This map was produced by Julius Bien, a German-born American lithographer with a distinctive style. The superior technical illustration expertise marks Bien's legacy. Bien also illustrated and printed Audubon's famous work, The Birds of America. He utilized the latest science of the time to produce maps with extremely accurate scale and detail, printed using a technique called chromolithography and stunningly depicted in this 1889 illustration of Multnomah County. The county gets its name from the Chinookan word for 'lower river,' and while geographically the smallest county in Oregon, it is the most populous. Though still notated as East Portland here, the two cities had incorporated in 1871. The historical Barber Block building was completed in 1889 and is recognized for its late Victorian architecture. This cadastral map, which illustrates the boundaries and ownership of land parcels, shows Portland in a time of significant expansion. Already a thriving inland port with ocean access via the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. Though this was a substantial reason for the cities prosperity, it also contributed to its reputation as a dangerous place with a high number of saloons, bordellos, and gambling dens; its character as a sober frontier city had been lost. Portland's population increased in the late 20th century with nearly fifty thousand residents by 1889 it was experiencing an economic boom and was the largest port in the Northwest. These maps were an essential tool for merchants and residents alike, and the signature aesthetic transports the viewer back in time.
