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A Bit of History |
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Have you ever wondered how Bridlemile Elementary School got its name or what the surrounding neighborhood was like fifty years ago? Recently, I spent some time with Mrs. Ruth M. Powell who, along with her late husband, Dr. John H. Powell, was responsible for naming and developing the area in Portland known as “Bridlemile.” During the mid-1940s, Dr. and Mrs. Powell lived on the southeast side of Portland but wanted to buy approximately 35 acres on the west side of town where they could build a new, larger home as well as raise horses. They settled on a parcel of property west of Dosch Road, between Hamilton Street and Tunnelwood Street. While the Powells did eventually build a new home on their land, they decided not to raise horses after all. Instead, they opted to turn their many acres into a residential neighborhood. The problem of what to name their new neighborhood, however, was no easy task. The Powells tossed around names for months. Then one night, as Mrs. Powell was brushing her teeth, she simply looked in the mirror and said Bridlemile. “We knew right then the name was perfect,” she told me. “It was rhythmical, and it was true. The entire area around our property totaled about a mile, and as we had originally planned to turn that area into a bridle path, there you have it--Bridlemile.” The Powells were also responsible for naming many of the streets in the area. “Jerald Way,” and “Jerald Court,” for instance, were named after their son Jerald. Throughout the years, the Powells watched their neighborhood grow and change. More homes continued to be built, and plans were made to build a new elementary school on several acres of field bordering the Powell’s Bridlemile neighborhood. On September 4, 1958, Bridlemile Elementary School officially opened its doors. Prior to that time, children living nearby attended either Robert Gray Elementary School or Saint Thomas More School. In fact, by the time Bridlemile School was completed, Jerald Powell had moved on to high school and so never attended the school his mother had helped to name. If you’re curious about what the Bridlemile area looked like all those years ago, take a peek at the large photograph in the school library. Can you find where Bridlemile School is located today? -Megan Davis, 9/96 |
