What's good for the goose is good for everyone
Tracy Prince's tours make history come alive in Goose Hollow
Tracy Prince is at home in her neighborhood.
Over coffee at Fehrenbacher Hof in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, she waved to and chatted with three people she knew: fellow historian Tanya March, Goose Hollow Inn owner Rachel Clark and Mark Velky, a neighbor who once served on the board of the Goose Hollow Foothills League with her.
The café, or the Hof as locals call it, is a tribute to Sigrid Clark, a classical music lover who played violin in the Oregon Symphony and whose husband was Mayor Bud Clark. An oil painting of Sigrid hangs in one corner, Lincoln High students study in another.
Prince is fired up about the upcoming Vista Bridge Centennial, the highlight of this summer’s multi-event jamboree that celebrates the bridge and all things Goose Hollow. Since it also coincides with Providence Park’s centennial, the Portland Timbers have tapped into their Goose Hollow roots by rolling out a new away-game kit that features a goose on a lower corner of the shirt, just one reference to local lore embedded in the design.
There’s more. The Timbers will take possession of and reinstall the bronze sculpture of the goose that formerly graced the King’s Hill light rail stop at Southwest 18th and Jefferson. TriMet decommissioned the station in 2020, but the goose will find its new forever roost on the Southwest corner of Providence Park.
“The Timbers are all in on this,” Prince said.
Caffeinated, we walked from the Hof toward the Vista Bridge for a photo, but couldn’t find the right view despite Prince’s willingness to dodge traffic. Ultimately, we crossed Jefferson and climbed to the stately Kamm House, a mansion with a few offices atop a winding staircase. Alliance Francaise holds French classes on the ground floor.
This year’s annual Goose Hollow Days has been subsumed by the Vista Bridge Centennial celebration, an event that includes bridge planter contests; soapbox derby races; food and music, on Aug. 30.
Goose Hollow residents (and everyone else) are invited to share their views of the bridge by submitting photos, paintings or any related memorabilia to info@goosehollow.org.
Prince will be there Aug. 30 with her book, “Portland’s Goose Hollow,” in tow. It includes the definitive account answering the question everyone asks: How did Goose Hollow get its name?
Join Tracy Prince at one or both of her planned events:
Goose Hollow History Talk on July 12 with ‘80s film about Goose Hollow
Walking Tour of Goose Hollow on Oct. 3
So excited for Goose Hollow Days and proud to be a sponsor! How fun to celebrate the bridge, too!