Gladstone is an approximately 4-square-mile (10 km2) suburban community, Located 12 miles (19 km) south of Portland at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette rivers.

[7][8] Both Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan and presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt gave public speeches in the city.

[10] In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory and beyond.

[11] Although the expedition passed only near the Gladstone – Oregon City locality on their way to and from the Pacific Ocean, via the Columbia River, natives such as the Kalapuya and the Clackamas people told them about the area.

[12] In the subsequent years, successive waves of explorers and traders would introduce epidemics of cholera and smallpox, which would take a heavy toll on the native peoples and contributed to a substantial reduction in population.

Efforts at rebuilding the small town entirely ceased when the Great Flood of 1862 struck, wiping out the remaining buildings.

Even after reconstruction, much of the town's importance to river commerce ended in 1873 with completion of the Willamette Falls Locks.

[20] There is also a small park named after Cross, located at the same place one of the Indian tribes made its camp.

Beginning on July 24–26, 1894, the newly formed Willamette Valley Chautauqua Association held an annual summer assembly that offered performances, lectures, and concerts.

[23] In 1896, William Jennings Bryan drew a crowd of 6,000 to Gladstone's then 78-acre (32 ha) Chautauqua park to hear him give his popular lecture "The Prince of Peace", which stressed that Christian theology, through both individual and group morality, was a solid foundation for peace and equality.

[24][25] With the advent of radio, improved transportation and the appearance of traveling vaudeville acts in Portland, attendance at the Chautauqua began to dwindle.

Judge Cross died on August 7, 1927, and shortly thereafter, Gladstone Park, including its buildings and Chautauqua Lake, were sold to the Western Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

[23] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an official area of 2.48 square miles (6.42 km2).

Named for the 1893 Interurban Electric Streetcar line that once traversed the street, it once transported passengers between Gladstone and Portland.

[35][36] Perhaps reflecting this support, the police, fire, and medical services levy renewal measures were overwhelmingly approved by voters in November 2012.

[44] Plans were put on hold when supply shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the cost of materials beyond budget constraints.

Despite its relatively small geographic size, the City of Gladstone recognizes 14 parks and recreational areas.