Name: An Environmental History of the Willamette Valley
Brand: Elizabeth Orr
SKU: 9781467141468
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

An Environmental History of the Willamette Valley

9781467141468

$24.99

Western Oregon's Willamette Basin, once a vast wilderness, became a thriving community almost overnight. When Oregon territory was opened for homesteading in the early 1800s, most of the intrepid pioneers settled in the valley, spurring rapid changes in the landscape. Heralded as fertile with a mild climate and an abundance of natural resources, the valley enticed farmers, miners and loggers, who were quickly followed by the construction of rail lines and roads. Dams were built to harness the once free-flowing Willamette River and provide power to the growing population. As cities rose, people like Portland architect Edward Bennett and conservationist governor Tom McCall worked to contain urban sprawl. Authors Elizabeth and William Orr bring to life the changes that sculpted Oregon's beloved Willamette Valley.

An Environmental History of the Willamette Valley

Douglas County Chronicles:

9781609497651

$21.99

Douglas County, Oregon, stretches west from Crater Lake and the forested peaks of the Cascades until it reaches the shores of the Pacific in a tumult of rolling sand dunes. In this account, author R.J. Guyer recalls the frontier spirit and creative industry that shaped this land of one hundred valleys. Enjoy stories of Lookingglass's two-horse parking meter and Boswell Springs' cure-all mineral waters. Celebrate Reedsport's Olympic gold medalist and Oakland's one-time claim as turkey capital of the world. Remember the devastation of the Roseburg blast and the triumph of the Drain Black Sox's win in the National Baseball Conference World Series. From the establishment of the county to the preservation of historic landmarks, Guyer shares the rich heritage of Douglas County's communities.

Haunted Independence, Oregon

9781609498726

$21.99

Meet the spirits of Independence, Oregon, who whisper to passersby and tickle the spines of the curious: A young woman who threw herself from a window upon learning of her lover's death. Patients who underwent crude surgeries a century past and whose quiet moans linger on. A mysterious skeleton uncovered by a local business owner in the shadowy recesses of an attic. A doll that inexplicably relocates to different parts of the local museum at night. Mischievous or downright chilling, the ghosts of Independence offer a doorway to the city's colorful past. Tour historic downtown Independence with Marilyn Morton, founder and chair of the annual Ghost Walk, as she reveals the haunted heritage of the one-time hop capital of the world.

Hidden History of Ashland, Oregon

9781467144919

$21.99

Famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland has a deep history that goes far beyond the stage. From a 160-year-old unsolved murder to a newcomer whose "healing hands" drew people from all over the country, the town has attracted its fair share of unique characters. Vladimir Nabokov came to pursue his favorite hobby, butterfly collecting, while writing his famously controversial novel, Lolita, and an actor turned entrepreneur became one of the foremost recyclers long before it was mainstream. Discover the story behind Ashland's golf course cemetery and the gloveless baseball team of 1884. Join local historian Joe Peterson as he explores the fascinating past of this colorful town.

Murder & Mayhem in Portland, Oregon

9781609499259

$21.99

The headlines shook Portland, Oregon. The brutal Ardenwald axe murders. The retribution killings by Chinatown tongs. The fiendish acts of the Dark Strangler. In this compelling account, author JD Chandler chronicles the coverups, the false confessions, the miscarriages of justice and the investigative twists and turns of Portland's infamous crimes while providing valuable historical perspective. From the untimely end of the Black Mackintosh Bandit to the convoluted hunt for the Milwaukie Monster, join Chandler as he unveils the shadowy heart of the city, acknowledges the officers who sought justice and remembers the individuals whose lives were claimed by violence.

Portland Beer:

9781609498818

$21.99

Was it the water or the quality hops? The deep-rooted appreciation of saloon culture? How did Portland, Oregon, become one of the nation's leaders in craft beer cultivation and consumption, with more than fifty breweries in the city limits? Beer writer and historian Pete Dunlop traces the story of Rose City brewing from frontier saloons, through the uncomfortable yoke of temperance and Prohibition, to the hard-fought Brewpub Bill and the smashing success of the Oregon Brewers Festival. Meet the industry leaders in pursuit of great beer--Henry Weinhard, McMenamins, Bridgeport, Portland Brewing, Widmer and more--and top it off with a selection of trivia and local lore. Bringing together interviews and archival materials, Dunlop crafts a lively and engaging history of Portland's road to Beervana.

Portland Food Cart Stories:

9781626193734

$23.99

For a fresh take on a variety of cuisines, reservations won't be necessary. Just step up to a Portland food cart instead. Tour the city's finest carts with author Steven Shomler and meet the innovative and enterprising chefs serving masterpieces from mobile kitchens. Chefs like Nick and Carina of Cheese Plate PDX, who served a reception for the Dalai Lama when he was in town. Or Sean and McKinze, who started the Georgian-inspired cart Kargi Gogo after living overseas in Georgia. Portland's food carts draw talent from across the country. Roy and Kimmy of Retrolicious left behind their own diner in Arizona to join the local scene. These food cart pioneers, and many others, are profiled in a mouthwatering look at a unique dining experience Portland has perfected.

Portland on the Take:

9781626197497

$21.99

In an era when Portland's shipyards thrived, so, too, did corruption. The Red Scare that followed the 1934 Waterfront Strike allowed gangsters to gain control of some of the city's unions. Working in cahoots with high-ranking city officials, criminals like Al Winter and James Elkins gained power and influence, often using goon squads" of union men and hired criminals to enforce their will. Now authors JD Chandler and JB Fisher bring Portland's days of civic corruption and hidden murders out of the shadows. With unprecedented access to the police investigative files of the Frank Tatum murder of 1947 and the detective notebooks and tape recorder transcripts of Multnomah County sheriff's detective Walter Graven, the authors shed new light on Portland's turbulent mid-twentieth-century past."

Southern Oregon Beer

9781467142441

$21.99

The origin of brewing in southern Oregon is a lively tale of mid-nineteenth-century gold rushes, brawling German immigrants, irrepressible women and hometown pride. In the boomtown of Jacksonville, two pioneering brewers competed to quench the thirst of miners and ranchers, and soon breweries began popping up elsewhere. But as railroads spread across the West, they brought rival beer brands with them, and the onset of Prohibition stifled the industry altogether. Yet resourceful Oregonians continued to cultivate hops, and by the turn of the twenty-first century, small-town brewers like Caldera Brewing Company in Ashland and Climate City Brewery in Grants Pass were once again stepping into the spotlight. Author Phil Busse, longtime Oregon journalist, traces the pioneering spirit of southern Oregon's first brewers to today.

Stories from Jewish Portland

9781609493486

$21.99

These are the stories of Jewish Portland, whose roots stretch back to the Gold Rush, whose heart is 'the old neighborhood' of South Portland and the memories of its residents, whose identity is alive and well in synagogues and community institutions. Portland author Polina Olsen recounts the history of this richly layered community through a collection of letters, interviews, and stories drawn from her series "Looking Back," published in The Jewish Review. In this expanded collection, explore the lives of early settlers brought by opportunity and New York's Industrial Removal Office, walk the streets of the old neighborhood, alive with basketball games and junk peddlers, and learn the proud history of institutions like the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, which continue the cultural traditions of Jewish Portland.

The Oregon Shanghaiers: Columbia River Crimping from Astoria to Portland

9781626194304

$21.99

In the hardscrabble early days of Portland's seaport, shanghaiing" or "crimping" ran rampant. The proprietors of crooked saloons and sailors' boardinghouses coerced unwitting patrons to work on commercial ships. Shanghaiers like James Turk, Bunko Kelley and Billy Smith unashamedly forced men into service and stole the wages of their victims. By the 1890s, these shanghaiers had become powerful enough to influence the politics of Astoria and Portland, charging sea captains outrageous fees for unskilled laborers and shaping maritime trade around a merciless black market. For nearly a century, the exploits of these notorious crimpers have existed mainly in lore. Now historian Barney Blalock offers a lively and meticulously researched account of these colorful and corrupt men, revealing an authentic account of Oregon's malicious maritime legends."

The Oregon Shanghaiers: Columbia River Crimping from Astoria to Portland

Tragedy at Southern Oregon Tunnel 13

9781626193468

$24.99

The DeAutremont brothers were looking for a big score. They brought dynamite, guns and a getaway car. On October 11, 1923, at the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon, the three young men held up a passenger train, with disastrous consequences. Their rash actions resulted in the tragic deaths of three Southern Pacific trainmen and one U.S. Mail clerk, unleashing a public outcry that still rings through Oregon's history. In this riveting account, rail historian Scott Mangold draws on interviews, in-depth research and previously unpublished maps and photographs to document the events at Tunnel 13. Join Mangold as he chronicles the resulting four-year manhunt and eventual conviction of the DeAutremonts and provides insight into the lives derailed by the robbery's bitter legacy.

Trailer Food Diaries Cookbook:

9781626191426

$21.99

Portlanders have always had a taste for fresh local foods served up with a lack of pretense. So it's no surprise that food carts have emerged as a popular way to showcase a variety of flavors to hungry locals. While the business is a competitive one, the most unique and culturally diverse food trucks are able to thrive. From new spins on old classics--like the meatball sub and the spinach salad--to innovative creations like the Sriracha Mix-a-Lot and Peppered Peanut Popcorn Brittle, food carts have established a presence as culinary gems in a city brimming with creative dining options. Join Tiffany Harelik, author of the Trailer Food Diaries Cookbook series, as she returns to Portland to celebrate this growing food revolution.

Wicked Portland

9781609495787

$21.99

Tucked away in the northwestern frontier, Portland offered all the best vices: opium dreams, gambling, cheap prostitutes, and drunken brawling. In its early days, Portland was a combination rough-and-ready logging camp and gritty, hard-punching deep-water port town, and as a young city (established in the late 1840s) it developed an international reputation for lawlessness and violence. In the early 1900s, the British and French governments filed formal complaints about Portland to the US state department, and Congressional testimony from the time cites Portland as the worst place in the world for crimping. Today, tours of the alleged Shanghai Tunnels offer Portland visitors a taste of that seedy past.