Though streetcars had run along Jefferson Street since 1890 as part of the Portland Heights cable line, and then the Fifth Street electric line after 1896, it wasn’t until the Fifth Street line was rerouted further south to Sherman Street in March 1901 that the Jefferson Street branch acquired its own identity. After that date, cars from Union Station along Fifth alternated between Jefferson Street and South Fifth Street branches, interlining north of Jefferson to provide four minute headways on that part of the street. While it seems likely at first that all cars on Fifth wore “Fifth Street” signs that denoted the alternate southern termini, the cars on this branch were referred to simply as “Jefferson-street cars” by 1902.
In August 1905, the Portland Consolidated Railway Company was compelled by the Portland city council to run regular service over the short branch along Chapman Street [now SW 18th] between Jefferson and Mill or they would forfeit their franchise over that section of track. As they still stored some cars in the old cable power house and car barn, the company had to accept. From that time on, the Jefferson branch had two southern termini.
In September 1913, the northern terminus of the line was moved to the North Bank Depot at Glisan and Twelfth instead of Union Station as part of a series of reroutings in conjunction with the opening of the Broadway bridge.
In February 1914, the line was merged with the Irvington line to become the Irvington–Jefferson line.
| Years of Operation: | March 27, 1901 – Line created when Fifth-street line gets extended further up Fifth to Sherman street. September 2, 1913 – Northern terminus moved to the North Bank Depot at Glisan and Twelfth instead of Union Station. February 15, 1914 – Merged with the Irvington line to create the Irvington–Jefferson line. | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ | | Gauge: | Narrow (3-feet, 6-inches) | | Headboard: | “J” dashboard sign, “Jefferson” overhead sign | | Car Barn: | | | Preceded By: | ‣ | | Succeeded By: | ‣ |