Offbeat Oregon: Asahel Bush crossed swords with state’s first woman doctor, and lost
On any list of Oregon “firsts,” there’s one name that almost never pops up: Dr. Adeline M. Weed. Offbeat Oregon Finn J.D. John, an instructor at OSU, writes about ...
Offbeat Oregon: Neighbor’s theft of widow and orphans’ home was too much for jury
Especially in the late 1800s, the Oregon frontier was no stranger to acts of judicial lynching — where the local legal system was corrupted to provide cover for murder. Offbeat Oregon Finn ...
Offbeat Oregon: How Abe Tichner hustled the rubes at 1870s county fairs
When Abe Tichner died, on April 29 of 1935, he was one of Portland’s most respected citizens. Offbeat Oregon Finn J.D. John, an instructor at OSU, writes about unusual and little-known ...
Offbeat Oregon: Mayors Lee, Schrunk set tone for city’s modern era
The history of Portland mayors in the 20th century largely comes down to the story of the struggle of progressive reformers against various forms of corruption and vice. Offbeat Oregon Finn ...
Offbeat Oregon: In 1800s Portland, at least one mayor paid to play
Today’s article continues our round-up of colorful mayors in Oregon’s largest and most powerful city —starting with one of the most famously dubious politicians ever to grace the office: ...
Offbeat Oregon: Frontier-era mayors were a surprisingly dramatic bunch
Frontier-era Portland mayors were a surprisingly dramatic bunch Offbeat Oregon Finn J.D. John, an instructor at OSU, writes about unusual and little-known aspects of Oregon history.
Offbeat Oregon: Skill, stout shipbuilding kept Peacock shipwreck fatality-free
With all the ships that have come to grief there over the years, and all the sailors who have drowned as a result, it’s a little ironic that the shipwreck that gave Peacock Spit its name ...
Offbeat Oregon: State’s first murder defendant saved from gallows by his wife
It’s hard to tell, just from reading between the lines of the court documents; but it’s probably a safe guess that Nimrod O’Kelly’s neighbors did not like him. Offbeat Oregon Finn ...
Offbeat Oregon: Law’s operations in frontier Oregon were rough and not always ready
If ever there was a great time and place in which to be a criminal, it was the frontier Oregon Territory. Offbeat Oregon Finn J.D. John, an instructor at OSU, writes about unusual and little-known ...
Offbeat Oregon: Battleship U.S.S. Oregon was lost in Pearl Harbor attack – sort of
Dec. 7, 1941, was a bad day for American battleships. Offbeat Oregon Finn J.D. John, an instructor at OSU, writes about unusual and little-known aspects of Oregon history.
Offbeat Oregon: Madam’s sidekicks proved very bad at corpse disposal
On the morning of Nov. 25, 1881, two men were walking to work along Portland’s North End waterfront when they saw something incongruous in the river, just off the foot of Everett Street. Offbeat ...
Offbeat Oregon: Portland bordello madam was real-life femme fatale
One of the most enduring and appealing tropes in popular fiction is the “femme fatale,” like Brigid O’Shaughnessy in Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” Offbeat ...
Offbeat Oregon: Oregon’s first published novel a torrid page-turner
Early in the summer of 1854, an advertisement appeared in the Portland Oregonian — a tantalizingly feisty one, from an author braced for combat and essentially inviting the world to “bring ...
Offbeat Oregon: Oregon’s literary legacy is built on a “True Confession” novel
In the world of literary works, there is a definite hierarchy. It’s occupied at the high end by the kind of subtle and masterful works that get raved about by New York book reviewers and ...
Offbeat Oregon: Horse racing, and horse-race fixing, used to be wildly popular
Horse racing is a sport largely faded from the scene in Oregon. There’s still an active community, and plenty of money changes hands at racetracks — but it’s more or less a niche ...
