo was before it was a bank?
Why was a 12-story building considered very tall in 1907?
How did steel framing change the way buildings could be constructed?
Why would a bank want its building to look strong and solid?
What details on the outside of the building make it look important?
Why is it important to preserve early skyscrapers like this one?
Vocabulary: Skyscraper,
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events, and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.12. Compare and contrast the history of the local community to other communities in the region. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.17. Use a variety of historical sources (artifacts, pictures, documents) to identify factual evidence. Historical Thinking