Portland, Oregon is known for its quirky characters. Maybe you’ve heard the expression, “Keep Portland Weird”? Well, we’ve got a Unipiper, a cat rapper, the world’s oldest drag queen, and, of course, Fred and Carrie of Portlandia. But before all of them, there was Ramona Quimby, the star of Beverly Cleary’s books.
Portland’s Beloved Author
Beloved author, Beverly Cleary grew up in Oregon. She was born in McMinnville where she spent her early years on a farm. Her family moved to Portland when she was six-years-old. Much of Cleary’s writing was based on her experiences growing up in N.E. Portland during the 20s and 30s.
I grew up in N.E. Portland, too, and I was a devout Beverly Cleary fan. I saw my little sister as Ramona. I was definitely the Beezus in our relationship. If she was pesky, I was persnickety. (This may still hold true today.) As young girls, we walked the same streets that Ramona Quimby, and her creator Beverly Cleary, did. Streets like Hancock and Klickitat. I mean, Klickitat’s just a fun word to say, right?
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Walking Tour
You can follow this path, too, when you visit Portland. The book, Walking with Ramona: Exploring Beverly Cleary’s Portland by Laura O. Foster offers a walking (or biking) tour of the places made famous in Cleary’s books. You’ll spend time exploring two of Portland’s great neighborhoods – Grant Park and the Hollywood District. The guidebook covers an approximately 3-mile walk. While much is different today, remnants of Ramona’s world still exist here.
Sculpture Garden
Be sure to stop by Grant Park located at NE 33rd and Grant Place. This park was the setting of many scenes in Cleary’s books. This is now the location of the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children. It contains three bronze statues of some of Cleary’s most beloved characters – Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Henry’s dog Ribsy. Surrounding the statues are tiles engraved with the titles of Cleary’s books.
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Beverly Cleary died March 25, 2021 at age 104. According to publisher HarperCollins, her books sold more than 85 million copies.
