The Ernie Bonner Collection contains a wide variety of documents, reports, minutes, notes and other resources related to the history of urban planning and development in Portland, Oregon.
Ernie Bonner (1932 - 2004) served as chief planner in Cleveland, Ohio before he was recruited to Portland as the city’s Director of Urban Planning in 1973. He acted as Portland’s chief urban planner until 1978; in this capacity, he was instrumental in the formation of both Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Pioneer Courthouse Square.
After leaving the City Council he worked as a Metro councilor, president of Sunlight Energy Systems, and as an energy conservation manager for Bonneville Power Administration. Later he worked or volunteered with various Portland groups including: Riverfront for People, Metro 7, Portland Planning Commission, and the Park Blocks Foundation.
The Bonner Collection also is a repository for documents and historical materials collected by Bonner that are related to the Portland Public Market, Harbor Drive, Front Street and the Park Blocks.
See Related Collections held by PSU:
Ernie Bonner Papers, 1919-2003
Ernie Bonner Oral History Collection, 1994-2004
Submissions from 2004
Memo to Lynn Bonner from Carl Abbott, Carl Abbott
Major Events in Portland Planning History: Pioneer Courthouse Square, Ernest Bonner
Major Events in Portland Planning History: Pioneer Courthouse Square, Ernest Bonner
Resume of Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland (Or.). City Council
Submissions from 2003
Draft Development Strategy, Ernest Bonner
Ernie Bonner and his Family, Ernest Bonner
Ernie Bonner email to Kathryn Leveque, Ernest Bonner
Historic Resources, Ernest Bonner
In case of earthquake or fire..., Ernest Bonner
Memo to Neil from Ernie B., Ernest Bonner
Proposed Development Goal, Ernest Bonner
The Report of the Advisory Council of Experts: The Midtown Blocks Planning Study, Ernest Bonner
Urban Pioneer Awards dinner, Ernest Bonner
Widening Front Avenue, Ernest Bonner
Pictures of Ernie Bonner, LeAnn Gauthier
Card to Ernie Bonner & Photograph, Neil E. Goldschmidt
Letter to Ernie Bonner, Vera Katz
Urban Pioneer Awards Honor Visionaries, Portland State University. College of Urban and Public Affairs
Letter to Ernie & Lynn Bonner, John W. Russell
Journal Building 1947-1977, unknown
List of Resolutions and Newspaper articles, unknown
Notes and chronology: Public Market, unknown
Notes: Portland Public Market, 1926-1933, unknown
Notes: Portland Public Market, 1931-1934, unknown
Park Blocks Documents, unknown
Printed email from Hillary to Ernie, unknown
Roldo: 1975 Cleveland Plan, unknown
Schematic of Market, 1920-1926, unknown
Submissions from 2002
From Vision to Development, Ernest Bonner
Pioneer Square Chronology, Ernest Bonner
Resigning from Planning Commission, Ernest Bonner
Board of Trustees 2002-2003, City of Portland
Neil Goldschmidt to Vera Katz, Neil Goldschmidt
History of Urban Pioneer Awards dinner, Portland State University. College of Urban and Public Affairs
Submissions from 2001
Portland City Council Agenda May 30, 2001, Gary Blackmer
Ernie and the Planning Commission, Ernest Bonner
List of Interviewees (1), Ernest Bonner
List of interviewees (2), Ernest Bonner
Midtown Park Blocks, Ernest Bonner
Photograph Correspondence, Ernest Bonner
David Bragdon for Metro Council President, David Bragdon
History Center on Harbor Drive, Carolyn Philip
Zoning documents, Portland (Or.). Bureau of Planning
Midtown Blocks Planning study, Portland (Or.). Bureau of Planning and Portland (Or.). City Council
Notes on public petition, unknown
Submissions from 2000
Documentary Proposal (Budget), Ernest Bonner
Mayor Katz's agenda, Ernest Bonner
Portland downtown plan (1), Ernest Bonner
Portland downtown plan (2), Ernest Bonner
Staff Report: Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
West End plan, Ernest Bonner
Email from Bud Clark to Bonner, Bud Clark
Report on the Portland downtown plan (final), Lord/Leblanc, Associated Economic Consultants
Submissions from 1999
Documentary Proposal, Ernest Bonner
Submissions from 1998
Letter to Mayor Vera Katz, Ernest Bonner
Post-Primary Report to Supporters of the David Bragdon for Metro Campaign, David Bragdon
Letter from Jim Francesconi to Ernie, Jim Francesconi
Submissions from 1997
Ernie Bonner Family, Ernest Bonner
Ernie Bonner's planning journal, Ernest Bonner
Letter to Janice from Ernie, Ernest Bonner
E-mail from Landau to Bonner, Earl Landau
Submissions from 1996
Remarks from Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
Statement by Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
Submissions from 1995
Cable commission nomination, Tanya Collier
Letter to Ernie Bonner on his retirement from BPA, Randall W. Hardy
E-mail story on how Ernie Bonner won I-5 vote, unknown
Submissions from 1994
Letter from Ernie to Neil, Ernest Bonner
Letter from Neil Goldschmidt to Ernie Bonner, Neil E. Goldschmidt
Submissions from 1993
Bonneville Power Administration and Conservation, Ernest Bonner
Memo to Ernis and Carly Houk from Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
Submissions from 1992
Bud Clark leaving office, Bud Clark
Submissions from 1990
Description and sketches, Pioneer Courthouse Square Design Committee
City Plan Committee, unknown
Planning Bureau Resources, unknown
Submissions from 1988
Outline of City Club remarks, Ernest Bonner
Submissions from 1987
Ernie Bonner's testimony before City Council on I-5, Ernest Bonner
Vertical integration at BPA, Ernest Bonner
Ernie Bonner and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jerome L. Kaufman
Submissions from 1986
Central City Plan Newsletter, Portland (Or.). Bureau of Planning
Land Use Findings: Central City Plan (Draft), Portland (Or.). Bureau of Planning
Submissions from 1985
Brick certificate, Mike Lindberg
Submissions from 1984
Teamwork for Transition, Ernest Bonner
Central City Plan Panel, Margaret Strachan
Letter from Margaret Strachan, Margaret Strachan
Pre-Planning Committee Meeting, Margaret Strachan
Submissions from 1983
Letter to John T. Bagg from Kathryn Beaumont, Kathryn Beaumont
Council/executive Officer Workshop-Ernie Bonner, Ernest Bonner
Dream Comes True in Holiday Opening of Pioneer Square, Melvin Mark Jr.
Pioneer Courthouse Square: drawings, etc., Willard Kenneth Martin
Letter remembering Ernie's life, Donald F. Mazziotti
Letter remembering Ernie, Doug Neil
Ordinance No. 155107, Portland (Or.). City Council
Submissions from 1982
Ernie Bonner for Metro campaign flyer, Committee to Re-elect Ernie Bonner
State of Oregon Certificate of Election - 1982, Norma Paulus
Submissions from 1981
Project design and construction documents, Portland (Or.). City Council
Portland Development Commission on Status of Pioneer Square., Portland (Or.). Development Commission
Submissions from 1980
Invitation to party, Ernest Bonner
References and video script, Ernest Bonner and Gregg Kantor
Sketches of lawn signs for Ernie Bonner for Metro, Maureen Bressler