Swan Island
by PSU student Emily McDonald

Aerial view of Swan Island, Mocks Bottom (also owned by the Port of Portland) and northeast Portland. Swan Island dry dock facility is visible in the lower righ corner. According to Jane P. Vogland, "Swan Island got its name from a colonly of swans that nested there, long before dredges began to fill the swampy ground." Note that dredge fill connects the "island" to the mainland. Courtesy of Port of Portland

   The Port of Portland owns Swan Island, but during World War I and World War II the government leased the island for war production. Swan Island was a major benefactor of the war years' development. Industrialist Henry Kaiser owned Swan Island Ship, and employed thousands of men and women. Many of these women worked as electricians, painters, machinists and pipefitters.

   After WWII, Swan Island was returned to the Port of Portland. Because of existing residential communities, the Port converted the area to a light commercial and industrial zone.