K—1948 The city government wants to tear down Vanport but can’t find residents new homes. So, they let them stay and let the structures decay. Most white people leave. Black residents have nowhere to go. On Memorial Day, the Columbia River levees burst, destroying Oregon’s largest Black community in hours. Over 6,700 Black people lose their homes. 2 years later, this part of St. Johns still has no Black residents. Rather than rebuild, the city turns the land into Delta Park and a golf course.
