The Portland Community is located in the Northwest corner of Louisville, Kentucky. The community is famous for its Proud Irish Immigrant Heritage. Portland’s best-kept secret is Roots on the River, the Black Presence in Portland. The presence of Black people in Portland has roots that go back three to four generations. The center of the Black Community’s Foundation was the Portland Baptist Church, created in 1866 on the Banks of the Ohio River. The Portland Baptist Church was founded and began as a “missionary church”, following a meeting of a few Christians, led by Brother William Gohagin. Brother Gohagin was born a slave on the Cooley plantation near West Point, Kentucky, around 1826. Brother Gohagin with wife Sylvia Weathers migrated to Portland after the Civil War. Seeing the need for a church in the community, Brother Gohagin shouldered the responsibility of the debt. He mortgaged his body in service to David Duckwall.
With the support of the Portland Museum, we are collecting oral histories and writing stories about the community and the people who made it special, documenting and showcasing our presence through exhibits and events so that we may tell our story. The elders of the community are leaving us and taking the stories with them. So, stay tuned as we begin to tell our Story!! We are the last generation that witnessed the joys of living in Portland at that pivotal time.
Many times, when I am asked where I grew up, my response is Portland. The response in return is “I did not think Black people lived in Portland.” At the funeral of Ms. Emma Jean Thomas, one of the last elders of the community, we decided to discontinue our meetings in this manner. Johnnie Lawerence though stepped up to take charge of making the pictured reunion happen through a series of meetings gauging the interest of the members of our community. This was the birth of Roots on the River, an Annual gathering of Black families who called Portland Home.
We gathered at the place that was once the centerpiece of our lives: the Portland Memorial Baptist Church, located at 2718 Lytle Street, and Colonel Charles Young Park, situated across the street, in the heart of Portland. In the 70s, the church moved to its current location at 38th and Market Street, marking the end of many connections to Portland. It was a great time to be seen and not viewed; excellent food, many untold childhood tales, truths, and wonderful fellowship.
