This railyard was home to Southern Pacific 4449 as well as several other large antique steam and diesel-electric locomotives.

The rail line and the subdivision quickly brought in a large number of residents to the neighborhood, which acquired its current name of "Brooklyn".

While many of the German street/landmark names were changed during World War I, the neighborhood continues to bear the traces of this period today, with several older German-American businesses, as well as the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the 1891 Johan Poulsen House.

Potter became involved in the Brooklyn Action Corps (BAC), a community organization that was founded during this time to combat the poverty, crime, and drugs that were afflicting the neighborhood.

The construction of the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland allowed the neighborhood to regain its connection to the Willamette River, and the opening of the Orange Line light rail, completed in September 2015, has created easier mass-transit access to downtown.