Portland Natural Gas history

1860: The plant begins providing gas lighting for some of Portland's then 3,000 residents.

In 1892, Charles F. Adams, A.L. Mills, and other businessmen bought the Portland Gas Light Co., tied both plants together with a pipeline that went under the Willamette River, and changed the company's name to Portland Gas Co.

By 1910, there were 332 miles of mains serving about ten city districts, and the company incorporated as Portland Gas & Coke Co.

In 1913, Portland Gas & Coke built its third and last gas manufacturing plant in Linnton, where it made gas from oil, not coal.

The company soon thereafter enjoyed renewed development once natural gas arrived from the southwest in 1956 and 15 months later from British Columbia.

1957: Portland Gas & Coke closes its manufactured gas plant and changes its name to Northwest Natural Gas Co.

1969: The company builds its first liquefied natural gas storage tank.

In a push to explore new technologies, Northwest Natural also formed Northwest Geothermal Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary devoted to exploring and developing geothermal sources of energy in western Oregon, in 1978.

Northwest Natural also instituted sweeping interdepartmental reorganization in late 1989, a labor-management partnership called the Joint Accord, that legislated employment security--no layoffs for employees hired prior to the accord--in return for performance-based pay increases.

1990: Through subsidiary Canor Energy Ltd., company begins purchasing gas and oil properties in Canada, adding to its properties in Oregon, Wyoming, and California.