Portland — The Toppled Monuments Conspiracy

Your Portland investigation begins in the heart of the Old Town Historic District, in front of the Skidmore Fountain. Built in 1888 and designed by architect Olin L. Warner and sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor, this fountain, dedicated to the philanthropic merchant Stephen Skidmore, provided free water to men, women, and animals. Restored in 2002 and approximately 15.24 meters high, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is here, on Southwest Ankeny Street and Southwest First Avenue, that the first clues appear, inviting you to decipher the symbols hidden in its ornaments to understand the intentions of those seeking to erase Portland's past.

Continuing your walking tour through Portland's Chinatown, you reach the Old Town Chinatown Gate, erected in 1986 at the entrance to the district. Located at Southwest Burnside Street and Southwest Fourth Avenue, this traditional gate commemorates the presence of the Chinese community since the 1870s. Restored in 2000, it stands about 12.19 meters tall and is part of one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States. Its intricate patterns hold coded messages that, once deciphered, reveal part of the plot to erase the city's multicultural heritage, a crucial task for preserving Oregon's legacy.

The Burnside Bridge, Portland's first bascule bridge, becomes a key stage in your investigation. Built of steel in 1894 by engineer Joseph B. Strauss, it spans the Willamette River for 393.5 meters long and 21.6 meters wide. Named after Union General William Tecumseh Sherman Burnside, it was restored in 1998 and remains an iconic symbol of Portland. The mechanisms of this bridge, connecting historic neighborhoods, conceal crucial information about the conspirators' movements. By examining its structures, you uncover clues that reveal how Portland's industrial and military past is under threat.

Your quest then leads you to the White Stag Sign, an iconic neon sign in Portland. Built in 1941 for the White Stag Manufacturing Company, it is located at 70 Northwest Couch Street. Standing 9.75 meters high, it is recognizable by its luminous white stag. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and restored in 2008, it is the city's largest neon sign. The light displays and patterns of this sign, a testament to 20th-century commercial architecture, contain hidden messages that shed light on the nature of the forces at play in this conspiracy, guiding you to the next piece of the puzzle in the Old Town Historic District.

Your journey concludes near Jake's Famous Crawfish, Portland's oldest continuously operating restaurant, founded in 1892 by Jacob 'Jake' Lechter at 401 Southwest Alder Street. This emblematic establishment, with its historic decor, is a major tourist destination. The archives and period photographs it houses, along with the antique wood paneling, allow you to reconstruct the sequence of events. By solving the final riddle, you foil the plot and preserve Portland's history, from the American port heritage documented at the Oregon Maritime Museum to the Beaux-Arts architecture of the Vance Building. You have saved the city's past, ensuring its rich heritage in the Old Town Historic District Portland remains intact.