Look for a long, light-gray concrete building lined with rows of square windows and a large blue-and-white sign that reads “PARKING” above the entrance, right at street level.
Welcome to the Corbett Brothers Auto Storage Garage! Take a deep breath and imagine you’re standing here in the 1920s, when cars were a new wonder and the streets buzzed with the excitement of early Portlanders driving their first automobiles. It smelled like motor oil and hope, and the sound of engines echoed around this garage. Back then, this building was a hotspot-a place where the city’s shiniest new Model Ts and rumbling Fords were tucked away right here in the heart of downtown.
Picture sharp-dressed men parking their sleek cars, hats tilted just so, and workers in suspenders hustling to fit every vehicle in-sometimes with a tape measure and a bit of crossed fingers! It was more than a place to stash your wheels; it was a symbol that Portland had arrived in the modern world. And today, as the world outside changes, this hardy garage keeps watch over the city’s dreams on wheels. Pretty neat, right? I bet the original owners never imagined people would be showing up years later just to admire the walls!
