The Portland Water Bureau's troubles with its billing system from a few years ago, under Commissioner Sten, prompted me to look into the Bureau's history. It dates back to 1885 when Mayor Simon established the Portland Water Board, to operate independently of the City. Two of its original members were Frank Dekum and Henry W. Corbett. Frank Dekum's name lives on downtown in the form of the Dekum Building, a handsome structure at Third and Washington. The Corbett family's involvement downtown is remembered for the cow that Mrs. Corbett grazed on her block at Fifth and Yamhill until her death in 1936. A few years earlier, her family built the Pacific Building on the east portion of the block, but her house and cow continued to occupy the west portion.
Interestingly, a straight line drawn through the Pacific Building and the Dekum Building, relics of these two early water board members, and extended across the river, will pass through Commissioner Sten's residence. I don't know enough about feng shui to say whether this caused the Commissioner's troubles, but if he should ever want to move, he might want to avoid this particular lineup.
