Father Blanchet Park

Father Blanchet Park

WHO IS FATHER BLANCHET?

Missionary and first Archbishop of Oregon City, son of Pierre Blanchet, a Canadian farmer, born 30 September 1795, near Saint-Pierre Riviere du Sud, Province of 'Quebec; died 18 June 1883, at Portland Oregon. After three years in the village school he went in 1810, with his brother Augustin Magloire, later the first Bishop of Nesqually, to the Seminary of Quebec, where he was ordained priest 18 July, 1819, He was stationed at the cathedral for a year and was then sent to Richibucto, New Brunswick, as paster of the Micmac Indians and Acadian settlers, among whom he spent seven years of missionary apprenticeship, enduring poverty and isolation and innumerable hardships.

In 1827, he was recalled to Montreal and appointed pastor of St. Joseph de 'Soulanges, a parish of 2000 souls. During the cholera epidemic of 1832 Father Blanchet attended the stricken so fearlessly that the Protestants of the place presented him with a testimonial. In 1837 he was appointed Vicar-General by Archbishop Signay for the Oregon mission, a vast region never before visited by a priest, and he set out on 3 May, 1838, accompanied by the Rev. Modeste Demers with the annual express of the Hudson's Bay Company. The journey from Lachine to Fort Vancouver, a distance of about 5,000 miles, was made in canoes, by portages, in barges, on horseback, and in light boats. It took them nine days to cross the Rocky Mountains, on the summit of which, at three oclock in the morning of 16 October Father Blanchet celebrated Mass. They arrived at Fort Vancouver on 24 November. The territory assigned to the two priests embraced about 375,000 square miles. It extended from California to Alaska and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

In July of 1846, Bishop Blanchet was made Archbishop of Oregon City, his brother Magloire became Bishop of Walla Walla, and Father Demers Bishop of Vancouver Island.

In 1879, Following a major transition of governance at the Vatican, the Bishop retired to the hospital of the Sisters of Providence at Portland. He wrote the story of the Oregon mission (Historical sketches of Catholicity in Oregon) in a series of papers published in the "Catholic Sentinel" of that city.

WHY IS HIS NAME CONNECTED TO THIS AREA?

Well, it seems that during the years in which he was establishing and expanding the Catholic Church in this area, so too was the Army.

The local government had allowed the Church to establish ownership of approximately 640 acres (now covering the area known as Vancouver Central Park), But the U.S. Army laid claim to the land and after a prolonged court battle, the Army was victorious.

By the time the decision was made by the courts however, both the Army and the Church had moved their respective facilities elsewhere. The Army ended up in the area now known as "Fort Vancouver." Bishop Blanchet had erected a Church in what is now downtown Vancouver, but later located the Archdiocese in Oregon City.

(various sources)

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BORING? IF IT IS... WELL, THAT'S JUST FINE.

Thursday, December 28, 2000
By JOHN BRANTON, Columbian staff writer

Some people think Vancouver's comfortable Father Blanchet Park neighborhood is a bit, well, dull but they mean it as a good thing.

"We're pretty boring, but, you know, that's OK," said Sally Fisher, who has lived there 15 years and is secretary-treasurer of the neighborhood association. "I've lived in some un-boring neighborhoods, and it can be pretty stressful."

With a low-low crime ranking of No. 32 out of 51 Vancouver neighborhoods, the neighborhood is "one of the least problematic areas we have," said Vancouver police Lt. Fred Wolfe, whose central precinct patrol area encompasses about 23 neighborhoods.

As a result, Fisher, her husband, Ed, and their two children needn't get stressed when they go out for a walk. And, in fact, the neighborhood is popular with walkers, bicyclists, stroller-pushers and joggers who dip through it to enjoy its most exciting aspect: a great view.

Part of the large McLoughlin Heights area, the Father Blanchet Park Neighborhood, south of MacArthur Boulevard and west of Lieser Road, is perched on a hill that looks down and south across the Columbia River to Portland and its international airport.

More so than Cascade Park, where people rush around and have been known to get lost because everything looks the same, there's a feeling of peace and variety in Father Blanchet, where 993 people live.

Peanut Buster Parfait

For one thing, it's almost entirely residential, the only exception being the small Beacock Center on MacArthur. That's where you can get a Peanut Buster Parfait at the local nerve center, the Dairy Queen, a true neighborhood restaurant where friends meet friends from the 'hood.

Eileen Sherrill and her husband, Dave, moved to Father Blanchet in February 1998 after living in Cascade Park. Besides the easy access to state Highway 14 and Interstates 5 and 205, they preferred Father Blanchet's style and chose a home built in 1954.

"We like the established neighborhoods," said Eileen Sherrill, who is chairwoman of the neighborhood association. "They're larger lots and we think older homes have more character. It's not all cookie cutter."

"People stay a long time," Fisher said. "There's not a lot of turnover in the houses. Across the street, they've been here for 25 years. Maybe the fact that people have been here so long makes you feel safer. You know your neighbors, and you know you can go to them if there's something you
need."

Are these people wholesome, or what? They even get a good turnout for the annual potluck picnic, held at Father Blanchet Park every summer.

Speed hump flap

But even the quietest neighborhoods have issues. These days some trouble is brewing over the idea of bringing speed humps to Southeast Middle Way, an east-west street many motorists use to traverse the distance between Lieser and Andresen roads.

"That's how I got involved in the neighborhood association," said Sherrill, who lives along Middle Way. "We were concerned about speeding. Yesterday, there was a guy going probably 65."

About 70 percent of people who live along or around Middle Way favor speed humps, and the city has agreed to install them, Sherrill said.

But several people have strenuously objected. As a result, a city transportation official will be at the next meeting, at 7 p.m. Jan. 30, to hear more feedback.

There's also some talk of requesting speed humps for nearby Corregidor Road.

As in other neighborhoods, Father Blanchet has an action plan containing proposed improvements:

* A safe walkway for pedestrians and bicyclists along Andresen between Corregidor and Evergreen Boulevard.

* Better lighting.

* A welcoming committee.

* Traffic-safety assessment.

* A crime watch and phone tree.

* Improvements to the park.



Guns and stolen cars

As safe and middle-class as the neighborhood is -- except for speeders-- there is a small pocket, that's made recent police reports.

In November, a tracking dog sniffed out a 44-year-old woman who allegedly fired pistol shots into the air and abandoned the gun and a stolen car nearby. She was taken to jail.

And in July, police said they arrested four people and recovered three stolen cars.

And many people in the neighborhood have heard of James Dalton Bell, probably the most widely publicized resident, who took part in a recent neighborhoodwide cleanup. He's an antigovernment theorist who lives with his parents and recently was arrested for allegedly
stalking federal agents.

Hmm. Come to think of it, maybe it's not such a boring neighborhood
after all.

OTHER GREAT SITES!

Vancouver Neighbors Newsletter

Legal stuff: Information is provided only as a courtesy for our neighbors. The Association shall not be held responsible for any errors or incorrect information found here.

Zoning designation on Friedel/MacArthur property (11/11/05)

John Manley with Long Range Planning provided me with the history of zoning on these parcels.

The Northern portion (parking lot, Dairy Queen, Blairco) was annexed to the city 12/31/49. It was zoned B-1 until 1967. Allowed grocery, personal services, retail 5,000sf or under, cafe as limited use and less than 1,000sf, 20' max building height. John found no information during the 70's; 12/7/81 this portion was shown as CC, with updated codes that allowed 50' height.

The Southern portion, which includes the existing commercial space and where the old grocery stood (currently Garden in the Heights) was county code CL - Local Community - which called for a setback formula for each foot over 20'. This portion of the parcel was annexed at the request of the owner of the property 10/1/1994. The City applied the CC code, which was consistant with the adjacent property and with what was currently occupying the space.

Representatives of the Neighborhood met with the owner of the MacArthur Square property on November 17. We had an opportunity to re-iterate some of the concerns the neighborhood has with this project as it was initially proposed. The property owner indicated his desire that this project be an asset to the neighborhood and not detract from it. He conceded that a higher end use, such as condos, would be more compatible with the neighborhood; however, he indicated that this is a business venture and that the project still needs to “pencil out”. There was some discussion, also, regarding potential uses of the commercial spaces: medical or dental offices, bank branch, salon, fitness club, yoga studio. The property owner said he will be working with his design team over the next few weeks to explore developing a “compatible” project which can also address some of the neighborhood’s concerns, such as, traffic, crime, integration with the area, etc. After a new schematic design is created, the developer will be in contact to set up a follow-up meeting with the neighborhood representatives. It is important to note that while the initial meeting and discussions with the developer seemed productive, there was no commitment or agreement offered as to what the final plans will be. We will continue to keep you posted on developments as they occur.

Links

City of Vancouver
City of Vancouver Office of Neighborhoods
City of Vancouver Municipal Code