In late 1905 Congressman Lafe Pence began blasting the hillside above Balch Creek down into the lake at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds. The city had hoped to turn the lake into a big new park, but Pence's works stymied all such plans. The Pence walk will visit the physical remains of the project to discuss why it survived the Mayor's sledgehammer, who died along the way, why Pence failed and how he changed the shape of Portland. Gabriel Liston is a landscape and history painter who, while researching water reclamation projects in NW Portland for a 2014 Froelick Gallery exhibit, gained a richer sense of Lafe Pence's story and modus operandi.
Sign up today for this very special walk in Forest Park!
Date: Saturday, June 24
Time: 10am - Noon
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Meeting place: NW Thurman and Leif Erikson Road
Remember to dress for the weather and bring water.