Portland Hall of Shame: Dixie Mattress Co., Southeast Belmont

Time for a long-overdue installment in the Portland Hall of Shame series. This time the lucky winner is... the Dixie Mattress Co. on Southeast Belmont!

I've lived in this neighborhood for eight years now. I've watched great new businesses like Laughing Planet, Blue Monk, Missing Link and Kaiju Cafe come in. I've watched existing businesses make improvements. All the while Dixie Mattress Co.'s storefront has just gotten uglier and uglier. And it was bad when I first moved here.

First off, the entire storefront—doors, windows, everything—is covered with bars. Why? To protect the dust-covered, used mattresses, of course! Without those bars every meth-head in town would be breaking in to clean out those... dust-covered mattresses. Okay, maybe not.

I decided long ago that, with it's repulsive appearance, erratic business hours and dust-covered garbage on display, it couldn't be a real retail establishment. Was it a money-laundering front for some crime organization with it's roots in the Old South? The fact that neither the neighborhood association nor the surrounding businesses can get them to clean up their act added fuel to this theory.

Then I heard from a friend who heard from someone at her hairdresser's salon that it is actually a legitimate retail establishment. She went in there once and learned that Dixie tears crappy old mattresses apart and uses the materials to build crappy new mattresses. The clerk apparently said to her, "I don't know why EVERYONE doesn't own a Dixie mattress!" Well, let's see. Could it be because EVERYONE wants this nasty eyesore of a blight on our beautiful city to go away? I recycle and am very much into reusing materials. Clean up the place and be a good neighbor and then I'll come in and take a look at your recycled mattresses. Until then, I don't think I'd step foot in the place. Unless you'll lease me some space on top of the mattresses in your store to plant potatoes.

The real irony is the yellow banner hanging in the window (second photo here). The banner reads: "Sunnyside: Proud Past. Bright Future." (Dixie is located in the Sunnyside neighborhood.)

Read the whole story: Portland Hall of Shame proves a hit with anti-hipster hipsters - January 02, 2007 Read all about it (in the comments) - January 04, 2007 More on Dixie Mattress and the Portland Hall of Shame - January 11, 2007

Comments

[Miles]

I'm offended every time I see that flag. Where in 2006 is the customer base that doesn't care about the confederate flag, so long as they get a cheap mattress?

[Mr Charlie]

Way back, once upon a time, it was the Sunnyside Tavern. (As I recall, one of the genders' restrooms was outside.) It had a wild and crazy past, and I imagine the locals at the time were happy to see a mattress company move in.

[Mike]

A typically uninformed article. Do you know who owns the entire block upon which all those great businesses you list are renting space?

[Steve]

Thanks for the no doubt typically uninformed comment, Mike. If you actually take the time to read the post you're commenting on you'll find that none of my comments require that I 'know who owns the entire block.' I'm simply making an observation that the place is filthy and needs to be cleaned up.

[Mostly Running.]

I nearly fell over the other day when I saw someone leaving the store with a mattress. First time in nearly five years of living in the neighborhood. Someone really needs to clean that place up. Presenting a storefront in a clean and professional way is not gentrification, it's basic self-respect and dignity.

Mike, please enlighten us. Who owns the block I have heard rumors, none substantiated.

[Mary Jane Parker]

Somewhat controversial issue considering recent Belmont 'improvements' that other people might consider eye sores.
Dixie Mattress co. has true character, what's not to like about some folks who run a business their way, totally their way. And they're recycling, I mean this is fundamental conservation. I think in this case, the confederate flag is going to be a symbol of rebellion against the 'g' word on Belmont.

[Mostly Running.]

"G word on Belmont?" Where are you from Mary Jane? Maybe you mean that the flag will be a symbol of rebellion against the "N word" on Belmont. The place is a dump and adds insult to poor management by throwing up an antiquated symbol of bigotry on top of that. Thankfully, Kinky's Kleaning Korner is no longer around. I hope we can say the same about "dixie" in short time.

[Pat]

Steve,

Maybe you should do a little research before you put pen to paper and try to represent your writing as news that is fit to print.

Dixie Mattress Company has been in business on Belmont Street since 1973 open Mon. thru Sat 9am to 5pm except holidays. They recycle thousands of mattresses every year that would otherwise end up in some Oregon landfill. They also do custom and new mattress manufacturing. If you knew anything about this type of operation you would understand that a lot of dust is created. (Which is cleaned on a regular basis)

As for the bars check the cost of having just one of those windows replaced (not to mention the liability) after a drunk stumbling out of The Belmont Inn falls through it! You want to talk about eyesores and bad neighbors what about those that never feel the need to remove graffiti (like Laughing Planet) or those that litter every light pole with hundreds of flyers and never return to remove them.

I don’t think your any better than the neo-nazi punks who think the Confederate flag represents hate and racism. IT’S A FLAG PEOPLE! To the owners of Dixie Mattress Company it represents where they came from the South. (Hence- Dixie Mattress Company)

What makes you think that you or anyone else has the right to tell someone how to run their business or what they can do with their property. After all this is America land of the FREE!

[Steve]

Thanks for commenting, Pat. First of all -- as I keep asking people -- please at least read what you're commenting on before you comment. Starting with my blatantly obviously tongue-in-cheek tag line, it says "All the news that Steve sees fit to print." Catch that?

I did all the research I needed to do. In addition, I've lived blocks from Dixie for eight years. Can you say as much? The sum total of my commentary is that Dixie has been dirty and ugly for eight years and should be cleaned so as not to be such an insult to the neighboring businesses and residents. I don't know about you, but it doesn't take a whole lot of research to make that simple observation. Unless you love dirt and grime, you can't argue with that.

The problem arose when people started reading only Jack Bog's typically inflammatory drivel (meant to do nothing more than generate traffic so he gets more money for his paid advertising), then either posted on his ad-money machine or came here and posted without even reading what they were commenting on. Which is obviously what you've done. Note that I never said Dixie should be shut down. Jack and his sheep said that. Note also that I never even *mentioned* the flag. Jack and his sheep did.

I would guess I know more about Dixie than you do unless you work directly with or for them. All I said is that they need to learn how to wash their windows and use some basic cleaning products.

I don’t think your any better than the neo-nazi punks who think the Confederate flag represents hate and racism.

You, Pat, are a sick and twisted loser. How dare you level that kind of disgusting charge at me without even reading what I wrote. Don't put the words of Jack Bog and his brainless hangers-on in my mouth and then insult me for it. Go crawl back under your rock until you learn to engage your brain and act like a civilized human being.

[Zeke]

Steve,

You are right. I live in the neighborhood as well (and have for a long time). I don't care how long the Dixie Mattress Company has been in business or if these crap store owners are somehow "sustainable" in their business practices. The fact is that they are a disgrace to Portland- the fact that people rally to such poorly kept buildings and such poorly run businesses as part of the "good old days" just suggests that they are out of touch with what it really means to be from here. Last time I checked, pride (and not Dixie pride!) was part of it. Being a good neighbor was part of it.

I'm not a big fan of the new condo units being built in inner SE, but everyime I go by that place at 35th and Hawthorne all I have to do is remember the Arctic Circle drive through that used to be there. And the glass shop across the street with the broken windows. Ah, the good old days. Except they ain't.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to many more hall of shame photos. Heck, you don't have to walk far on either Hawthorne or Belmont to find so many treats of Portland's fine, fine good old days. Maybe Jack Bog could move out of his fancy house and quit working up at an elite private college and start working at an actual business that makes something. In the meantime all he makes is hot air and a reminder about what might happen to all of us when we start to turn old.

[Abel Johnson]

What is with "Dixie"? Dixie Mattress, The Dixie dance club in China Town. Is the old south rising again right in Portland?

[Klingon]

Abel: Maybe the Klansmen have read the reports that list Portland as the "whitest" large city in the U.S.

[klingon]

By the way, I wonder what the neighbors would say if the Dixie Mattress Company and its awful flag were located, let's say in N. or NE Portland? Only insensitive racists would defend this symbol of oppression and slavery.

[Steve]

That's a very interesting point, Klingon. I can't imagine Dixie Mattress would still be flying those confederate flags if they were located in a more ethnically diverse neighborhood. The thing I love about the 97214 zip code is the fact that it is home to the highest concentration of registered Democrats of any zip code in the United States. The thing I don't like about it is the fact that it must be one of the least ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States with more than 84% of the residents here being white.

The breakdown as of 2000 (the most recent I can find):

White: 19,644
Black: 557
American Indian: 266
Asian: 1,013
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 27
Some other race: 451
Two or more races: 768

[http://www.city-data.com/zips/97214.html]

That said, the cultural diversity in the area can't be discounted. It is one of the most colorful parts of the city.

Southeast Portland residents initially tended to the blue-collar but have since evolved into a wide mix of backgrounds; inner southeast is home to several thriving subcultures including hippies, hipsters, and environmentalists, while the outer edges are populated by a diverse, largely working-class population which includes immigrant communities from Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. The Hawthorne district is known for its hippie/radical crowd and small subculturally oriented shops. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Southeast]

[Patrick]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=680463&id=510860997

[Rick]

To Mike, who was offended every time he sees the Confederate flag: As a Latino, I'm offended every time I see the US flag. I'm sure many Native Americans feel the same way. But guess what? The wars are over, the land grabs are sealed and life goes on. We can't waste time being offended. Move on and make something worthwhile out of what you have. The PC mindset does one thing very well and nothing else - stir up emotions without any results.

[Steve]

To Rick, who thinks Mike and people offended by the Confederate flag should 'move on': I can see your point about getting overly lathered up in the interest of being PC, but let's keep in mind what we're talking about here.

I can't say it better than the head of the history department at Louisiana State University:

He noted that the flag is well known today because segregationists adopted it as a symbol of resistance to the civil rights movement.

"If it had just been used in the war, that would be one thing," he said. "But this was a symbol of hostility much more recently than that."

The Confederate flag is what it is - a symbol of racism and hostility.

Portland shop defends its Dixie flags

[doesnt matter]

I took my crappy old Nautilus bed (had some funky air mattresses in it yadda yadda got an air leak...) I was hard pressed to find anyone who could take it off my hands.

Goodwill and the like told me that the dump was the last stop for my bed. But being a typical portlander i couldn't just toss it into a landfill and not have a conscience. And yeah despite having some flag on the front of the store that represents some old school morals and a dingy been here for decades feel, it was quite the contrary. They were super nice and they understood my plight with having a craptastic mattress that would one day maybe support someone in greater need, made me feel better.

So Steve, as much as i respect your opinion that the place should be cleaned up a bit to blend in with the trendy "new" Belmont that has been popping up modern, chic new boutiques and such. It would be a shame to change a landmark that has been on Belmont longer than before the hipsters that walk it were a twinkle in their daddy's eyes.

[Spompanello]

We moved to the neighborhood in 2000, and it wasn't long before we needed a mattress for our first houseguest. Back then, the shop was still open most days, and Ma and Pa were happy to set us up with an honest deal. Junior even helped us carry our brand new Dixie mattress across Belmont Street, just in time for my mother-in-law, who was visiting for a few days. We not only got a much-needed mattress in a hurry, but we supported a local business.

Years later, the mattress has held up so well that we moved it into our master bedroom so we could get rid of an older mattress and free up some space. I'm not so sure the shop has aged as our mattress. The shop doesn't look like it's open as much as it used to be, and I can't remember the last time I saw anyone carrying a mattress out of there. Yes, the place has turned into a bit of a dump, and whoever owns the place doesn't seem to care. The hillbilly Smithsonian exhibits that decorate the windows of their decrepit store could do with at least some dusting. I'm not saying that Dixie Mattress should be gentrified into someplace like Aura or Urban Outfitters or some redonkulous martini bar in the Pearl, but it would sure be nice if the owners did enough cleanup to demonstrate that they care about something other than commercial real estate.