The Vanport community scattered after a massive flood in 1948, but a cluster of trees whose shade they might have enjoyed still grow there today.
The Vanport Cottonwoods are located in a grove near the eastern end of the slough at the Portland International Raceway, constructed on the historic Vanport site. On May 29, the Oregon Heritage Tree Program welcomed the historic trees as the 86th addition to an esteemed group of trees.
It was a misty day, and survivors and descendants from Vanport gathered with members of the Heritage Tree Program to share their connection to the site and its importance to their families, communities and country at large…