The cache is a micro with only a log, so bring your own pen. Please note: although this is not a difficult multi, the final location can be muggle-heavy, so I have upped the difficulty rating. UPDATE September 2015: Due to new rules instituted by Portland Parks, I have had to relocate the cache a short distance from its original hiding place. The math has been adjusted in the description to take you to the new hiding spot.
This area was part of the donation claim taken by William and Elizabeth Irving in 1851. They built their house by the river and used the land to harvest timber for building steamboats. In 1887 part of the claim was purchased by investors and platted out. The neighborhood started to take shape in 1890 when a streetcar line began servicing the area. Over the years a number of streetcar lines were built to serve the area and the neighborhood became a streetcar suburb for Portland. The streetcar allowed those who wished to distance themselves from the city to reside in residential areas sheltered from the day-to-day business of the city center.
After WWII, public transit use declined as cars became more popular. In 1948 the last streetcar line down NE Broadway was removed. These days the Irvington neighborhood is a quiet place full of beautiful homes. More than 40 Heritage Trees are here, including elm, walnut, poplar, beech, buckeye, oak, and cherry. The Irvington Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
If you wish to explore this area more, I recommend Walk #4 in Laura O. Foster's book Portland City Walks.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary to step onto private property for any part of this multi-cache. Please respect the privacy of the residents and remain on the streets and sidewalks.
Waypoint 1: The two-story cream/tan house you are standing in front of was built in 1884 and is the oldest in the neighborhood. It was originally built near the river, but was moved to this spot in 1913. Elizabeth Irving lived here until she died in 1922.
Count the panes of glass on both sides of the front door. Let this number equal AB.
Waypoint 2: This church was founded in 1906 by Swedish Lutheran immigrants. The original wooden church was built on the corner of NE Rodney and Stanton in 1906, and served the congregation until 1950, when the current building you are standing in front of was built.
Count the number of door handles. Let this number equal C.
Waypoint 3: Ever had the pleasure of enjoying chocolate from See's Candies? Mary See, her son Charles, and his wife Florence started that business in LA in 1921. This blue house is where Mary See once lived.
Count the number of white porch columns. Let this number equal D.
Waypoint 4: This enormous 7,000-square-foot house was built in 1925 for C.H. Farrington. It looks like a charming English cottage (although I don't think English cottages have six bedrooms and three bathrooms.)
Note the address by the front door. Let this number equal EFGH.
Waypoint 5: This house looks a lot like a famous house on the east coast. The Portland version was built as a summer home in 1911 by lumberman Robert Lytle. In the 1920s it was home to a radio station. Although it suffered neglect in the 60s and 70s, it has since been restored and is now a beautiful bed and breakfast. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Count the number of large white columns along the front of the porch (not the small ones). Divide by two. Let this number equal J.
Waypoint 6: Gustav Freiwald was a German brewer, who owned breweries and taverns all along the Columbia River. He had this beautiful house built in 1805-06 and the Freiwald family lived here until 1923. It served for years as a boarding house, and was converted into a bed and breakfast in the 90s.
Find the sign for this business on the brick pillar. Note the year it was established. Add those four digits together, and let this sum equal KL.
Waypoint 7: This charming blue cottage was built in 1891 and is one of the oldest homes in the area.
Count the panes of glass in the upstairs window. Let this number equal MN.
The final location is N 45 JK.HBJ W 122 J(H+A).D(C+N)L, and the checksum of all digits in the final coordinates is 55.
Final: This park used to be part of the Irvington Park Track, which contained a racetrack, grandstands, and paddocks. Because stables were not permitted within the residential area of Irvington, many residents kept their horses here, whether they raced them or not. In 1898 the racetrack became Camp McKinley, an encampment for Oregon troops being sent off to the Spanish American War. In 1914 16 acres of the former racetrack were dedicated as this park.