Bissinger Wool Pullery was a wool pullery business in Troutdale, Oregon. Adolph Bissinger, Samuel Bissinger, Louis Bissinger, and Louis Gerstle founded the business in the 1880s. The site has been the subject of contamination cleanup efforts and for prospective waterfront redevelopment.
History
The Bissinger Wool Pullery was founded by Adolph Bissinger, Samuel Bissinger, Louis Bissinger, and Louis Gerstle in the 1880s. The pullery's history in Troutdale can be traced to Samuel Bissinger, a Jewish immigrant from Bavaria who lived in Portland, Oregon. Bissinger, who arrived in the United States when he was 16 years old, grew into an energetic promoter of the Portland area, joined numerous social groups, and was respected for his ideas and judgment. He decided to move his family's pullery out of Sellwood, Oregon, into Troutdale to an eight acre parcel located on Macadam Road at the west bank of the Sandy River. It opened for business in 1925. By the 1930s, the pullery carried a weekly payroll of roughly $1,700, and it is credited for keeping Troutdale alive during the Great Depression. The plant thrived and operated for decades. Eventually, near the beginning of 1970, the owners ceased operation when demand for their product declined as consumers increased their use of synthetic materials and competing with inexpensive imports became difficult. In 1972, a businessman named Don Bennett opened a cabinet-making operation at the abandoned facility. His son later purchased the business and continued production until 1999. The various activities on the property may have been responsible for generating wastes containing chromium and volatile organic compounds, which were found on the site. Sometime prior to 2006, Gresham Fire and Emergency Services condemned the building. A holding company, Eastwinds Development, which was owned by Junki Yoshida, purchased the land in 2000. Yoshida anticipated redevelopment of the site with a hotel and resort project. However, subsequent legal proceedings failed to force Columbia Gorge Outlets to allow road building through their mall. The outlets largely blocked access to the site, and without the road, Eastwinds Development was able to force the city of Troutdale to purchase the site.
Operations
The pullery facility was a plant that processed dead sheep. The hides were removed from the animals, and the wool and skins were processed for sale. The carcasses were buried on the site.
Site cleanup
Before Eastwinds Development could proceed with any proposed development, the site required environmental cleanup due to assorted contamination. The buried sheep carcasses decomposed in a manner which left the remains of an iridescent sludge that caused concern regarding stench. Additionally, test pits revealed worrisome levels of contaminants which included petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenol. Furthermore, some concerning levels of chlorinated solvents such as chlorobenzene; 1,1,1-Trichloroethane ; tetrachloroethylene ; and breakdown products were also detected. While chromium levels were elevated, they did not constitute a concerning level.
