A daily (5-day-a-week) podcast feed of true Oregon stories -- of heroes and rascals, of shipwrecks and lost gold. Stories of shanghaied sailors and Skid Road bordellos and pirates and robbers and unsolved mysteries. An exploding whale, a couple shockingly scary cults, a 19th-century serial killer, several very naughty ladies, a handful of solid-brass con artists and some of the dumbest bad guys in the history of the universe. From the archives of the Offbeat Oregon History syndicated newspaper column. Source citations are included with the text version on the Web site at https://offbeatoregon.com. https://offbeatoregon.com https://offbeatoregon.com https://offbeatoregon.com/feeds/album-cover-1400.jpg finn@offbeatoregon.com (finn@offbeatoregon.com) en-us Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0. Please use "Finn J.D. John" for author credit. "Sources" paragraph must be included. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:59:00 PST Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:59:00 PST https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss finn@offbeatoregon.com (Finn J.D. John) Finn J.D. John Oregon,Oregon,history,heroes,rascals,newspaper,Finn,Finn,J,D,John,Wicked,Portland A daily podcast of true Oregon stories from the wilder side of the Beaver State. Stories of heroes and rascals, of shipwrecks and lost gold. Stories of shanghaied sailors and Skid Road bordellos and pirates and robbers and unsolved mysteries. An exploding whale, a couple shockingly scary cults, a 19th-century serial killer, several very naughty ladies, a handful of solid-brass con artists and some of the dumbest bad guys in the history of the universe. no finn@finnjohn.comFinn J.D. John Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023e.1505a.doolittle-raiders-3of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023e.1505a.doolittle-raiders-3of3.mp3 Two of them had movies made about their wartime exploits — “30 Seconds over Tokyo” and “The Great Escape”; a third, captured and imprisoned in the raid, returned to Japan after the war as a Christian missionary. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505a.part3-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-337.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Two of them had movies made about their wartime exploits — “30 Seconds over Tokyo” and “The Great Escape”... Two of them had movies made about their wartime exploits — “30 Seconds over Tokyo” and “The Great Escape”; a third, captured and imprisoned in the raid, returned to Japan after the war as a Christian missionary. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505a.part3-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-337.html) 00:08:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023d.1504d.doolittle-raiders-2of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023d.1504d.doolittle-raiders-2of3.mp3 Robert S. Clever, Everett “Brick” Holstrom, Henry “Hank” Potter and Robert G. Emmens were four Oregon aviators who did the Beaver State proud in what seemed like a suicide mission over enemy territory. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504d.part2-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-336.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Robert S. Clever, Everett “Brick” Holstrom, Henry “Hank” Potter and Robert G. Emmens were four Oregon aviators who did the Beaver State proud... Robert S. Clever, Everett “Brick” Holstrom, Henry “Hank” Potter and Robert G. Emmens were four Oregon aviators who did the Beaver State proud in what seemed like a suicide mission over enemy territory. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504d.part2-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-336.html) 00:08:09 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023c.1504c.doolittle-raiders-1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023c.1504c.doolittle-raiders-1of3.mp3 Oregon played a vital role in America's answer to Pearl Harbor — the daring daylight airstrike on Tokyo and other Japanese cities that provided a much-needed morale boost during the dark days of 1942. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504c.part1-doolittles-pendleton-raiders.335.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Oregon played a vital role in America's answer to Pearl Harbor... Oregon played a vital role in America's answer to Pearl Harbor — the daring daylight airstrike on Tokyo and other Japanese cities that provided a much-needed morale boost during the dark days of 1942. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504c.part1-doolittles-pendleton-raiders.335.html) 00:07:51 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023b.1706d.mona-bell-bearcat.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023b.1706d.mona-bell-bearcat.mp3 Although she's most remembered for being the mistress of a famous man, journalist and rodeo performer Mona Bell Hill was, on her own, one of the most interesting people ever to live in Oregon — and, to the government, one of the most vexing. (Bonneville, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706d.mona-bell-wild-west-bearcat-449.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Although she's most remembered for being the mistress of a famous man, journalist and rodeo performer Mona Bell Hill was, on her own, one of the most interesting people ever to live in Oregon... Although she's most remembered for being the mistress of a famous man, journalist and rodeo performer Mona Bell Hill was, on her own, one of the most interesting people ever to live in Oregon — and, to the government, one of the most vexing. (Bonneville, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706d.mona-bell-wild-west-bearcat-449.html) 00:11:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023a.1009a.celilo-falls.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w023a.1009a.celilo-falls.mp3 The Columbia, the Great river of West, was known for spectacular scenery and phenomenal fishing; Oregon has traded that for a placid, lake-like waterway and cheap hydroelectric power. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1009a_celilo-falls-part-of-once-wild-Columbia.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The Columbia, the Great river of West, was known for spectacular scenery and phenomenal fishing... The Columbia, the Great river of West, was known for spectacular scenery and phenomenal fishing; Oregon has traded that for a placid, lake-like waterway and cheap hydroelectric power. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1009a_celilo-falls-part-of-once-wild-Columbia.html) 00:06:37 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022e.1505b.mindora-shipwreck.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022e.1505b.mindora-shipwreck.mp3 The Mindora and the Merrithew had docked next to each other in San Francisco, arrived within a few days of each other, wrecked within a few hours of each other, and washed up on the beach within a few miles of each other. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505b.mindora-merrithew-double-shipwreck-338.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The Mindora and the Merrithew had docked next to each other in San Francisco, arrived within a few days of each other, wrecked within a few hours of each other... The Mindora and the Merrithew had docked next to each other in San Francisco, arrived within a few days of each other, wrecked within a few hours of each other, and washed up on the beach within a few miles of each other. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505b.mindora-merrithew-double-shipwreck-338.html) 00:08:04 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022d.1205a.boxcar-killer-caught.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022d.1205a.boxcar-killer-caught.mp3 Caught by a railroad “bull,” the thief shot his way out and ran for it. But an accurate shot by the dying guard and some persistent police work brought the bad guy to justice in a pistol-waving scene in a seedy Albina hotel room. (Albina, Multnomah County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205a-roaring-20s-railroad-murder-mystery-solved.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Caught by a railroad “bull,” the thief shot his way out and ran for it. But... Caught by a railroad “bull,” the thief shot his way out and ran for it. But an accurate shot by the dying guard and some persistent police work brought the bad guy to justice in a pistol-waving scene in a seedy Albina hotel room. (Albina, Multnomah County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205a-roaring-20s-railroad-murder-mystery-solved.html) 00:08:32 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022c.1505d.greenhorn-jail-stolen.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022c.1505d.greenhorn-jail-stolen.mp3 Because of how it's chartered, the ghost town of Greenhorn remained an incorporated city even when its population was zero — but it couldn't defend its city hoosegow from the midnight raiders of Canyon City one summer night. (Grant and Baker County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505d.greenhorn-smallest-city-jail-stolen-340.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Because of how it's chartered, the ghost town of Greenhorn remained an incorporated city even when its population was zero... Because of how it's chartered, the ghost town of Greenhorn remained an incorporated city even when its population was zero — but it couldn't defend its city hoosegow from the midnight raiders of Canyon City one summer night. (Grant and Baker County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505d.greenhorn-smallest-city-jail-stolen-340.html) 00:08:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022b.1504b.etoile-matin-shiprekd.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022b.1504b.etoile-matin-shiprekd.mp3 As they hung in the riggings of the sailing ship Etoile du Matin waiting for death, they felt their ship start to break apart — but the piece that broke off first was the keel, enabling the ship to float upriver to safety. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504b.etoile-matin-miracle-shipwreck.334.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False As they hung in the riggings of the sailing ship Etoile du Matin waiting for death, they felt their ship start to break apart... As they hung in the riggings of the sailing ship Etoile du Matin waiting for death, they felt their ship start to break apart — but the piece that broke off first was the keel, enabling the ship to float upriver to safety. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504b.etoile-matin-miracle-shipwreck.334.html) 00:08:46 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022a.1709a.muriel-trevenard-yaquina-ghost.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w022a.1709a.muriel-trevenard-yaquina-ghost.mp3 But did Lischen M. Miller create the story of Muriel Trevenard, the mysterious young woman who came to Newport in the 1870s and vanished ... or did she merely write down a story that locals whispered to each other on stormy nights? (Newport, Lincoln County; 1870s, 1890s, 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709a.muriel-trevenard-evan-macclure-yaquina-bay-lighthouse-ghosts-459.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False But did Lischen M. Miller create the story of Muriel Trevenard, the mysterious young woman who came to Newport in the 1870s and vanished ... or... But did Lischen M. Miller create the story of Muriel Trevenard, the mysterious young woman who came to Newport in the 1870s and vanished ... or did she merely write down a story that locals whispered to each other on stormy nights? (Newport, Lincoln County; 1870s, 1890s, 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709a.muriel-trevenard-evan-macclure-yaquina-bay-lighthouse-ghosts-459.html) 00:08:58 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021e.heppner-flood-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021e.heppner-flood-2of2.mp3 WHEN IT WAS over, the survivors in Heppner had an awful job ahead of them. A quote from the Portland Oregonian, reprinted in DenOuden’s article in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, sums it up: “Scenes at Heppner are indescribable in their gruesomeness, their anguish, their awful desolation. No pen can exaggerate the horrors they present. Every heap of debris may contain a human forming decomposition. Many do reveal such spectacles when uncovered, and meantime Willow Creek, as if to mock the dead, has returned to a purling brooklet.” (Heppner, Umatilla County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2412c1004c.heppner-flood-worst-in-history-680.070.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False WHEN IT WAS over, the survivors in Heppner had an awful job ahead of them.... A quote from the Portland Oregonian, reprinted in DenOuden’s article in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, sums it up: “Scenes at Heppner are indescribable in their gruesomeness, their anguish, their awful desolation. No pen can exaggerate the horrors they present. Every heap of debris may contain a human forming decomposition. Many do reveal such spectacles when uncovered, and meantime Willow Creek, as if to mock the dead, has returned to a purling brooklet.” (Heppner, Umatilla County; 1900s)(For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2412c1004c.heppner-flood-worst-in-history-680.070.html) 00:08:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021d.2412c.heppner-flood-1004c.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021d.2412c.heppner-flood-1004c.mp3 ON JUNE 15, 1903, a strange little article appeared in the Portland Morning Oregonian. “It is reported that a tremendous cloudburst occurred at Heppner late in the afternoon,” the article states. “All communication with that town has been cut off and nothing definite can be learned.” The silence must have struck the editors as ominous. Heppner was a modern 20th-century town, with a telegraph office and a telephone exchange. Also, by press time they would have at least heard rumors that a massive, unsanitary slug of muddy water clotted with farm animals, household goods, and other domestic debris had just gushed downhill through the towns of Lexington and Ione following the banks of the usually-tiny Willow Creek, doing considerable property damage. Lexington and Ione were just downstream from Heppner. It wouldn’t be until late Sunday night, well past the hour the Oregonian was on the presses, that the outside world would start to learn the full story: At 5:20 p.m. on that sultry Sunday afternoon, a wall of muddy, turbulent water 30 to 40 feet high had slammed into the town, scooping up roughly a third of its buildings and killing 247 of Heppner’s 1,290 residents. It was the worst flash-flood disaster in U.S. history with the sole exception of Pennsylvania’s Johnstown Flood, measured by loss of life. (The hurricane-driven flooding that struck North Carolina earlier this year, including the city of Asheville, killed 129, including 26 who are still missing). And it remains the deadliest disaster of any kind in the history of Oregon. (Heppner, Umatilla County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2412c1004c.heppner-flood-worst-in-history-680.070.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False ON JUNE 15, 1903, a strange little article appeared in the Portland Morning Oregonian: “It is reported that a tremendous cloudburst occurred at Heppner late in the afternoon,” the article states. “All communication with that town has been cut off and nothing definite can be learned.” The silence must have struck the editors as ominous. Heppner was a modern 20th-century town, with a telegraph office and a telephone exchange. Also, by press time they would have at least heard rumors that a massive, unsanitary slug of muddy water clotted with farm animals, household goods, and other domestic debris had just gushed downhill through the towns of Lexington and Ione following the banks of the usually-tiny Willow Creek, doing considerable property damage. Lexington and Ione were just downstream from Heppner. It wouldn’t be until late Sunday night, well past the hour the Oregonian was on the presses, that the outside world would start to learn the full story: At 5:20 p.m. on that sultry Sunday afternoon, a wall of muddy, turbulent water 30 to 40 feet high had slammed into the town, scooping up roughly a third of its buildings and killing 247 of Heppner’s 1,290 residents. It was the worst flash-flood disaster in U.S. history with the sole exception of Pennsylvania’s Johnstown Flood, measured by loss of life. (The hurricane-driven flooding that struck North Carolina earlier this year, including the city of Asheville, killed 129, including 26 who are still missing). And it remains the deadliest disaster of any kind in the history of Oregon. (Heppner, Umatilla County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2412c1004c.heppner-flood-worst-in-history-680.070.html) 00:07:42 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021c.1505c.father-odermatt.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021c.1505c.father-odermatt.mp3 Jovial and gregarious, Adelhelm Odermatt locked his sights on a vision of a hilltop monastery — and then deployed himself like a jovial, glad-handing, never-sleeping bombshell to make it happen. It was a near thing, but he pulled it off. (Mt. Angel, Marion County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505c.adelhelm-odermatt-mt-angel-abbey-339.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Jovial and gregarious, Adelhelm Odermatt locked his sights on a vision of a hilltop monastery... Jovial and gregarious, Adelhelm Odermatt locked his sights on a vision of a hilltop monastery — and then deployed himself like a jovial, glad-handing, never-sleeping bombshell to make it happen. It was a near thing, but he pulled it off. (Mt. Angel, Marion County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505c.adelhelm-odermatt-mt-angel-abbey-339.html) 00:09:04 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021b.1709d.amsterdam-jack-murder-UL.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021b.1709d.amsterdam-jack-murder-UL.mp3 “Amsterdam Jack” Murray claimed it was all a misunderstanding, but the jury obviously suspected he'd intended to murder his wife's brother all along; then the appeals court learned he was a bigamist to boot. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709d.john-murray-murders-brother-in-law-462.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False “Amsterdam Jack” Murray claimed it was all a misunderstanding, but the jury obviously suspected he'd intended to murder his wife's brother all along... “Amsterdam Jack” Murray claimed it was all a misunderstanding, but the jury obviously suspected he'd intended to murder his wife's brother all along; then the appeals court learned he was a bigamist to boot. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709d.john-murray-murders-brother-in-law-462.html) 00:09:22 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021a.1708d.sidney-barbara-smith-murders.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w021a.1708d.sidney-barbara-smith-murders.mp3 When first reported, it looked like a simple murder-suicide. But it quickly became clear that it was something far more sinister — and the motives of the killer were uglier and more sordid than anyone had thought possible. (Brownsville, Linn County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708d.sidney-barbara-smith-murders-458.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False When first reported, it looked like a simple murder-suicide. But... When first reported, it looked like a simple murder-suicide. But it quickly became clear that it was something far more sinister — and the motives of the killer were uglier and more sordid than anyone had thought possible. (Brownsville, Linn County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708d.sidney-barbara-smith-murders-458.html) 00:09:33 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020e.1709c.pixieland.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020e.1709c.pixieland.mp3 Jerry and Lu Parks envisioned a “fairy-tale history of Oregon” in the form of an amusement park. What they created was a rich cultural artifact, and a treasured childhood memory for a generation of Oregonians. (Otis and Lincoln City, Lincoln County; 1960s, 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709c.pixieland-old-oregon-cultural-artifact-461.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Jerry and Lu Parks envisioned a “fairy-tale history of Oregon” in the form of an amusement park. Jerry and Lu Parks envisioned a “fairy-tale history of Oregon” in the form of an amusement park. What they created was a rich cultural artifact, and a treasured childhood memory for a generation of Oregonians. (Otis and Lincoln City, Lincoln County; 1960s, 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1709c.pixieland-old-oregon-cultural-artifact-461.html) 00:11:37 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020d.1708c.daredevil-al-faussett.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020d.1708c.daredevil-al-faussett.mp3 The former logger tried to cash in on his knack for boat design and total lack of normal fear by paddling over waterfalls: Willamette Falls, Celilo Falls, South Silver Falls. But although he got famous, he never managed to get rich. (Silver Falls State Park, Marion County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708c.al-faussett-waterfall-running-daredevil-457.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The former logger tried to cash in on his knack for boat design and total lack of normal fear by paddling over waterfalls: Willamette Falls, Celilo Falls, South Silver Falls. But... The former logger tried to cash in on his knack for boat design and total lack of normal fear by paddling over waterfalls: Willamette Falls, Celilo Falls, South Silver Falls. But although he got famous, he never managed to get rich. (Silver Falls State Park, Marion County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708c.al-faussett-waterfall-running-daredevil-457.html) 00:10:40 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020c.1203d.mary-leonard-3of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020c.1203d.mary-leonard-3of3.mp3 The real Mary Leonard was probably someone who had given up “the good life” after realizing, during her time in jail, that the powerless women of her time were getting a raw deal — and determined to do something about it. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205d-mary-leonard-legal-mother-teresa.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The real Mary Leonard was probably someone who had given up “the good life” after realizing, during her time in jail, that the powerless women of her time were getting a raw deal... The real Mary Leonard was probably someone who had given up “the good life” after realizing, during her time in jail, that the powerless women of her time were getting a raw deal — and determined to do something about it. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205d-mary-leonard-legal-mother-teresa.html) 00:10:39 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020b.1205c.mary-leonard-2of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020b.1205c.mary-leonard-2of3.mp3 Had Mary Leonard died in 1890, she'd be remembered as she really was — a brilliant orator and an inspiration to future Oregon women and attorneys. But fate let her live another 20 years, during which she devolved into a total nut case. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205b-mary-leonard-murder-trial-part2.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Had Mary Leonard died in 1890, she'd be remembered as she really was — a brilliant orator and an inspiration to future Oregon women and attorneys. But... Had Mary Leonard died in 1890, she'd be remembered as she really was — a brilliant orator and an inspiration to future Oregon women and attorneys. But fate let her live another 20 years, during which she devolved into a total nut case. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205b-mary-leonard-murder-trial-part2.html) 00:09:27 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020a.1205b.mary-leonard-1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w020a.1205b.mary-leonard-1of3.mp3 Many historians, eager to see in her the caricature of the nagging, garrulous fishwife and gold-digging black widow, have missed the real story of Mary Leonard — and done both her, and the historical record, a disservice. (The Dalles, Wasco County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205b-mary-leonard-murder-trial-part1.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Many historians, eager to see in her the caricature of the nagging, garrulous fishwife and gold-digging black widow, have missed the real story of Mary Leonard ... Many historians, eager to see in her the caricature of the nagging, garrulous fishwife and gold-digging black widow, have missed the real story of Mary Leonard — and done both her, and the historical record, a disservice. (The Dalles, Wasco County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1205b-mary-leonard-murder-trial-part1.html) 00:07:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019e.2411b.boiler-bay-marhoffer-1004a.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019e.2411b.boiler-bay-marhoffer-1004a.mp3 A MILE OR two north of the picturesque little Central Coast town of Depoe Bay, there’s a little unassuming wide spot at the side of Highway 101 where you can pull off the road and park. There are a couple trails leading down to the sea from that spot, and at very low tides you’ll often see people there, climbing over the ridge and picking their way down to the rocky, forbidding shore below. You’ll also sometimes see one of them stop to get a photo of a really incongruous thing at the top of the bluff. It’s a large, rusty steel pipe, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, shaped like an air duct or maybe a ventilation stack on a steamship. The pipe towers about eight feet above the ground and is very obviously buried nearly that far into the dirt below. That duct is one of two remaining large pieces left from what must have been the most spectacular shipwreck in West Coast history: The fiery, explosive demise of the steam schooner J. Marhoffer. And yes, that huge piece of steam-engine ductwork is where it is, sticking out of the ground hundreds of yards from the bay, because it fell out of the sky and jammed into the ground like a giant Lawn Jart after being blasted into the air by the explosion. Here's the story .... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2411b1004b.boiler-bay-shipwreck-675.069.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A MILE OR two north of the picturesque little Central Coast town of Depoe Bay, there’s a little unassuming wide spot at the side of Highway 101 where you can pull off the road and park.... A MILE OR two north of the picturesque little Central Coast town of Depoe Bay, there’s a little unassuming wide spot at the side of Highway 101 where you can pull off the road and park. There are a couple trails leading down to the sea from that spot, and at very low tides you’ll often see people there, climbing over the ridge and picking their way down to the rocky, forbidding shore below. You’ll also sometimes see one of them stop to get a photo of a really incongruous thing at the top of the bluff. It’s a large, rusty steel pipe, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, shaped like an air duct or maybe a ventilation stack on a steamship. The pipe towers about eight feet above the ground and is very obviously buried nearly that far into the dirt below. That duct is one of two remaining large pieces left from what must have been the most spectacular shipwreck in West Coast history: The fiery, explosive demise of the steam schooner J. Marhoffer. And yes, that huge piece of steam-engine ductwork is where it is, sticking out of the ground hundreds of yards from the bay, because it fell out of the sky and jammed into the ground like a giant Lawn Jart after being blasted into the air by the explosion. Here's the story .... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2411b1004b.boiler-bay-shipwreck-675.069.html) 00:10:52 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019d.1708b.nestucca-spit-bob-straub.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019d.1708b.nestucca-spit-bob-straub.mp3 State treasurer Straub was a regular visitor to the state park through which the highway department wished to route the main Oregon Coast arterial. He took one look at the department's plans — and declared war. (Nestucca Spit, Tillamook County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708b.bob-straub-saves-nestucca-spit-456.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False State treasurer Straub was a regular visitor to the state park through which the highway department wished to route the main Oregon Coast arterial.... State treasurer Straub was a regular visitor to the state park through which the highway department wished to route the main Oregon Coast arterial. He took one look at the department's plans — and declared war. (Nestucca Spit, Tillamook County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708b.bob-straub-saves-nestucca-spit-456.html) 00:10:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019c.1203d.astoria-shanghaiing-scene.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019c.1203d.astoria-shanghaiing-scene.mp3 Desperate for men, shanghai artists once tried to kidnap the local Methodist minister. He turned out not to be as soft a target as they'd anticipated. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1203d-astoria-once-hotbed-of-shanghaiing.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Desperate for men, shanghai artists once tried to kidnap the local Methodist minister.... Desperate for men, shanghai artists once tried to kidnap the local Methodist minister. He turned out not to be as soft a target as they'd anticipated. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1203d-astoria-once-hotbed-of-shanghaiing.html) 00:07:50 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019b.1708a.copperfield-martial-law.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019b.1708a.copperfield-martial-law.mp3 Don't be fooled: Fern Hobbs was a secretary in the “Secretary of Defense” sense of the word. A practicing attorney, she was the highest-paid woman in public service. Copperfield's city fathers thought they could charm her ... they were wrong. (Copperfield, Baker County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708a.copperfield-affair-oswald-west-martial-law-455.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Don't be fooled: Fern Hobbs was a secretary in the “Secretary of Defense” sense of the word.... Don't be fooled: Fern Hobbs was a secretary in the “Secretary of Defense” sense of the word. A practicing attorney, she was the highest-paid woman in public service. Copperfield's city fathers thought they could charm her ... they were wrong. (Copperfield, Baker County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1708a.copperfield-affair-oswald-west-martial-law-455.html) 00:09:45 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019a.1201e.bourne-40-day-partay.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w019a.1201e.bourne-40-day-partay.mp3 The six-week-long drunken party was thrown by the notoriously rascally Jonathan Bourne Jr. to keep the state Legislature from convening, so it couldn't elect John H. Mitchell to the U.S. Senate. It worked — well, sort of.(For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1201e-bourne-40-day-party-stopped-legislature.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The six-week-long drunken party was thrown by the notoriously rascally Jonathan Bourne Jr. to keep the state Legislature from convening.... The six-week-long drunken party was thrown by the notoriously rascally Jonathan Bourne Jr. to keep the state Legislature from convening, so it couldn't elect John H. Mitchell to the U.S. Senate. It worked — well, sort of. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1201e-bourne-40-day-party-stopped-legislature.html) 00:10:43 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018e.2411a.wolf-creek-tavern-1004a.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018e.2411a.wolf-creek-tavern-1004a.mp3 THERE WERE TIMES, during Hollywood’s golden age, when Clark Gable simply couldn’t be found anywhere. Studio executives would search frantically for the top-shelf star, needing to talk to him about a project and facing a tight deadline. He’d be gone. In fact, he’d be fly-fishing on the Rogue River in Oregon, while staying in a small inn that today is the oldest continually operating hotel in the entire Pacific Northwest: The Wolf Creek Tavern. Clark wasn’t the only Hollywood bigshot in on the secret, either. The Wolf Creek Tavern was a regular place of refuge for a bunch of Golden Age Hollywood stars, including Carole Lombard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mary Pickford, Orson Welles, and even John Wayne. Also, if you are more of a literature buff, Sinclair Lewis’s name is also on the guest register, and Jack London was a regular and did quite a bit of writing there. With his wife, Charmian Kittredge London, he holed up in a tiny little garret-like room over the hotel’s front porch for several weeks in 1912 to put the finishing touches on the manuscript for The Valley of the Moon.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2411a1004a.wolf-creek-tavern-674.068.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False THERE WERE TIMES, during Hollywood’s golden age, when Clark Gable simply couldn’t be found anywhere.... THERE WERE TIMES, during Hollywood’s golden age, when Clark Gable simply couldn’t be found anywhere. Studio executives would search frantically for the top-shelf star, needing to talk to him about a project and facing a tight deadline. He’d be gone. In fact, he’d be fly-fishing on the Rogue River in Oregon, while staying in a small inn that today is the oldest continually operating hotel in the entire Pacific Northwest: The Wolf Creek Tavern. Clark wasn’t the only Hollywood bigshot in on the secret, either. The Wolf Creek Tavern was a regular place of refuge for a bunch of Golden Age Hollywood stars, including Carole Lombard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mary Pickford, Orson Welles, and even John Wayne. Also, if you are more of a literature buff, Sinclair Lewis’s name is also on the guest register, and Jack London was a regular and did quite a bit of writing there. With his wife, Charmian Kittredge London, he holed up in a tiny little garret-like room over the hotel’s front porch for several weeks in 1912 to put the finishing touches on the manuscript for The Valley of the Moon.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2411a1004a.wolf-creek-tavern-674.068.html) 00:08:56 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 05 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018d.1707c.marie-dorion-3of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018d.1707c.marie-dorion-3of3.mp3 Marooned in a frozen winter wasteland after a hostile tribe attacked and killed everyone else, she kept herself and her two children alive through the winter and then led them home to safety. (Snake River basin; 1810s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707c.marie-dorion-oregons-revenant-part3-452.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Marooned in a frozen winter wasteland after a hostile tribe attacked and killed everyone else, she kept herself and her two children alive through the winter... Marooned in a frozen winter wasteland after a hostile tribe attacked and killed everyone else, she kept herself and her two children alive through the winter and then led them home to safety. (Snake River basin; 1810s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707c.marie-dorion-oregons-revenant-part3-452.html) 00:08:36 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 04 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018c.1707b.marie-dorion-2of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018c.1707b.marie-dorion-2of3.mp3 Charged with blazing a trail to the West Coast, the voyageurs in the party decided to paddle down a strange river, hoping for an easy ride to the sea. Only the charity of local Native American tribes saved them all from starvation. (Snake River wilderness; 1810s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707b.marie-dorion-astorian-party-part2-451.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Charged with blazing a trail to the West Coast, the voyageurs in the party decided to paddle down a strange river, hoping for an easy ride to the sea.... Charged with blazing a trail to the West Coast, the voyageurs in the party decided to paddle down a strange river, hoping for an easy ride to the sea. Only the charity of local Native American tribes saved them all from starvation. (Snake River wilderness; 1810s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707b.marie-dorion-astorian-party-part2-451.html) 00:11:39 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018b.1707a.marie-dorion-1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018b.1707a.marie-dorion-1of3.mp3 As the Native American bride of a French-Canadian interpreter, she joined the Astorian Party on its overland voyage to Oregon to set up a trading post on the Columbia River. Did she know what they were getting into? (Snake River area, 1810s - Part 1 of 3 parts) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707a.marie-dorion-part1-450.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False As the Native American bride of a French-Canadian interpreter, she joined the Astorian Party on its overland voyage to Oregon to set up a trading post on the Columbia River.... As the Native American bride of a French-Canadian interpreter, she joined the Astorian Party on its overland voyage to Oregon to set up a trading post on the Columbia River. Did she know what they were getting into? (Snake River area, 1810s - Part 1 of 3 parts) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707a.marie-dorion-part1-450.html) 00:09:46 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018a.1310a.gussie-telfair.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w018a.1310a.gussie-telfair.mp3 During its glory days, the Gertrude was the fastest blockade runner in the Confederate fleet. But just 17 years later, it was just another dumpy old steamer on a lowly coastwise run, wrecked in what was probably an insurance-fraud scheme. (Coos Bay, Coos County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310a-gussie-telfair-shipwrecked-warrior.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False During its glory days, the Gertrude was the fastest blockade runner in the Confederate fleet. But just 17 years later... During its glory days, the Gertrude was the fastest blockade runner in the Confederate fleet. But just 17 years later, it was just another dumpy old steamer on a lowly coastwise run, wrecked in what was probably an insurance-fraud scheme. (Coos Bay, Coos County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310a-gussie-telfair-shipwrecked-warrior.html) 00:07:50 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017e.2410b.mcquinn-strip-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017e.2410b.mcquinn-strip-2of2.mp3 The dispute over the McQuinn Strip was no simple neighborhood kerfuffle. The amount of land in dispute was roughly 80,000 acres — close to 10 percent of the whole Warm Springs Indian Reservation. And the dispute burned hot for 101 years. Not until 1972 did Congress finally do the right thing and pass legislation giving it back. And even then, there were still people in the government (notably the Forest Service) who didn’t want to do it. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410b1002c.mcquinn-strip-101-year-land-dispute-671.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The dispute over the McQuinn Strip was no simple neighborhood kerfuffle. The dispute over the McQuinn Strip was no simple neighborhood kerfuffle. The amount of land in dispute was roughly 80,000 acres — close to 10 percent of the whole Warm Springs Indian Reservation. And the dispute burned hot for 101 years. Not until 1972 did Congress finally do the right thing and pass legislation giving it back. And even then, there were still people in the government (notably the Forest Service) who didn’t want to do it. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410b1002c.mcquinn-strip-101-year-land-dispute-671.html) 00:08:21 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017d.2410b.mcquinn-strip-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017d.2410b.mcquinn-strip-1of2.mp3 IF THERE IS an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest active land dispute, it has to belong to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indians in central Oregon. But maybe it wouldn’t count for the record, as the land was only in dispute for the first 16 of those years. The whole rest of the time was taken up trying to get the government to follow the law and give the stolen land back. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410b1002c.mcquinn-strip-101-year-land-dispute-671.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IF THERE IS an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest active land dispute, it has to belong to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indians in central Oregon.... IF THERE IS an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest active land dispute, it has to belong to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indians in central Oregon. But maybe it wouldn’t count for the record, as the land was only in dispute for the first 16 of those years. The whole rest of the time was taken up trying to get the government to follow the law and give the stolen land back. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410b1002c.mcquinn-strip-101-year-land-dispute-671.html) 00:06:56 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017c.1906c.jost-bros-last-shanghaiers.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017c.1906c.jost-bros-last-shanghaiers.mp3 Bunco Kelley was out of prison, Mysterious Billy Smith was at loose ends, and Jumbo Riley was looking for something to do ... somehow, they ended up at a table at Erickson's Saloon with the Jost brothers, talking about getting back into the shanghaiing business. Alas, it was not to be ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1907) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906c.jost-brothers-the-last-shanghaiers-552.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Bunco Kelley was out of prison, Mysterious Billy Smith was at loose ends, and Jumbo Riley was looking for something to do ... Bunco Kelley was out of prison, Mysterious Billy Smith was at loose ends, and Jumbo Riley was looking for something to do ... somehow, they ended up at a table at Erickson's Saloon with the Jost brothers, talking about getting back into the shanghaiing business. Alas, it was not to be ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1907) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906c.jost-brothers-the-last-shanghaiers-552.html) 00:11:18 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017b.1906b.mysterious-billy-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017b.1906b.mysterious-billy-2of2.mp3 Oregon's Sailors' Boardinghouse Commission seemed completely uninterested in any enforcement activity other than ordering Larry Sullivan's competitors to leave the business. Naturally, those competitors fought back as best they could. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906b.mysterious-billy-part2of2-551.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Oregon's Sailors' Boardinghouse Commission seemed completely uninterested in any enforcement activity other than ordering Larry Sullivan's competitors to leave the business.... Oregon's Sailors' Boardinghouse Commission seemed completely uninterested in any enforcement activity other than ordering Larry Sullivan's competitors to leave the business. Naturally, those competitors fought back as best they could. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906b.mysterious-billy-part2of2-551.html) 00:10:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017a.1906a.mysterious-billy.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w017a.1906a.mysterious-billy.mp3 After Jim Turk's death, former pro prizefighter Larry Sullivan virtually owned the shanghaiing business in Portland ... but there was one competitor he couldn't seem to shake: 'Mysterious Billy' Smith, boxing's Welterweight Champion of the World -- whose 'day job' was crimping sailors. (East Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906a.mysterious-billy-smith-shanghaier-550.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False After Jim Turk's death, former pro prizefighter Larry Sullivan virtually owned the shanghaiing business in Portland ... After Jim Turk's death, former pro prizefighter Larry Sullivan virtually owned the shanghaiing business in Portland ... but there was one competitor he couldn't seem to shake: 'Mysterious Billy' Smith, boxing's Welterweight Champion of the World -- whose 'day job' was crimping sailors. (East Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906a.mysterious-billy-smith-shanghaier-550.html) 00:10:39 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016e.2511a.shanghai-pdx-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016e.2511a.shanghai-pdx-2of2.mp3 AS OF THE time of this writing, there is some disagreement over the status of Oregon’s largest city. It all came to a head last month when the President of the United States referred to it as “war-ravaged Portland” in a Tweet, and locals responded by going on Amazon and buying every inflatable frog costume they could get their hands on. Interesting times, indeed! A little over 100 years ago, though, you could have made the case that parts of Portland were — not war-ravaged, exactly, but probably the most dangerous city in North America in which to go out drinking. But the risk you ran wasn’t getting killed, injured, or — uh, ravaged. It was the risk of waking up the next morning with a splitting headache and a bad case of seasickness, on board a barque headed for Liverpool. With an angry first mate screaming at you to get up and get to work and probably giving you a few kicks in the ribs to drive the point home that, whatever you thought your occupation was last night, this morning you were a sailor. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2511a1006c.portland-shanghaiing-capital-of-world-710.076.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A little over 100 years ago, you could have made the case that parts of Portland were — not war-ravaged, exactly, but probably the most dangerous city in North America in which to go out drinking. AS OF THE time of this writing, there is some disagreement over the status of Oregon’s largest city. It all came to a head last month when the President of the United States referred to it as “war-ravaged Portland” in a Tweet, and locals responded by going on Amazon and buying every inflatable frog costume they could get their hands on. Interesting times, indeed! A little over 100 years ago, though, you could have made the case that parts of Portland were — not war-ravaged, exactly, but probably the most dangerous city in North America in which to go out drinking. But the risk you ran wasn’t getting killed, injured, or — uh, ravaged. It was the risk of waking up the next morning with a splitting headache and a bad case of seasickness, on board a barque headed for Liverpool. With an angry first mate screaming at you to get up and get to work and probably giving you a few kicks in the ribs to drive the point home that, whatever you thought your occupation was last night, this morning you were a sailor. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2511a1006c.portland-shanghaiing-capital-of-world-710.076.html) 00:09:31 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016d.2511a.shanghai-pdx-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016d.2511a.shanghai-pdx-1of2.mp3 Shanghaiing was the most extreme form of a practice called 'crimping,' which was basically a human-trafficking operation that ran on something like forced indebtedness. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2511a1006c.portland-shanghaiing-capital-of-world-710.076.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False DROPHEADFIRSTSENTENCE RESTOFDROPHEDDROPHEDDROPHEDDROPHEDandKICKERKICKERKICKER (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2511a1006c.portland-shanghaiing-capital-of-world-710.076.html) 00:09:03 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016c.1505e.holden-fbi-most-wanted.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016c.1505e.holden-fbi-most-wanted.mp3 The mild-mannered drywall contractor turned out to be a notorious gangster after an article in the Morning Oregonian published his mugshots; he was wanted for the murder of three family members. (Beaverton, Washington County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505e.holden-fbi-most-wanted-caught-341.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The mild-mannered drywall contractor turned out to be a notorious gangster after an article in the Morning Oregonian published his mugshots... The mild-mannered drywall contractor turned out to be a notorious gangster after an article in the Morning Oregonian published his mugshots; he was wanted for the murder of three family members. (Beaverton, Washington County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505e.holden-fbi-most-wanted-caught-341.html) 00:07:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 20 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016b.1906d.hold-up-session.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016b.1906d.hold-up-session.mp3 The fix was in -- all the legislators who needed to be bribed had been paid off -- so John Mitchell felt comfortable 'fessing up to his plans to double-cross Jonathan Bourne and his "Friends of Silver." But Bourne had a plan to turn that around ... (Salem, Marion County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906d.hold-up-session-1897-553.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The fix was in -- all the legislators who needed to be bribed had been paid off -- so John Mitchell felt comfortable 'fessing up to his plans to double-cross Jonathan Bourne... The fix was in -- all the legislators who needed to be bribed had been paid off -- so John Mitchell felt comfortable 'fessing up to his plans to double-cross Jonathan Bourne and his "Friends of Silver." But Bourne had a plan to turn that around ... (Salem, Marion County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1906d.hold-up-session-1897-553.html) 00:12:23 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016a.1203c.outback-bootleggers.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w016a.1203c.outback-bootleggers.mp3 Central and Eastern Oregon was “Oregon's liquor cabinet” during Prohibition; its wide open spaces and tight-knit communities made busting bootleggers uncommonly difficult there. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1203c-moonshiners-of-oregon-outback.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Central and Eastern Oregon was “Oregon's liquor cabinet” during Prohibition... Central and Eastern Oregon was “Oregon's liquor cabinet” during Prohibition; its wide open spaces and tight-knit communities made busting bootleggers uncommonly difficult there. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1203c-moonshiners-of-oregon-outback.html) 00:07:03 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015e.2410a.bing-cherry-lewelling.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015e.2410a.bing-cherry-lewelling.mp3 WHEN CHERRY SEASON rolls around, there’s never much doubt about what varieties you’ll find in your local grocery store. They’ll usually have some white or blush cherries, typically Royal Anne or Rainier; but most of them will be Bings. Among cherry fans, the deep-red Bing is the gold standard, and has been for well over 100 years now. Rich and sweet, almost like chocolate in its intensity of flavor, the Bing dominates the supermarket and is most people’s favorite variety. And there is probably no single fruit that’s more closely associated with the state of Oregon than this heavenly cherry, the ancestors of which actually crossed the Oregon Trail and may have saved its fellow travelers on the wagon train from harm at the hands of some fed-up Indian tribes along the way. For all of that, we mostly have three fruit-growing brothers to thank: Henderson Luelling, and his younger brothers John and Seth. ... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410a1001b_luelling-oregon-trail-story-670.056.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False WHEN CHERRY SEASON rolls around, there’s never much doubt about what varieties you’ll find in your local grocery store.... WHEN CHERRY SEASON rolls around, there’s never much doubt about what varieties you’ll find in your local grocery store. They’ll usually have some white or blush cherries, typically Royal Anne or Rainier; but most of them will be Bings. Among cherry fans, the deep-red Bing is the gold standard, and has been for well over 100 years now. Rich and sweet, almost like chocolate in its intensity of flavor, the Bing dominates the supermarket and is most people’s favorite variety. And there is probably no single fruit that’s more closely associated with the state of Oregon than this heavenly cherry, the ancestors of which actually crossed the Oregon Trail and may have saved its fellow travelers on the wagon train from harm at the hands of some fed-up Indian tribes along the way. For all of that, we mostly have three fruit-growing brothers to thank: Henderson Luelling, and his younger brothers John and Seth. ... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2410a1001b_luelling-oregon-trail-story-670.056.html) 00:10:47 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 15 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015d.1706a.governor-geer-bicycle.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015d.1706a.governor-geer-bicycle.mp3 Hopping on an old steel one-speed and pedaling 30 miles, then mowing a half-acre of lawn with a push mower, chopping down an oak tree twice, and riding 30 miles back again — it was all in a weekend's work for Gov. T.T. Geer. (Champoeg, Marion County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706a.governor-geer-bicycles-to-champoeg-446.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Hopping on an old steel one-speed and pedaling 30 miles, then mowing a half-acre of lawn with a push mower, chopping down an oak tree twice, and riding 30 miles back again... Hopping on an old steel one-speed and pedaling 30 miles, then mowing a half-acre of lawn with a push mower, chopping down an oak tree twice, and riding 30 miles back again — it was all in a weekend's work for Gov. T.T. Geer. (Champoeg, Marion County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706a.governor-geer-bicycles-to-champoeg-446.html) 00:09:47 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015c.1002a.robbers-lifesavers.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015c.1002a.robbers-lifesavers.mp3 The armed men who apparently came to rob and kill the travelers helped pull them over the summit of McKenzie pass instead - after discovering there were six children in the wagon. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1002a_Robbers.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The armed men who apparently came to rob and kill the travelers helped pull them over the summit of McKenzie pass instead ... The armed men who apparently came to rob and kill the travelers helped pull them over the summit of McKenzie pass instead - after discovering there were six children in the wagon. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1002a_Robbers.html) 00:06:04 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015b.1905c.diamond-bill-heiress-whisperer.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015b.1905c.diamond-bill-heiress-whisperer.mp3 'Diamond Bill' Barrett earned his nickname by sweet-talking a jewelry store into letting him borrow a $55,000 diamond, which he promptly hocked. Later, he deployed that legendary charm to sweet-talk two heiresses into marrying him, then disappeared with showgirl-turned-trophy-wife Sidi Wirt Spreckels' $100,000 string of pearls. But the mystery remains: Did he really steal Sidi's pearls ... or did he fence them for her? (Hillsboro, Washington County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905c.diamond-bill-barrett-heiress-whisperer-548.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False 'Diamond Bill' Barrett earned his nickname by sweet-talking a jewelry store into letting him borrow a $55,000 diamond, which he promptly hocked.... 'Diamond Bill' Barrett earned his nickname by sweet-talking a jewelry store into letting him borrow a $55,000 diamond, which he promptly hocked. Later, he deployed that legendary charm to sweet-talk two heiresses into marrying him, then disappeared with showgirl-turned-trophy-wife Sidi Wirt Spreckels' $100,000 string of pearls. But the mystery remains: Did he really steal Sidi's pearls ... or did he fence them for her? (Hillsboro, Washington County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905c.diamond-bill-barrett-heiress-whisperer-548.html) 00:13:15 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 12 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015a.tacoma-shipwreck-cowardice.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w015a.tacoma-shipwreck-cowardice.mp3 At the critical moment, the keeper of the rescue station at Cape Arago lost his nerve and deserted his waiting crew. Eleven shipwrecked sailors drowned while he huddled behind the warm stove in his cabin. (Cape Arago, Coos County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905b.lighthouse-keeper-cowardice-547.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False At the critical moment, the keeper of the rescue station at Cape Arago lost his nerve and deserted his waiting crew.... At the critical moment, the keeper of the rescue station at Cape Arago lost his nerve and deserted his waiting crew. Eleven shipwrecked sailors drowned while he huddled behind the warm stove in his cabin. (Cape Arago, Coos County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905b.lighthouse-keeper-cowardice-547.html) 00:10:38 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014e.2510a.oregon-vortex.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014e.2510a.oregon-vortex.mp3 ABOUT 20 YEARS ago, Alex Hirsch, a student at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, set out to make a low-budget short animated film that he hoped would become a demo reel one day. It was called “Gravity Falls” … you have perhaps heard of it, yes? Hirsch used the 11-minute reel to pitch Disney on his show, and they snapped it up. To say it was a success is to understate things quite a bit; when it debuted in 2012 the show was probably the biggest new thing on The Disney Channel that year. Gravity Falls is the adventures and misadventures of a pair of 12-year-old fraternal twins who are sent off to spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan, who has converted his A-frame cabin deep in the backwoods of Oregon into a tourist trap that he calls “The Mystery Shack.” The inspiration for the show, Hirch told reporters, was the “mystery” type roadside attractions that he used to visit with his family when he and his twin sister were young. Places like “The Mystery Spot,” a short distance from his home in the San Francisco Bay area — and the attraction that inspired The Mystery Spot: The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery, near the town of Gold Hill. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2510a1002d.oregon-vortex-keeps-experts-guessing-709.063.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False ABOUT 20 YEARS ago, Alex Hirsch, a student at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, set out to make what he hoped would become a demo reel one day. It was called “Gravity Falls” … you have perhaps heard of it, yes? ABOUT 20 YEARS ago, Alex Hirsch, a student at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, set out to make a low-budget short animated film that he hoped would become a demo reel one day. It was called “Gravity Falls” … you have perhaps heard of it, yes? Hirsch used the 11-minute reel to pitch Disney on his show, and they snapped it up. To say it was a success is to understate things quite a bit; when it debuted in 2012 the show was probably the biggest new thing on The Disney Channel that year. Gravity Falls is the adventures and misadventures of a pair of 12-year-old fraternal twins who are sent off to spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan, who has converted his A-frame cabin deep in the backwoods of Oregon into a tourist trap that he calls “The Mystery Shack.” The inspiration for the show, Hirch told reporters, was the “mystery” type roadside attractions that he used to visit with his family when he and his twin sister were young. Places like “The Mystery Spot,” a short distance from his home in the San Francisco Bay area — and the attraction that inspired The Mystery Spot: The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery, near the town of Gold Hill. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2510a1002d.oregon-vortex-keeps-experts-guessing-709.063.html) 00:10:41 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014d.23-04.caralyn-shelton-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014d.23-04.caralyn-shelton-2of2.mp3 HALFWAY THROUGH HIS second term in office, Governor Chamberlain ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and won the election. So he resigned his office as governor in favor of his Secretary of State, Frank W. Benson, and prepared to board an eastbound train to take his new seat. There was a problem, though.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-04.caralyn-shelton-first-woman-guv-620.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False HALFWAY THROUGH HIS second term in office, Governor Chamberlain ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and won the election.... HALFWAY THROUGH HIS second term in office, Governor Chamberlain ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and won the election. So he resigned his office as governor in favor of his Secretary of State, Frank W. Benson, and prepared to board an eastbound train to take his new seat. There was a problem, though.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-04.caralyn-shelton-first-woman-guv-620.html) 00:09:06 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014c.23-04.caralyn-shelton-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014c.23-04.caralyn-shelton-1of2.mp3 IF YOU ASK most Oregonians who the first woman governor in state history was, they’ll have an immediate answer … but they’ll be wrong. Conventional wisdom holds that the first woman to take the gubernatorial purple in the Beaver State was Barbara Roberts, who was elected to the job in 1990. In fact, that’s almost true … but, of course, “almost” doesn’t work very well as an answer to a true-or-false question. The truth is, Barbara Roberts was the first elected woman governor in Oregon history. But the first woman to serve as governor of Oregon — or any other state, for that matter — was a remarkable woman named Caralyn B. Shelton. It was because of Caralyn Shelton that Oregon, for one historic weekend in early 1909, became the first and only state in the nation with a female governor. This was especially ironic because it wasn’t until 1912 that women won the right to vote in Oregon. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-04.caralyn-shelton-first-woman-guv-620.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IF YOU ASK most Oregonians who the first woman governor in state history was, they’ll have an immediate answer … but they’ll be wrong. IF YOU ASK most Oregonians who the first woman governor in state history was, they’ll have an immediate answer … but they’ll be wrong. Conventional wisdom holds that the first woman to take the gubernatorial purple in the Beaver State was Barbara Roberts, who was elected to the job in 1990. In fact, that’s almost true … but, of course, “almost” doesn’t work very well as an answer to a true-or-false question. The truth is, Barbara Roberts was the first elected woman governor in Oregon history. But the first woman to serve as governor of Oregon — or any other state, for that matter — was a remarkable woman named Caralyn B. Shelton. It was because of Caralyn Shelton that Oregon, for one historic weekend in early 1909, became the first and only state in the nation with a female governor. This was especially ironic because it wasn’t until 1912 that women won the right to vote in Oregon. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-04.caralyn-shelton-first-woman-guv-620.html) 00:09:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014b.23-01.land-fraud-trials-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014b.23-01.land-fraud-trials-1of2.mp3 Happily ensconced in their little bubble of like-minded businessmen and politicians, the land thieves had gotten to be a bit out of touch with how their activities were playing with the public. As the new century dawned, the old “greed is good” ethos of the Gilded Age was wearing very thin. Members of the public, watching fat cats from out of state (or even out of country) take advantage of the situation to build vast absentee empires, were starting to notice, and resent. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-01.land-fraud-trials-617.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Happily ensconced in their little bubble of like-minded businessmen and politicians, the land thieves had gotten to be a bit out of touch with how their activities were playing with the public.... Happily ensconced in their little bubble of like-minded businessmen and politicians, the land thieves had gotten to be a bit out of touch with how their activities were playing with the public. As the new century dawned, the old “greed is good” ethos of the Gilded Age was wearing very thin. Members of the public, watching fat cats from out of state (or even out of country) take advantage of the situation to build vast absentee empires, were starting to notice, and resent. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-01.land-fraud-trials-617.html) 00:08:11 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014a.land-fraud-trials-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w014a.land-fraud-trials-1of2.mp3 ON THE MORNING of Dec. 7, 1904, Stephen A.D. Puter had just arrived at the office of U.S. Marshal Jack Matthews. He was expecting some friends to come by … and bail him out of jail. Puter had just been convicted of masterminding a plan to swindle the U.S. government out of thousands of acres of prime timberlands. He had not yet been sentenced. Like all convicts, he had the option of either staying in jail until sentencing, or posting bail. In his case, bail was set at $4,000. He figured his friends — or, rather, unindicted co-conspirators — would be by shortly to help him raise the funds. No one came. It was starting to dawn on Puter that no one was going to come. He now realized he was to be sacrificed to appease the gods in Washington D.C. He was to be thrown under the bus, branded a “bad apple” and socially disowned in order to protect the bigger fish involved and enable them to keep the good times rolling. And how much bigger were those bigger fish? Well, several of them were out-of-state millionaires; two of them were members of the U.S. House of Representatives; and one was United States Senator John H. Mitchell. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-01.land-fraud-trials-617.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False ON THE MORNING of Dec. 7, 1904, Stephen A.D. Puter had just arrived at the office of U.S. Marshal Jack Matthews. He was expecting some friends to come by … and bail him out of jail.... ON THE MORNING of Dec. 7, 1904, Stephen A.D. Puter had just arrived at the office of U.S. Marshal Jack Matthews. He was expecting some friends to come by … and bail him out of jail. Puter had just been convicted of masterminding a plan to swindle the U.S. government out of thousands of acres of prime timberlands. He had not yet been sentenced. Like all convicts, he had the option of either staying in jail until sentencing, or posting bail. In his case, bail was set at $4,000. He figured his friends — or, rather, unindicted co-conspirators — would be by shortly to help him raise the funds. No one came. It was starting to dawn on Puter that no one was going to come. He now realized he was to be sacrificed to appease the gods in Washington D.C. He was to be thrown under the bus, branded a “bad apple” and socially disowned in order to protect the bigger fish involved and enable them to keep the good times rolling. And how much bigger were those bigger fish? Well, several of them were out-of-state millionaires; two of them were members of the U.S. House of Representatives; and one was United States Senator John H. Mitchell. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-01.land-fraud-trials-617.html) 00:09:17 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013e.21-01b.fbi-most-wanted-cowboy-jim.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013e.21-01b.fbi-most-wanted-cowboy-jim.mp3 LATE IN THE MONTH of March, 1948, in the small coastal town of Gearhart, Pauline Virgin, 12, and her cousin Navarre Smith, 14, were listening to the famous “Gang Busters” radio program on radio station KEX (A.M. 1190). The radio host was telling the story of a wanted criminal named John Harvey Bugg, who back in 1945 had kidnapped a county sheriff, robbed him, and tied him to a telephone pole. Listeners were urged to be on the lookout for a man who walked with a limp, loved horses, and had the word “LOVE” tattooed across the knuckles of his left hand. “Why — that’s Cowboy Jim!” Pauline exclaimed. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-01.cowboy-jim-and-painter-ken-FBI-most-wanted.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False LATE IN THE MONTH of March, 1948, in the small coastal town of Gearhart, Pauline Virgin, 12, and her cousin Navarre Smith, 14, were listening to the famous “Gang Busters” radio program on radio station KEX (A.M. 1190). ... LATE IN THE MONTH of March, 1948, in the small coastal town of Gearhart, Pauline Virgin, 12, and her cousin Navarre Smith, 14, were listening to the famous “Gang Busters” radio program on radio station KEX (A.M. 1190). The radio host was telling the story of a wanted criminal named John Harvey Bugg, who back in 1945 had kidnapped a county sheriff, robbed him, and tied him to a telephone pole. Listeners were urged to be on the lookout for a man who walked with a limp, loved horses, and had the word “LOVE” tattooed across the knuckles of his left hand. “Why — that’s Cowboy Jim!” Pauline exclaimed. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-01.cowboy-jim-and-painter-ken-FBI-most-wanted.html) 00:09:13 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013d.21-01a.fbi-most-wanted-painter-ken-1of2-NEW%20YEARS%20DAY.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013d.21-01a.fbi-most-wanted-painter-ken-1of2-NEW%20YEARS%20DAY.mp3 HAPPY NEW YEAR! In the spirit of the American tradition of the season, today we’re going to explore the stories of two Missouri men whose New Year’s Resolutions probably once included “Give up crime” and “Hide from the F.B.I.” This is the sort of thing that used to be very easy to do in Oregon, which is actually the only state (so far as I have been able to learn) to have ever had one of its U.S. Senators serve under an alias which he adopted while running from law enforcement. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-01.cowboy-jim-and-painter-ken-FBI-most-wanted.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False HAPPY NEW YEAR! In the spirit of the American tradition of the season, today we’re going to explore the stories of two Missouri men whose New Year’s Resolutions probably once included “Give up crime” and “Hide from the F.B.I.”... HAPPY NEW YEAR! In the spirit of the American tradition of the season, today we’re going to explore the stories of two Missouri men whose New Year’s Resolutions probably once included “Give up crime” and “Hide from the F.B.I.” This is the sort of thing that used to be very easy to do in Oregon, which is actually the only state (so far as I have been able to learn) to have ever had one of its U.S. Senators serve under an alias which he adopted while running from law enforcement. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-01.cowboy-jim-and-painter-ken-FBI-most-wanted.html) 00:08:43 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013c.1204d.kate-ann-williams-starvation-cult-assoc2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013c.1204d.kate-ann-williams-starvation-cult-assoc2of2.mp3 The motto of Kate Ann Williams' cult was “Pray and be Cured,” and adherents went on rigorous 40-day fasts that occasionally killed them. The cult disappeared after its leader, who was Mayor George Williams' wife, starved herself to death. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1204d-kate-williams-starvation-cult.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The motto of Kate Ann Williams' cult was “Pray and be Cured,” and adherents went on rigorous 40-day fasts that occasionally killed them.... The motto of Kate Ann Williams' cult was “Pray and be Cured,” and adherents went on rigorous 40-day fasts that occasionally killed them. The cult disappeared after its leader, who was Mayor George Williams' wife, starved herself to death. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1204d-kate-williams-starvation-cult.html) 00:09:08 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 30 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013b.1204c.george-williams-SCOTUS-assoc1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013b.1204c.george-williams-SCOTUS-assoc1of2.mp3 Senate committee went from a solid consensus to confirm George H. Williams, to a firm determination not to, in just one week. The cause? Most believed it was because of the arrogant attitude of Mrs. Williams toward the senators' wives. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1204c-williams-scotus-confirmation-scotched-by-wife.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Senate committee went from a solid consensus to confirm George H. Williams, to a firm determination not to, in just one week. The cause?Well, you see .... Senate committee went from a solid consensus to confirm George H. Williams, to a firm determination not to, in just one week. The cause? Most believed it was because of the arrogant attitude of Mrs. Williams toward the senators' wives. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1204c-williams-scotus-confirmation-scotched-by-wife.html) 00:08:58 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 29 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013a.1706b.yaquina-head-foulweather-light.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w013a.1706b.yaquina-head-foulweather-light.mp3 Today known properly as Yaquina Head Light, the state's tallest lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction, and until recently was the home of the nation's only wheelchair-accessible tidepools. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706b.yaquina-head-light-should-have-been-cape-foulweather-light-447.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Today known properly as Yaquina Head Light, the state's tallest lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction.... Today known properly as Yaquina Head Light, the state's tallest lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction, and until recently was the home of the nation's only wheelchair-accessible tidepools. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706b.yaquina-head-light-should-have-been-cape-foulweather-light-447.html) 00:08:47 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 26 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012e.23-03b.body-snatchers-william-ladd-2of2.mp3- https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012e.23-03b.body-snatchers-william-ladd-2of2.mp3 Police figured out who the body snatchers were before they even had time to think about writing a ransom note — so their sentences were much lighter than they would have been if they'd had time to add extortion to the rap. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-03.body-snatchers-resurrected-william-ladd-619.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Police figured out who the body snatchers were before they even had time to think about writing a ransom note... Police figured out who the body snatchers were before they even had time to think about writing a ransom note — so their sentences were much lighter than they would have been if they'd had time to add extortion to the rap. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-03.body-snatchers-resurrected-william-ladd-619.html) 00:12:15 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 25 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012d.23-03a.body-snatchers-dig-up-ladd-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012d.23-03a.body-snatchers-dig-up-ladd-1of2.mp3 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY was a kind of golden age of body snatching. Digging up the freshly dead to cash the corpse in at the back door of a nearby medical school was — well, not common exactly, but far from unheard-of. So when, around the middle of May 1897, Daniel Magone and Charles Montgomery asked a 20-year-old wood hauler named William Rector to help them steal a corpse out of River View Cemetery, Rector didn’t react the way you or I would. A job was a job, and Rector needed the work, and although it was technically illegal, one couldn’t really get into too much trouble for it … provided, of course, that the corpse being snatched belonged to a poor person. Body snatching as it was practiced back then was an ancillary industry to the medical profession. Medical colleges needed a constant supply of cadavers to dissect in their labs, and there were never enough available through legitimate sources to slake the demand. Well, nature abhors a vacuum, and so does a market; so, an underground industry of body-snatchers, also called “resurrection men,” developed to meet the demand for fresh corpses, by stealing them out of cemeteries in the middle of the night.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-03.body-snatchers-resurrected-william-ladd-619.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False THE NINETEENTH CENTURY was a kind of golden age of body snatching. Digging up the freshly dead to cash the corpse in at the back door of a nearby medical school was — well, not common exactly, but far from unheard-of.... THE NINETEENTH CENTURY was a kind of golden age of body snatching. Digging up the freshly dead to cash the corpse in at the back door of a nearby medical school was — well, not common exactly, but far from unheard-of. So when, around the middle of May 1897, Daniel Magone and Charles Montgomery asked a 20-year-old wood hauler named William Rector to help them steal a corpse out of River View Cemetery, Rector didn’t react the way you or I would. A job was a job, and Rector needed the work, and although it was technically illegal, one couldn’t really get into too much trouble for it … provided, of course, that the corpse being snatched belonged to a poor person. Body snatching as it was practiced back then was an ancillary industry to the medical profession. Medical colleges needed a constant supply of cadavers to dissect in their labs, and there were never enough available through legitimate sources to slake the demand. Well, nature abhors a vacuum, and so does a market; so, an underground industry of body-snatchers, also called “resurrection men,” developed to meet the demand for fresh corpses, by stealing them out of cemeteries in the middle of the night.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-03.body-snatchers-resurrected-william-ladd-619.html) 00:10:43 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012c.1311d.blue-ruin-prohibition-law.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012c.1311d.blue-ruin-prohibition-law.mp3 Before Oregon was even a state, its territorial government outlawed all booze. Why? It all has to do with a fellow who could probably be called the true founder of the city of Portland — and his ever-bubbling moonshine still. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311d-blue-ruin-whiskey-sparks-oregons-first-prohibition.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Before Oregon was even a state, its territorial government outlawed all booze. Why? Well, you see ... Before Oregon was even a state, its territorial government outlawed all booze. Why? It all has to do with a fellow who could probably be called the true founder of the city of Portland — and his ever-bubbling moonshine still. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311d-blue-ruin-whiskey-sparks-oregons-first-prohibition.html) 00:11:34 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012b.20-09b.rice-and-sullivan-goldfield-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012b.20-09b.rice-and-sullivan-goldfield-2of2.mp3 BY THE TIME George Graham Rice met Larry Sullivan at Sullivan and Grant’s “palace” in Goldfield, he was doing a booming business in Nevada as the owner and copywriter of an advertising agency, working with the local mine owners. He provided a full-service kind of operation — not only placing ads for investors, but also sending out hundreds of fake “human interest” stories about life in the mining camps for East Coast and West Coast newspapers to run. These articles were basically dime-novel narratives of feuds and gunfights and gold strikes and virtuous-maiden-rescuings and all the other wild-West story tropes; and, of course, they prominently featured Rice’s clients in heroic roles. They were eagerly run by newspapers all over the country, and were very popular with readers. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-09.larry-sullivan-goldfield-swindles.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False BY THE TIME George Graham Rice met Larry Sullivan at Sullivan and Grant’s “palace” in Goldfield, he was doing a booming business in Nevada as the owner and copywriter of an advertising agency... BY THE TIME George Graham Rice met Larry Sullivan at Sullivan and Grant’s “palace” in Goldfield, he was doing a booming business in Nevada as the owner and copywriter of an advertising agency, working with the local mine owners. He provided a full-service kind of operation — not only placing ads for investors, but also sending out hundreds of fake “human interest” stories about life in the mining camps for East Coast and West Coast newspapers to run. These articles were basically dime-novel narratives of feuds and gunfights and gold strikes and virtuous-maiden-rescuings and all the other wild-West story tropes; and, of course, they prominently featured Rice’s clients in heroic roles. They were eagerly run by newspapers all over the country, and were very popular with readers. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-09.larry-sullivan-goldfield-swindles.html) 00:12:03 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012a.20-09a.larry-sullivan-george-rice-goldfield-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w012a.20-09a.larry-sullivan-george-rice-goldfield-1of2.mp3 For anyone interested in the shanghaiing of sailors on the old Portland waterfront, the name “Larry Sullivan” needs no introduction. Smooth, polished, well-connected and ruthless, Larry Sullivan was essentially the Boss Tweed of the Portland waterfront from the early 1890s right up to the moment the music stopped. But in 1904, as the upcoming Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition drew near, a reforming spirit was in the Portland air. Thousands of visitors were about to come to Portland and see it for the first time, and the city’s underworld was far too much on public display for that to go well if changes were not made. Larry Sullivan *was* the Portland underworld, and he had good enough political instincts to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. Selling his stake in the Portland Club, his gambling house, to fellow underworld tycoon Nate Solomon and closing the doors on his sailors’ boardinghouse, Larry packed up and headed east, looking for fresh fields of endeavor. And, in a rip-roaring Nevada mining boomtown called Goldfield, he found what he was looking for. And it was at The Palace that Larry met one of the most colorful and rascally characters in the history of American con-artistry: George Graham Rice. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-09.larry-sullivan-goldfield-swindles.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False For anyone interested in the shanghaiing of sailors on the old Portland waterfront, the name “Larry Sullivan” needs no introduction. Smooth, polished, well-connected and ruthless, Larry Sullivan was essentially the Boss Tweed of the Portland waterfront from the early 1890s right up to the moment the music stopped. But in 1904, as the upcoming Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition drew near, a reforming spirit was in the Portland air. Thousands of visitors were about to come to Portland and see it for the first time, and the city’s underworld was far too much on public display for that to go well if changes were not made. Larry Sullivan *was* the Portland underworld, and he had good enough political instincts to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. Selling his stake in the Portland Club, his gambling house, to fellow underworld tycoon Nate Solomon and closing the doors on his sailors’ boardinghouse, Larry packed up and headed east, looking for fresh fields of endeavor. And, in a rip-roaring Nevada mining boomtown called Goldfield, he found what he was looking for. And it was at The Palace that Larry met one of the most colorful and rascally characters in the history of American con-artistry: George Graham Rice. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-09.larry-sullivan-goldfield-swindles.html) 00:10:49 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011e.1312e.wives-stripped-of-citizenship-at-altar.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011e.1312e.wives-stripped-of-citizenship-at-altar.mp3 Women who'd married German men suddenly learned they'd been legally (and very unconstitutionally) made stateless, and were forced to register as 'enemy aliens'; those who'd married Chinese men fared even worse. (Statewide; 1910s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312e-germans-in-oregon-enemy-aliens.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Women who'd married German men suddenly learned they'd been legally (and very unconstitutionally) made stateless Women who'd married German men suddenly learned they'd been legally (and very unconstitutionally) made stateless, and were forced to register as 'enemy aliens'; those who'd married Chinese men fared even worse. (Statewide; 1910s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312e-germans-in-oregon-enemy-aliens.html) 00:09:14 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011d.23-02.gold-rush-beaver-money.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011d.23-02.gold-rush-beaver-money.mp3 If you’d been lucky enough to live in Portland in July of 1848, you would have been able to say, literally, that your ship had come in. The ship in question was the sailing ship Honolulu. And, funny thing: she arrived in port in ballast, with her cargo holds empty. That raised some eyebrows. At the time, Oregon was not even part of the U.S.A. yet — just a vast extranational territory jointly claimed by the U.S. and Britain. There was no national government authority to issue money, nor was there any gold or silver around to make money with. Wheat was officially legal tender there; but, there wasn’t much wheat being harvested in July. All of Oregon was on a barter economy. Down in Oregon City, Provisional Governor George Abernethy was actually using specially marked pebbles, known as “Abernethy Rocks,” as fungible I.O.U.s in the Methodist mission merchantile store that he was in charge of. Presumably the captain of the Honolulu would not be interested in investing in Abernethy Rocks. So, what was he going to do in Portland with nothing to trade with? The answer wasn’t long in coming. The skipper headed straight into town almost the moment the Honolulu was at the dock. He raced from one store to another, snapping up every pick, shovel, and washpan he could get his hands on. And paying for them with gold dust. (Statewide; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-02.gold-rush-beaver-money.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False If you’d been lucky enough to live in Portland in July of 1848, you would have been able to say, literally, that your ship had come in.... If you’d been lucky enough to live in Portland in July of 1848, you would have been able to say, literally, that your ship had come in. The ship in question was the sailing ship Honolulu. And, funny thing: she arrived in port in ballast, with her cargo holds empty. That raised some eyebrows. At the time, Oregon was not even part of the U.S.A. yet — just a vast extranational territory jointly claimed by the U.S. and Britain. There was no national government authority to issue money, nor was there any gold or silver around to make money with. Wheat was officially legal tender there; but, there wasn’t much wheat being harvested in July. All of Oregon was on a barter economy. Down in Oregon City, Provisional Governor George Abernethy was actually using specially marked pebbles, known as “Abernethy Rocks,” as fungible I.O.U.s in the Methodist mission merchantile store that he was in charge of. Presumably the captain of the Honolulu would not be interested in investing in Abernethy Rocks. So, what was he going to do in Portland with nothing to trade with? The answer wasn’t long in coming. The skipper headed straight into town almost the moment the Honolulu was at the dock. He raced from one store to another, snapping up every pick, shovel, and washpan he could get his hands on. And paying for them with gold dust. (Statewide; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/23-02.gold-rush-beaver-money.html) 00:09:46 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011c.1311c.riverboat-alaska-sinking-hurricane.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011c.1311c.riverboat-alaska-sinking-hurricane.mp3 Designed for calm inland waterways, the sidewheel steamboat Alaskan was no match for the massive late-spring gale that pounced on it off Cape Blanco one fateful night in 1889. (Cape Blanco, Curry County; 1889) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311c-riverboat-alaskan-caught-in-offshore-hurricane.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Designed for calm inland waterways, the sidewheel steamboat Alaskan was no match for the massive late-spring gale that pounced on it... Designed for calm inland waterways, the sidewheel steamboat Alaskan was no match for the massive late-spring gale that pounced on it off Cape Blanco one fateful night in 1889. (Cape Blanco, Curry County; 1889) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311c-riverboat-alaskan-caught-in-offshore-hurricane.html) 00:08:57 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011b.2102a.shipwreck-looters-beach-party.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011b.2102a.shipwreck-looters-beach-party.mp3 ON THE MORNING OF NOV. 5, 1915, at the back of the entrance to Coos Bay, a big steamship could be seen towering improbably over the beach, stuck fast in the sand close to shore. This was the Santa Clara, a 233-foot steamer on the Portland-San Francisco run. The Santa Clara didn’t much look like the scene of a humanitarian disaster, jutting out of the sand nearly plumb and level and nearly high and dry; but appearances were deceiving. Sixteen people died trying to get ashore when she first struck, three days before. Nor did the wreck scene look like a very likely place for a massive, boozy free-for-all mob rampage … but a little later on that day, after a small army of looters swarmed aboard and found certain very desirable refreshments among the ship’s cargo, things would be different.... (Coos Bay South Spit, Coos County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-02.santa-clara-shipwreck-looting-party.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False ON THE MORNING OF NOV. 5, 1915, at the back of the entrance to Coos Bay, a big steamship could be seen towering improbably over the beach, stuck fast in the sand close to shore.... ON THE MORNING OF NOV. 5, 1915, at the back of the entrance to Coos Bay, a big steamship could be seen towering improbably over the beach, stuck fast in the sand close to shore. This was the Santa Clara, a 233-foot steamer on the Portland-San Francisco run. The Santa Clara didn’t much look like the scene of a humanitarian disaster, jutting out of the sand nearly plumb and level and nearly high and dry; but appearances were deceiving. Sixteen people died trying to get ashore when she first struck, three days before. Nor did the wreck scene look like a very likely place for a massive, boozy free-for-all mob rampage … but a little later on that day, after a small army of looters swarmed aboard and found certain very desirable refreshments among the ship’s cargo, things would be different.... (Coos Bay South Spit, Coos County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-02.santa-clara-shipwreck-looting-party.html) 00:15:58 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011a.1503d.pacific-republic-scheme.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w011a.1503d.pacific-republic-scheme.mp3 Dreamed up by supporters of the old south, the plan envisioned an independent “Pacific Republic” as a slave state — to be stocked with slaves by a sort of bait-and-switch swindle. But the supporters misjudged public opinion badly. (Salem, Marion County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503d.pacific-republic-scheme-331.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Dreamed up by supporters of the old south, the plan envisioned an independent “Pacific Republic” as a slave state... Dreamed up by supporters of the old south, the plan envisioned an independent “Pacific Republic” as a slave state — to be stocked with slaves by a sort of bait-and-switch swindle. But the supporters misjudged public opinion badly. (Salem, Marion County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503d.pacific-republic-scheme-331.html) 00:08:42 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010e.2409d2.buster-keaton-cottage-grove-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010e.2409d2.buster-keaton-cottage-grove-2of2.mp3 And then there was the climactic scene, which is the main thing people talk about in South Lane County when this movie comes up. It was literally a train wreck, although metaphorically it was anything but. Buster wanted the climax of the movie to involve a locomotive falling through a burning bridge into a river. .... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2409d-1002b.buster-keaton-the-general-in-cottage-grove-668.061.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False And then there was the climactic scene, which is the main thing people talk about in South Lane County when this movie comes up..... And then there was the climactic scene, which is the main thing people talk about in South Lane County when this movie comes up. It was literally a train wreck, although metaphorically it was anything but. Buster wanted the climax of the movie to involve a locomotive falling through a burning bridge into a river. .... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2409d-1002b.buster-keaton-the-general-in-cottage-grove-668.061.html) 00:09:58 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010d.2409d.buster-keaton-cottage-grove-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010d.2409d.buster-keaton-cottage-grove-1of2.mp3 IF A COTTAGE Grove logger had been bonked on the head in January 1926, and woke up six months later, he would have scarcely recognized his home town. There was a whole new Main Street built way out east of Main Street, with businesses and boardinghouses and banks and everything.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2409d-1002b.buster-keaton-the-general-in-cottage-grove-668.061.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IF A COTTAGE Grove logger had been bonked on the head in January 1926, and woke up six months later, he would have scarcely recognized his home town.... IF A COTTAGE Grove logger had been bonked on the head in January 1926, and woke up six months later, he would have scarcely recognized his home town. There was a whole new Main Street built way out east of Main Street, with businesses and boardinghouses and banks and everything.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2409d-1002b.buster-keaton-the-general-in-cottage-grove-668.061.html) 00:09:25 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010c.2508c.prohibition-shootout-in-grand-ronde.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010c.2508c.prohibition-shootout-in-grand-ronde.mp3 IF YOU LOOK UP Prohibition Agent Glenn H. Price on the “Fallen Agents” page at www.atf.gov, you’ll get a very brief account of his death: “Prohibition Agents Glenn H. Price and Grover Todd were attempting to arrest a bootlegger named Phillip Warren in Grand Ronde, Ore. Warren escaped, obtained a rifle, and killed both agents. Warren was later taken into custody and charged with murder under state law.” All of which is true … in the same way that “Using dynamite on a beached whale in 1970 led to success in removing it from the beach” is true. It just … leaves out a few things, that’s all. (Grand Ronde, Polk and Yamhill County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508c.prohibition-shootout-in-grand-ronde-706.522.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IF YOU LOOK UP Prohibition Agent Glenn H. Price on the “Fallen Agents” page at www.atf.gov, you’ll get a very brief account of his death: IF YOU LOOK UP Prohibition Agent Glenn H. Price on the “Fallen Agents” page at www.atf.gov, you’ll get a very brief account of his death: “Prohibition Agents Glenn H. Price and Grover Todd were attempting to arrest a bootlegger named Phillip Warren in Grand Ronde, Ore. Warren escaped, obtained a rifle, and killed both agents. Warren was later taken into custody and charged with murder under state law.” All of which is true … in the same way that “Using dynamite on a beached whale in 1970 led to success in removing it from the beach” is true. It just … leaves out a few things, that’s all. (Grand Ronde, Polk and Yamhill County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508c.prohibition-shootout-in-grand-ronde-706.522.html) 00:10:52 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010b.2508b.myrtlewood-money.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010b.2508b.myrtlewood-money.mp3 IN EARLY FEBRUARY of 1933, the mayor and city council of North Bend had a big problem on their hands. It was, of course, the depths of the Great Depression — possibly the deepest of the depths. Former Oregonian President Herbert Hoover was still in office, but it was the interregnum — he’d been voted out of office three months earlier, so he was the lamest of lame ducks. All across the country, confidence in institutions like banks was at an all-time low. Every American with money in a bank account was at least a little worried about the bank just disappearing in the night with their money. Increasingly, they were going down to the local branch like in the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, and demanding their cash. Nationwide, the banks just didn’t have the liquidity to come across for every nervous depositor — so they started closing and collapsing. One of the banks that closed and almost collapsed was the only bank in North Bend, the First National Bank. It wasn’t insolvent, but it soon would have been if it had kept its doors open; so its directors locked up, promising they’d reopen soon after they’d figured out how (or if) they could make everybody whole. For every business or government agency in North Bend, this meant making payroll would be a tough trick. So, early in March — about the time President Roosevelt was inaugurated and proclaimed a nationwide “bank holiday” to stem the flood — Mayor Edgar McDaniel and local businessman Irvin Ross came up with a plan: They’d mint their own currency. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508b.1008e.myrtlewood-money-north-bend-705.086.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IN EARLY FEBRUARY of 1933, the mayor and city council of North Bend had a big problem on their hands.... It was, of course, the depths of the Great Depression — possibly the deepest of the depths. Former Oregonian President Herbert Hoover was still in office, but it was the interregnum — he’d been voted out of office three months earlier, so he was the lamest of lame ducks. All across the country, confidence in institutions like banks was at an all-time low. Every American with money in a bank account was at least a little worried about the bank just disappearing in the night with their money. Increasingly, they were going down to the local branch like in the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, and demanding their cash. Nationwide, the banks just didn’t have the liquidity to come across for every nervous depositor — so they started closing and collapsing. One of the banks that closed and almost collapsed was the only bank in North Bend, the First National Bank. It wasn’t insolvent, but it soon would have been if it had kept its doors open; so its directors locked up, promising they’d reopen soon after they’d figured out how (or if) they could make everybody whole. For every business or government agency in North Bend, this meant making payroll would be a tough trick. So, early in March — about the time President Roosevelt was inaugurated and proclaimed a nationwide “bank holiday” to stem the flood — Mayor Edgar McDaniel and local businessman Irvin Ross came up with a plan: They’d mint their own currency. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508b.1008e.myrtlewood-money-north-bend-705.086.html) 00:10:04 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010a.2501c.rabbit-drives.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w010a.2501c.rabbit-drives.mp3 Imagine, for a moment, that you’re passing through a little Harney County town when you see, in a used-car lot, a DMC DeLorean that someone has modified as a replica of the car from Back to the Future. It even has a replica flux capacitor, and the readout of the dates in old-school LED readouts on the dash. The price is right, so you buy it, and immediately you want to take it out on the highway and see what the replica equipment does when you hit 88 miles an hour. Twiddling the knobs, you set the red “Destination Time” readout for something random, which turns out to be “July 15, 1908.” Then you punch it, and watch the speedometer needle rise towards 88. There is a sudden flash of light and then the car starts shaking vigorously. You think you must have had a blowout, but as you slow down you realize the pavement on the highway has run out and you’re rocketing over a potholed, washboarded dirt road at 88 miles an hour. You quickly slow to a stop. And that’s when you realize that the car isn’t a replica, or even a movie prop. It’s an actual working time machine, and it has brought you back to — what was that date again? July 15, 1908? You’ve come to a stop in a part of the road that overlooks a shallow canyon, close by the rim. You see something moving in the canyon below, so you get out for a better look. In the canyon below, you see a line of people — probably 200 of them — moving through the sagebrush, beating at it with clubs. And the ground at the people’s feet is quick with little furry creatures — running, hopping, bounding away toward the end of the canyon, which someone has closed off and enclosed with a portable fence. Looking through your binoculars (don’t leave home without ‘em!) you see that the creatures are jackrabbits. There are literally thousands of them. And the people — men, women, and children, some of them as young as 5 or 6 — are smashing them with their clubs when they can, and driving them toward the portable-fence corral when they can’t. You’re close enough to see the joy, enthusiasm, and occasional vengeful fury on the faces of the people with the clubs. Little kids are jumping up and down waving bloody cudgels and carefully dressed ladies are daintily dabbing gore off their blouses, and everyone who is not a jackrabbit is having a thundering good time. Looking above the fray, past the tightly woven fence where a small heap of dead bunnies has been piled up, you see some other folks setting out what looks like a big multi-family picnic with, as they say, all the fixin’s. Everyone looks just as happy as a toddler at Disneyland. Except, of course, the terrified bunnies. Cold sweat stands out on your brow as you wonder if your DeLorean actually brought you not into the past, but into a David Lynch movie. In a panic you leap back into the car, start it up, and twiddle knobs until today’s date is in the red numbers. Heedless of the rough road surface, you gun the car up to 88 miles an hour, hoping desperately that the whole “lightning has to strike the car for this to work” thing isn’t also real .... (Central and Eastern Oregon; 1900s, 1910s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2501c.rabbit-drives-in-eastern-oregon-685.513.html ) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Imagine, for a moment, that you’re passing through a little Harney County town when you see, in a used-car lot, a DMC DeLorean that someone has modified as a replica of the car from Back to the Future.... Imagine, for a moment, that you’re passing through a little Harney County town when you see, in a used-car lot, a DMC DeLorean that someone has modified as a replica of the car from Back to the Future. It even has a replica flux capacitor, and the readout of the dates in old-school LED readouts on the dash. The price is right, so you buy it, and immediately you want to take it out on the highway and see what the replica equipment does when you hit 88 miles an hour. Twiddling the knobs, you set the red “Destination Time” readout for something random, which turns out to be “July 15, 1908.” Then you punch it, and watch the speedometer needle rise towards 88. There is a sudden flash of light and then the car starts shaking vigorously. You think you must have had a blowout, but as you slow down you realize the pavement on the highway has run out and you’re rocketing over a potholed, washboarded dirt road at 88 miles an hour. You quickly slow to a stop. And that’s when you realize that the car isn’t a replica, or even a movie prop. It’s an actual working time machine, and it has brought you back to — what was that date again? July 15, 1908? You’ve come to a stop in a part of the road that overlooks a shallow canyon, close by the rim. You see something moving in the canyon below, so you get out for a better look. In the canyon below, you see a line of people — probably 200 of them — moving through the sagebrush, beating at it with clubs. And the ground at the people’s feet is quick with little furry creatures — running, hopping, bounding away toward the end of the canyon, which someone has closed off and enclosed with a portable fence. Looking through your binoculars (don’t leave home without ‘em!) you see that the creatures are jackrabbits. There are literally thousands of them. And the people — men, women, and children, some of them as young as 5 or 6 — are smashing them with their clubs when they can, and driving them toward the portable-fence corral when they can’t. You’re close enough to see the joy, enthusiasm, and occasional vengeful fury on the faces of the people with the clubs. Little kids are jumping up and down waving bloody cudgels and carefully dressed ladies are daintily dabbing gore off their blouses, and everyone who is not a jackrabbit is having a thundering good time. Looking above the fray, past the tightly woven fence where a small heap of dead bunnies has been piled up, you see some other folks setting out what looks like a big multi-family picnic with, as they say, all the fixin’s. Everyone looks just as happy as a toddler at Disneyland. Except, of course, the terrified bunnies. Cold sweat stands out on your brow as you wonder if your DeLorean actually brought you not into the past, but into a David Lynch movie. In a panic you leap back into the car, start it up, and twiddle knobs until today’s date is in the red numbers. Heedless of the rough road surface, you gun the car up to 88 miles an hour, hoping desperately that the whole “lightning has to strike the car for this to work” thing isn’t also real .... (Central and Eastern Oregon; 1900s, 1910s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2501c.rabbit-drives-in-eastern-oregon-685.513.html) 00:12:37 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009e.1706c.hay-burner-cattle-powered-riverboat.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009e.1706c.hay-burner-cattle-powered-riverboat.mp3 The “Genius of Corvallis” hoped his cattle-powered riverboat would give the upper-Willamette sternwheelers a run for their money; and so it did, so long as it didn't try to go upstream... (Corvallis, Benton County; 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706c.cow-powered-riverboat-hay-burner-448.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The “Genius of Corvallis” hoped his cattle-powered riverboat would give the upper-Willamette sternwheelers a run for their money... The “Genius of Corvallis” hoped his cattle-powered riverboat would give the upper-Willamette sternwheelers a run for their money; and so it did, so long as it didn't try to go upstream... (Corvallis, Benton County; 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706c.cow-powered-riverboat-hay-burner-448.html) 00:09:13 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009d.1707d.lizard-liquor-townsend.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009d.1707d.lizard-liquor-townsend.mp3 Stranded for the winter on Sauvie Island, the members of Nathaniel Wyeth's trading post struggled to get enough to eat. But for some of them, the greater problem was finding something to drink. (Sauvie Island, Multnomah and Columbia County; 1830s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707d.townsend-lizard-liquor-453.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Stranded for the winter on Sauvie Island, the members of Nathaniel Wyeth's trading post struggled to get enough to eat.... Stranded for the winter on Sauvie Island, the members of Nathaniel Wyeth's trading post struggled to get enough to eat. But for some of them, the greater problem was finding something to drink. (Sauvie Island, Multnomah and Columbia County; 1830s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707d.townsend-lizard-liquor-453.html) 00:09:20 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009c.1707e.multnomah-falls-schemers.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009c.1707e.multnomah-falls-schemers.mp3 Original owners of the falls tried for years to log it, but the steamship and railroad moguls were making a lot of money on excursion trips, so they blocked the scheme, preserving the falls for today's park. (Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah County; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707e.fight-for-multnomah-falls-454.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Original owners of the falls tried for years to log it, but the steamship and railroad moguls were making a lot of money on excursion trips, so... Original owners of the falls tried for years to log it, but the steamship and railroad moguls were making a lot of money on excursion trips, so they blocked the scheme, preserving the falls for today's park. (Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah County; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1707e.fight-for-multnomah-falls-454.html) 00:10:28 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009b.1905d.shanghai-tunnels-myth-ish.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009b.1905d.shanghai-tunnels-myth-ish.mp3 In the glory days of Portland shanghaiing, sailors were 'helped back aboard ship' on the city streets; there was no need for a tunnel to sneak them down to the docks. But the tunnels under the saloons and streets were useful for lots of other shanghaiing-related activities ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905d.shanghai-tunnels-based-on-true-story-549.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False In the glory days of Portland shanghaiing, sailors were 'helped back aboard ship' on the city streets... In the glory days of Portland shanghaiing, sailors were 'helped back aboard ship' on the city streets; there was no need for a tunnel to sneak them down to the docks. But the tunnels under the saloons and streets were useful for lots of other shanghaiing-related activities ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905d.shanghai-tunnels-based-on-true-story-549.html) 00:11:07 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009a.1503b.erb-in-oregon.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w009a.1503b.erb-in-oregon.mp3 Had Edgar Rice Burroughs and his brothers been successful with their Snake River gold dredge, Ed likely would never have had the time or inspiration to start writing “John Carter of Mars,” “At the Earth's Core” and “Tarzan” books. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503b.edgar-rice-burroughs-in-oregon.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Had Edgar Rice Burroughs and his brothers been successful with their Snake River gold dredge, Ed likely would never have had the time or inspiration to start writing “John Carter of Mars”... Had Edgar Rice Burroughs and his brothers been successful with their Snake River gold dredge, Ed likely would never have had the time or inspiration to start writing “John Carter of Mars,” “At the Earth's Core” and “Tarzan” books. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503b.edgar-rice-burroughs-in-oregon.html) 00:08:48 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008e.2010a.aquilla-ernest-clark-shanghaiing.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008e.2010a.aquilla-ernest-clark-shanghaiing.mp3 One fine day in October of 1891, a teenage boy named Aquilla Ernest Clark left the farm in Scappoose where he’d been working, headed for Portland. He was going to see the sights and maybe show himself a good time for a few days. He wandered around the waterfront, taking drinks here and there and probably taking a hand in a card game or two; then, when it was getting close to evening, he met a pleasant fellow who happened to mention that he was staying at the sailors’ boardinghouse at Second and Glisan streets. “It’s the best place to stay in Portland,” he said. That sounded good; Aquilla needed a place to stay for the night. So he went with his new friend to the boardinghouse. “The place was rather dimly lighted,” Aquilla told author Stewart Holbrook, years later, in a 1933 interview for the Portland Sunday Oregonian. “A Scandinavian was playing an accordion in the big main room on the ground floor; several old-time seamen, or at least I took them to be such, were sitting in chairs around the room, smoking pipes that reeked to the skies and telling how these new-fangled steamboats would never amount to much.” It was good enough for Aquilla. He checked in.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-10.aquilla-clark-shanghaied-590.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False One fine day in October of 1891, a teenage boy named Aquilla Ernest Clark left the farm in Scappoose where he’d been working, headed for Portland. He was going to see the sights and maybe show himself a good time for a few days.... One fine day in October of 1891, a teenage boy named Aquilla Ernest Clark left the farm in Scappoose where he’d been working, headed for Portland. He was going to see the sights and maybe show himself a good time for a few days. He wandered around the waterfront, taking drinks here and there and probably taking a hand in a card game or two; then, when it was getting close to evening, he met a pleasant fellow who happened to mention that he was staying at the sailors’ boardinghouse at Second and Glisan streets. “It’s the best place to stay in Portland,” he said. That sounded good; Aquilla needed a place to stay for the night. So he went with his new friend to the boardinghouse. “The place was rather dimly lighted,” Aquilla told author Stewart Holbrook, years later, in a 1933 interview for the Portland Sunday Oregonian. “A Scandinavian was playing an accordion in the big main room on the ground floor; several old-time seamen, or at least I took them to be such, were sitting in chairs around the room, smoking pipes that reeked to the skies and telling how these new-fangled steamboats would never amount to much.” It was good enough for Aquilla. He checked in.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-10.aquilla-clark-shanghaied-590.html) 00:11:44 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 27 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008d.1905a.atalanta-shipwreck-bad-bet.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008d.1905a.atalanta-shipwreck-bad-bet.mp3 ONE GRAY OCTOBER day in 1898, three British ship captains were sitting in the parlor of the Seamen’s Rest, a sort of YMCA for sailors located in the bustling port of Tacoma. They were in a betting mood. One of them, although he didn’t know it, was gambling with his life. All three skippers captained full-rigged windjammers. They were H.A. Lever of the Imerhorne; David Thompson of the Earl of Dalhousie; and Charles McBride of the 265-foot clipper Atalanta. Atalanta, you may recall, was the virgin-huntress character in Greek mythology who challenged all her suitors to bet their lives on a footrace against her. If they won, they got to marry her; if they lost, they were put to death. And, until Hippomenes came along and cheated by throwing golden apples, she won, and they died, every time. The Atalanta was named after her in a reference to its great speed; she was one of the fastest sailing ships in the world. But, before too long, the name would seem appropriate in other ways as well. ... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905a.shipwreck-atalanta-wager-gone-wrong-546.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False ONE GRAY OCTOBER day in 1898, three British ship captains were sitting in the parlor of the Seamen’s Rest, a sort of YMCA for sailors located in the bustling port of Tacoma. They were in a betting mood.... ONE GRAY OCTOBER day in 1898, three British ship captains were sitting in the parlor of the Seamen’s Rest, a sort of YMCA for sailors located in the bustling port of Tacoma. They were in a betting mood. One of them, although he didn’t know it, was gambling with his life. All three skippers captained full-rigged windjammers. They were H.A. Lever of the Imerhorne; David Thompson of the Earl of Dalhousie; and Charles McBride of the 265-foot clipper Atalanta. Atalanta, you may recall, was the virgin-huntress character in Greek mythology who challenged all her suitors to bet their lives on a footrace against her. If they won, they got to marry her; if they lost, they were put to death. And, until Hippomenes came along and cheated by throwing golden apples, she won, and they died, every time. The Atalanta was named after her in a reference to its great speed; she was one of the fastest sailing ships in the world. But, before too long, the name would seem appropriate in other ways as well. ... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1905a.shipwreck-atalanta-wager-gone-wrong-546.html) 00:09:40 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008c.1312d.louie-louie-kingsmen.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008c.1312d.louie-louie-kingsmen.mp3 Portland band The Kingsmen recorded the song quickly and cheaply, and the words they were singing were unintelligible. But when the song became a hit, fans started guessing at the lyrics ... and some of them had rather dirty minds.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312d-louie-louie-kingsmen-fbi-investigation.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Portland band The Kingsmen recorded the song quickly and cheaply, and the words they were singing were unintelligible. But... Portland band The Kingsmen recorded the song quickly and cheaply, and the words they were singing were unintelligible. But when the song became a hit, fans started guessing at the lyrics ... and some of them had rather dirty minds. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312d-louie-louie-kingsmen-fbi-investigation.html) 00:11:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008b.2012a.gunfighting-rabbi.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008b.2012a.gunfighting-rabbi.mp3 Oct. 1, 1880, was a very big day in Portland. For the first time in the history of the city or the state, a sitting President of the United States had come to visit. President Rutherford B. Hayes had arrived in Portland the night before and was staying in the Esmond Hotel, the nicest in Portland at the time, on the corner of Morrison and Front streets. Portland was, of course, very much a frontier town in 1880, still dotted with the stumps of the trees that had been cleared to make room for it. So it can’t have come as too much of a surprise to the president when, at 9:30 the next morning, a gunfight broke out directly beneath his hotel window. He was probably a little more surprised, though, when he found out who the gunfighters were: It was the president of the local synagogue — and the rabbi.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-12.rabbi-gunfight-rutherford-hayes-592.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Oct. 1, 1880, was a very big day in Portland. For the first time in the history of the city or the state, a sitting President of the United States had come to visit. ... Oct. 1, 1880, was a very big day in Portland. For the first time in the history of the city or the state, a sitting President of the United States had come to visit. President Rutherford B. Hayes had arrived in Portland the night before and was staying in the Esmond Hotel, the nicest in Portland at the time, on the corner of Morrison and Front streets. Portland was, of course, very much a frontier town in 1880, still dotted with the stumps of the trees that had been cleared to make room for it. So it can’t have come as too much of a surprise to the president when, at 9:30 the next morning, a gunfight broke out directly beneath his hotel window. He was probably a little more surprised, though, when he found out who the gunfighters were: It was the president of the local synagogue — and the rabbi.... (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-12.rabbi-gunfight-rutherford-hayes-592.html) 00:11:05 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008a.1503a.emily-reed-shiprekt.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w008a.1503a.emily-reed-shiprekt.mp3 While the captain of the Emily G. Reed was sadly reporting the loss of 11 brave mariners, four of the missing were adrift, desperately bailing water out of a damaged and leaky lifeboat. Destination: Puget Sound. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503a.shipwreck-emily-g-reed.328.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False While the captain of the Emily G. Reed was sadly reporting the loss of 11 brave mariners, four of the missing were adrift... While the captain of the Emily G. Reed was sadly reporting the loss of 11 brave mariners, four of the missing were adrift, desperately bailing water out of a damaged and leaky lifeboat. Destination: Puget Sound. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503a.shipwreck-emily-g-reed.328.html) 00:08:43 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007e.2008a.timberline-skybus-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007e.2008a.timberline-skybus-2of2.mp3 IF THE IDEA of cable car service to Timberline Lodge strikes you as a not particularly bad one, you’re not alone. Over the years since the Wyler group proposed the glass-and-steel mountaintop skyscraper, several proposals have been floated for cable-car service up the mountain. So far, only one has been built, and it was an immediate and colossal failure: The Skiway Tram project. (Government Camp, Clackamas County; 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-08.timberline-lodge-skiway-bus.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False IF THE IDEA of cable car service to Timberline Lodge strikes you as a not particularly bad one, you’re not alone. IF THE IDEA of cable car service to Timberline Lodge strikes you as a not particularly bad one, you’re not alone. Over the years since the Wyler group proposed the glass-and-steel mountaintop skyscraper, several proposals have been floated for cable-car service up the mountain. So far, only one has been built, and it was an immediate and colossal failure: The Skiway Tram project. (Government Camp, Clackamas County; 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-08.timberline-lodge-skiway-bus.html) 00:07:08 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007d.2008a.timberline-skyscraper-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007d.2008a.timberline-skyscraper-1of2.mp3 HIGH UP ON the side of Mount Hood, Timberline Lodge has over the years become an Oregon icon. Its rustic, WPA-financed design and construction strike most visitors as a good fit for the state’s general reputation for woodsy civility. But had it not been for a particularly persnickety U.S. Forest Service manager, Timberline might have looked a lot different... (Timberline Lodge, Clackamas County; 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-08.timberline-lodge-skiway-bus.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False HIGH UP ON the side of Mount Hood, Timberline Lodge has over the years become an Oregon icon. But ... HIGH UP ON the side of Mount Hood, Timberline Lodge has over the years become an Oregon icon. Its rustic, WPA-financed design and construction strike most visitors as a good fit for the state’s general reputation for woodsy civility. But had it not been for a particularly persnickety U.S. Forest Service manager, Timberline might have looked a lot different... (Timberline Lodge, Clackamas County; 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-08.timberline-lodge-skiway-bus.html) 00:08:29 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007c.1311b.bill-miner-train-robber.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007c.1311b.bill-miner-train-robber.mp3 Fresh from a 20-year stretch in the pen, the famous stagecoach robber known as 'The Gray Fox' found the world had changed and he would now have to learn to rob trains instead. His learning curve started in Portland and ended in disaster. (Troutdale, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311b-bill-miner-train-robber-in-oregon.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Fresh from a 20-year stretch in the pen, the famous stagecoach robber known as 'The Gray Fox' found the world had changed... Fresh from a 20-year stretch in the pen, the famous stagecoach robber known as 'The Gray Fox' found the world had changed and he would now have to learn to rob trains instead. His learning curve started in Portland and ended in disaster. (Troutdale, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311b-bill-miner-train-robber-in-oregon.html) 00:09:24 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007b.1312b.edouard-chambreau-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007b.1312b.edouard-chambreau-2of2.mp3 After blowing his chance at a prosperous, respectable life in the Tygh Valley, the gambler and liquor man roared through frontier life as a keeper of rowdy saloons and bawdy joints before a Temperance crusader changed his life. (Part 2 of 2) (Wasco, Baker, Multnomah County; 1850s, 1860s, 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312b-edouard-chambreau-part2-portland-years.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False After blowing his chance at a prosperous, respectable life in the Tygh Valley, the gambler and liquor man roared through frontier life... After blowing his chance at a prosperous, respectable life in the Tygh Valley, the gambler and liquor man roared through frontier life as a keeper of rowdy saloons and bawdy joints before a Temperance crusader changed his life. (Part 2 of 2) (Wasco, Baker, Multnomah County; 1850s, 1860s, 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312b-edouard-chambreau-part2-portland-years.html) 00:12:30 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 17 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007a.1312a.edouard-chambreau-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w007a.1312a.edouard-chambreau-1of2.mp3 French-Canadian gambler started out as one of the most scurrilous rascals in the state, then reformed his ways and became one of its most earnest and effective reformers. This is the story of his early years. Part 1 of a 2-part series. (Lower Willamette River, Clackamas County; 1840s, 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312a-edouard-chambreau-part1-early-years.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False French-Canadian gambler started out as one of the most scurrilous rascals in the state, then reformed his ways... French-Canadian gambler started out as one of the most scurrilous rascals in the state, then reformed his ways and became one of its most earnest and effective reformers. This is the story of his early years. Part 1 of a 2-part series. (Lower Willamette River, Clackamas County; 1840s, 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312a-edouard-chambreau-part1-early-years.html) 00:09:36 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006e.1311a.boneyard-mary.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006e.1311a.boneyard-mary.mp3 The coroner ruled Thomas McMahon's death an accident, and everyone moved on. But the testimony of witness Eliza “Boneyard Mary” Bunets was suspicious and contradictory. Could she have gotten away with murder? (Portland, Multnomah County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311a-did-boneyard-mary-murder-thomas-mcmahon.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The coroner ruled Thomas McMahon's death an accident, and everyone moved on. But... The coroner ruled Thomas McMahon's death an accident, and everyone moved on. But the testimony of witness Eliza “Boneyard Mary” Bunets was suspicious and contradictory. Could she have gotten away with murder? (Portland, Multnomah County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1311a-did-boneyard-mary-murder-thomas-mcmahon.html) 00:10:20 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006d.1504a.frances-fuller-victor-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006d.1504a.frances-fuller-victor-2of2.mp3 Legendary author Frances Fuller Victor fell on hard times in the late 1870s. She never quit, but after she took a job writing for Hubert Howe Bancroft, he took credit for the books she wrote. (St. Helens, Columbia County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504a.frances-fuller-victor-part2.333.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Legendary author Frances Fuller Victor fell on hard times in the late 1870s. She never quit, but... Legendary author Frances Fuller Victor fell on hard times in the late 1870s. She never quit, but after she took a job writing for Hubert Howe Bancroft, he took credit for the books she wrote. (St. Helens, Columbia County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1504a.frances-fuller-victor-part2.333.html) 00:08:50 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006c.1503e.francis-victor-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006c.1503e.francis-victor-1of2.mp3 Frances Fuller Victor became the founding mother of all Oregon history, and one of its most important writers of all time. By the time she arrived in the Beaver State, she was already a well-known writer. (St. Helens, Columbia County; 1860s, 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503e.frances-fuller-victor-part1.332.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Frances Fuller Victor became the founding mother of all Oregon history, and one of its most important writers of all time.... Frances Fuller Victor became the founding mother of all Oregon history, and one of its most important writers of all time. By the time she arrived in the Beaver State, she was already a well-known writer. (St. Helens, Columbia County; 1860s, 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503e.frances-fuller-victor-part1.332.html) 00:08:51 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006b.2011a.arago-four-SCOTUS.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006b.2011a.arago-four-SCOTUS.mp3 In May of 1895, on the old San Francisco waterfront, four sailors signed onto the four-masted barkentine Arago for a voyage to Valparaiso, Chile (“and thence to such other foreign ports as the master might direct, and thence to return to the United States”) via Astoria. By the time they got to Astoria, the four of them had had enough of conditions on the Arago. They stepped off the ship and essentially told the skipper, “We quit.” In doing so, they changed history — and the legal status of sailors would never be the same. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-11.arago-four-sailors-slavery-591.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False In May of 1895, on the old San Francisco waterfront, four sailors signed onto the four-masted barkentine Arago for a voyage to Valparaiso, Chile... In May of 1895, on the old San Francisco waterfront, four sailors signed onto the four-masted barkentine Arago for a voyage to Valparaiso, Chile (“and thence to such other foreign ports as the master might direct, and thence to return to the United States”) via Astoria. By the time they got to Astoria, the four of them had had enough of conditions on the Arago. They stepped off the ship and essentially told the skipper, “We quit.” In doing so, they changed history — and the legal status of sailors would never be the same. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/20-11.arago-four-sailors-slavery-591.html) 16:50 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006a.1502d.lafe-pence-guild-lake.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w006a.1502d.lafe-pence-guild-lake.mp3 He might have accomplished it, too, but he lost friends when he tried to claim water rights to Bull Run, and when his primary investors went bankrupt in a bank panic, he was forced to give up the scheme and leave town. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502d.lafe-pence-guild-lake-scheme.327.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False He might have accomplished it, too, but he lost friends when he tried to claim water rights to Bull Run... He might have accomplished it, too, but he lost friends when he tried to claim water rights to Bull Run, and when his primary investors went bankrupt in a bank panic, he was forced to give up the scheme and leave town. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502d.lafe-pence-guild-lake-scheme.327.html) 00:10:00 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005e.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-3of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005e.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-3of3.mp3 THE YEARS JUST after the discovery of germ theory were a great time to be a mainstream physician. By understanding, for the first time, the true vectors of disease, doctors suddenly found they were able to make real and undeniable changes in patient outcomes. But understanding those vectors — microbes — did something else too.... (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False THE YEARS JUST after the discovery of germ theory were a great time to be a mainstream physician. But ... THE YEARS JUST after the discovery of germ theory were a great time to be a mainstream physician. By understanding, for the first time, the true vectors of disease, doctors suddenly found they were able to make real and undeniable changes in patient outcomes. But understanding those vectors — microbes — did something else too.... (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) 00:08:50 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005d.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-2of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005d.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-2of3.mp3 It was a remarkable start to an even more remarkable career — the more so as Bethenia was over 30 years old when she launched it. It was also not a “second act” career, but a fourth — she’d been a wife, then a teacher, then a hat-shop entrepreneur, and now a physician. She had seen much of the world, and conquered more than most. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False It was a remarkable start to an even more remarkable career — the more so as Bethenia was over 30 years old when she launched it.... It was a remarkable start to an even more remarkable career — the more so as Bethenia was over 30 years old when she launched it. It was also not a “second act” career, but a fourth — she’d been a wife, then a teacher, then a hat-shop entrepreneur, and now a physician. She had seen much of the world, and conquered more than most. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) 00:10:27 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005c.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005c.2504b1008c.bethenia-prometheus-1of3.mp3 In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Shelley tells the story of a brilliant and gifted scientist-physician who reaches too far in his quest for knowledge, and dares to lay his hands on the power that rightly belongs only to the gods: that of the creation of life. Oregon history has its own Modern Prometheus. She didn’t create and animate a monster out of corpse-parts, and the product of her overreach didn’t hunt her down with vengeance on its mind. But it has cast a terrible shadow over her legacy.... (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1870s, 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Shelley tells the story of a brilliant and gifted scientist-physician who reaches too far... In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Shelley tells the story of a brilliant and gifted scientist-physician who reaches too far in his quest for knowledge, and dares to lay his hands on the power that rightly belongs only to the gods: that of the creation of life. Oregon history has its own Modern Prometheus. She didn’t create and animate a monster out of corpse-parts, and the product of her overreach didn’t hunt her down with vengeance on its mind. But it has cast a terrible shadow over her legacy.... (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1870s, 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2504b1008c.bethenia-owens-adair-oregons-prometheus-697.084.html) 00:12:05 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005b.2508a1008b.astoria-party-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005b.2508a1008b.astoria-party-2of2.mp3 Yesterday, in Part One of this story, we had just gotten to the part where the Tonquin had been blown up, marooning the Astorians on the far side of the continent. But the damage done by the Tonquin and its captain, Jonathan Thorn, went far beyond the loss of the ship. Thorn’s bargaining style had not only cost the expedition its ship and stranded Fort Astoria in the wilderness, it had sent a really powerful message that the “Bostons” were dangerous and untrustworthy.... (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1810s, 1820s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508a.1008b.astoria-party-saved-oregon-from-uk-704.083.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Yesterday, we had just gotten to the part where the Tonquin had been blown up, marooning the Astorians on the far side of the continent. ... But the damage done by the Tonquin and its captain, Jonathan Thorn, went far beyond the loss of the ship. Thorn’s bargaining style had not only cost the expedition its ship and stranded Fort Astoria in the wilderness, it had sent a really powerful message that the “Bostons” were dangerous and untrustworthy.... (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1810s, 1820s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508a.1008b.astoria-party-saved-oregon-from-uk-704.083.html) 00:10:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005a.2508a1008b.astoria-party-1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w005a.2508a1008b.astoria-party-1of3.mp3 For most people today, the story of the original colony of Astoria is remembered — if it’s remembered at all — as a dismal failure. It was an ill-equipped party sent out by a rich guy in New York, which failed and was forced to sell out at fire-sale prices to the British. And yeah, that’s all kind of true … but the most interesting thing about Fort Astoria is, if John Jacob Astor’s explorers had stayed home — or even left a year later than they did — the Oregon country would probably be part of Canada today. Going a bit farther (and being quite a bit more speculative) — if Astor had made even slightly less awful hiring decisions when he launched the project, the British would likely have ended up locked out of the entire central West Coast, from Mexico to Alaska; and it’s possible, if not likely, that it would have become its own independent country, governed or ruled by Astor’s descendants. To explain all that historical what-iffery, I need to give you a Cliff’s Notes version of the story of the Astoria project. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1810s, 1820s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508a.1008b.astoria-party-saved-oregon-from-uk-704.083.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False For most people today, the story of the original colony of Astoria is remembered — if it’s remembered at all — as a dismal failure. But ... For most people today, the story of the original colony of Astoria is remembered — if it’s remembered at all — as a dismal failure. It was an ill-equipped party sent out by a rich guy in New York, which failed and was forced to sell out at fire-sale prices to the British. And yeah, that’s all kind of true … but the most interesting thing about Fort Astoria is, if John Jacob Astor’s explorers had stayed home — or even left a year later than they did — the Oregon country would probably be part of Canada today. Going a bit farther (and being quite a bit more speculative) — if Astor had made even slightly less awful hiring decisions when he launched the project, the British would likely have ended up locked out of the entire central West Coast, from Mexico to Alaska; and it’s possible, if not likely, that it would have become its own independent country, governed or ruled by Astor’s descendants. To explain all that historical what-iffery, I need to give you a Cliff’s Notes version of the story of the Astoria project. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1810s, 1820s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2508a.1008b.astoria-party-saved-oregon-from-uk-704.083.html) 00:09:40 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004e.1310d.Z.2510.johnHawkMurder.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004e.1310d.Z.2510.johnHawkMurder.mp3 Everyone thought John Hawk was stealing cattle, and he refused to talk about it. So one night, a group of cattlemen snuck into his camp and assassinated him — and were shocked by the frontier community's response. (Joseph, Wallowa County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310d-john-hawk-murder-by-vigilantes.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Everyone thought John Hawk was stealing cattle, and he refused to talk about it. So one night... Everyone thought John Hawk was stealing cattle, and he refused to talk about it. So one night, a group of cattlemen snuck into his camp and assassinated him — and were shocked by the frontier community's response. (Joseph, Wallowa County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310d-john-hawk-murder-by-vigilantes.html) 00:08:46 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 30 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004d.1502c.OVN.2510.RobuTrainRobberies.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004d.1502c.OVN.2510.RobuTrainRobberies.mp3 The job got off to a bad start when the fireman escaped and sprinted for the nearby town. The main suspect in the robbery quickly left town, and a few months later was killed in a streetcar holdup in Washington. (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502c.roseburg-train-robbery-jack-case.326.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The job got off to a bad start when the fireman escaped and sprinted for the nearby town.... The job got off to a bad start when the fireman escaped and sprinted for the nearby town. The main suspect in the robbery quickly left town, and a few months later was killed in a streetcar holdup in Washington. (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502c.roseburg-train-robbery-jack-case.326.html) 00:08:07 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004c.1502d.IO.2510.cow-creek-train-robbinz.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004c.1502d.IO.2510.cow-creek-train-robbinz.mp3 The “Baritone Bandit” led a small group of desperados with a large cache of dynamite, and they got away with a good bit of loot from the Douglas County robbery. But one of the passengers saw behind the bandit's mask ... (Cow Creek Canyon, Douglas County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502b.cow-creek-train-robbery.325.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The “Baritone Bandit” led a small group of desperados with a large cache of dynamite The “Baritone Bandit” led a small group of desperados with a large cache of dynamite, and they got away with a good bit of loot from the Douglas County robbery. But one of the passengers saw behind the bandit's mask ... (Cow Creek Canyon, Douglas County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502b.cow-creek-train-robbery.325.html) 00:08:12 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004b.1501d.AUD.2510.crime-and-dynamite.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004b.1501d.AUD.2510.crime-and-dynamite.mp3 Extortionists, jailbreakers, safecrackers, jealous lovers and even truant students have, throughout the early years of Oregon history, found high explosives a powerful aid to their nefarious schemes. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501d.crime-and-dynamite.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Extortionists, jailbreakers, safecrackers, jealous lovers and even truant students... Extortionists, jailbreakers, safecrackers, jealous lovers and even truant students have, throughout the early years of Oregon history, found high explosives a powerful aid to their nefarious schemes. (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501d.crime-and-dynamite.html) 00:11:18 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004a.1501c.PD.2510.train-robbing-tips.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w004a.1501c.PD.2510.train-robbing-tips.mp3 Award-winning criminal mastermind/ motivational speaker Blackie DuQuesne shares a few key insights for aspiring train robbers on how to avoid “n00b mistakes” on a railroad heist. (1890s, 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501c.how-to-rob-trains-with-blackie-duquesne.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Award-winning criminal mastermind/ motivational speaker Blackie DuQuesne shares a few key insights for aspiring train robbers... Award-winning criminal mastermind/ motivational speaker Blackie DuQuesne shares a few key insights for aspiring train robbers on how to avoid “n00b mistakes” on a railroad heist. (1890s, 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501c.how-to-rob-trains-with-blackie-duquesne.html) 00:10:14 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003e.1903e.X.2510.KalashuaShanghai.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003e.1903e.X.2510.KalashuaShanghai.mp3 The sailor wanted to quit, but the captain didn't want him to; so he deposited a $60 'blood money' bonus with the British consul, as a reward if shanghaier Jim Turk could swindle him back aboard. Unfortunately, they killed him in the attempt. This kicked off a three-act courtroom drama oddly reminiscent of a Three Stooges episode. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903e.frederick-kalashua-shanghaied-541.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The sailor wanted to quit, but the captain didn't want him to; so he deposited a $60 'blood money' bonus with the British consul, as a reward if shanghaier Jim Turk could swindle him back aboard. ... The sailor wanted to quit, but the captain didn't want him to; so he deposited a $60 'blood money' bonus with the British consul, as a reward if shanghaier Jim Turk could swindle him back aboard. Unfortunately, they killed him in the attempt. This kicked off a three-act courtroom drama oddly reminiscent of a Three Stooges episode. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903e.frederick-kalashua-shanghaied-541.html) 00:11:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 23 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003d.1904b.OVN.2510.loggers-tillamook-tough.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003d.1904b.OVN.2510.loggers-tillamook-tough.mp3 For workers in the 'bad old days' of working in the woods and in janky, underengineered sawmills, the occasional loss of a finger or two just came with the territory. (Garibaldi, Tillamook County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904b.loggers-were-tough-guys-543.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False For workers in the 'bad old days' of working in the woods and in janky, underengineered sawmills, the occasional loss of a finger or two... For workers in the 'bad old days' of working in the woods and in janky, underengineered sawmills, the occasional loss of a finger or two just came with the territory. (Garibaldi, Tillamook County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904b.loggers-were-tough-guys-543.html) 00:08:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 22 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003c.1502a.IO.2510.smithfield-rebels.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003c.1502a.IO.2510.smithfield-rebels.mp3 Smithfield rebels' gesture of defiance on the main stagecoach route caused shock and outrage, but nobody was outraged enough to risk being shot over it; so the flag waved there until federal troops arrived and confiscated it. (Franklin, Lane County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502a.rebel-flag-over-oregon.324.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Smithfield rebels' gesture of defiance on the main stagecoach route caused shock and outrage, but... Smithfield rebels' gesture of defiance on the main stagecoach route caused shock and outrage, but nobody was outraged enough to risk being shot over it; so the flag waved there until federal troops arrived and confiscated it. (Franklin, Lane County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1502a.rebel-flag-over-oregon.324.html) 00:08:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 21 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003b.1904d.AUD.2510.lava-lake-murders-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003b.1904d.AUD.2510.lava-lake-murders-2of2.mp3 The evidence against Charles Kimzey was circumstantial, but police had the goods on him for an attempted murder the year before, so he was sent up the river on a life stretch. But clearly two men had done the killing -- and no one ever really got a line on who his partner might have been. (Big Lava Lake, Deschutes County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904d.trapper-murders-lava-lake-part2-545.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The evidence against Charles Kimzey was circumstantial, but police had the goods on him for an attempted murder the year before, so he was sent up the river on a life stretch. But... The evidence against Charles Kimzey was circumstantial, but police had the goods on him for an attempted murder the year before, so he was sent up the river on a life stretch. But clearly two men had done the killing -- and no one ever really got a line on who his partner might have been. (Big Lava Lake, Deschutes County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904d.trapper-murders-lava-lake-part2-545.html) 00:09:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003a.1904c.PD.2510.trapper-murders-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w003a.1904c.PD.2510.trapper-murders-1of2.mp3 Ed Nickols hadn't wanted to spend the winter by himself at the remote cabin, because he'd made a dangerous enemy in a former coworker who turned out to be an escaped convict. So Roy Wilson and Dewey Morris spent the winter there with him ... and all three disappeared halfway through it. (Lava Lake, Deschutes County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904c.trapper-murders-lava-lake-part1-544.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Ed Nickols hadn't wanted to spend the winter by himself at the remote cabin, because he'd made a dangerous enemy in a former coworker who turned out to be an escaped convict. So ... Ed Nickols hadn't wanted to spend the winter by himself at the remote cabin, because he'd made a dangerous enemy in a former coworker who turned out to be an escaped convict. So Roy Wilson and Dewey Morris spent the winter there with him ... and all three disappeared halfway through it. (Lava Lake, Deschutes County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904c.trapper-murders-lava-lake-part1-544.html) 00:10:21 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002e.1903b.X.2510.darius-norris-shanghai.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002e.1903b.X.2510.darius-norris-shanghai.mp3 Astoria shyster L.G. Carpenter coveted Darius Norris's valuable acreage on Long Beach Peninsula. So he got the police chief to arrest Norris on bogus charges, swindled him into signing over his property, and shanghaied him off out of town on a sailing ship. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903b.darius-norris-shanghaied-538.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Astoria shyster L.G. Carpenter coveted Darius Norris's valuable acreage on Long Beach Peninsula. So... Astoria shyster L.G. Carpenter coveted Darius Norris's valuable acreage on Long Beach Peninsula. So he got the police chief to arrest Norris on bogus charges, swindled him into signing over his property, and shanghaied him off out of town on a sailing ship. (Astoria, Clatsop County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903b.darius-norris-shanghaied-538.html) 00:10:03 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002d.1702c.OVN.2510.hoover-in-belgium-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002d.1702c.OVN.2510.hoover-in-belgium-2of2.mp3 When World War I broke out, Herbert Hoover was the world's most successful mining engineer. He abandoned all that to build an organization to feed the starving, first in Belgium and then throughout war-torn Europe. (London, UK; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702c.herbert-hoover-in-belgium-431.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False When World War I broke out, Herbert Hoover was the world's most successful mining engineer. He abandoned all that to build an organization to feed the starving... When World War I broke out, Herbert Hoover was the world's most successful mining engineer. He abandoned all that to build an organization to feed the starving, first in Belgium and then throughout war-torn Europe. (London, UK; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702c.herbert-hoover-in-belgium-431.html) 00:10:35 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002c.1702b.IO.2510.hoover-childhood-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002c.1702b.IO.2510.hoover-childhood-1of2.mp3 He arrived in Oregon at age 9, and people called him “Poor Little Bertie.” He left Oregon for good to go to college at Stanford when he was 17. But Herbert Clark Hoover remained a member of the Salem Quaker church until his death. (Newburg, Yamhill County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702b.herbert-hoover-raised-in-oregon-430.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False He arrived in Oregon at age 9, and people called him “Poor Little Bertie.” He left Oregon for good to go to college at Stanford when he was 17. But ... He arrived in Oregon at age 9, and people called him “Poor Little Bertie.” He left Oregon for good to go to college at Stanford when he was 17. But Herbert Clark Hoover remained a member of the Salem Quaker church until his death. (Newburg, Yamhill County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702b.herbert-hoover-raised-in-oregon-430.html) 00:07:37 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002b.1903d.AUD.2510.umatilla-petticoat-rev.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002b.1903d.AUD.2510.umatilla-petticoat-rev.mp3 Laura Starcher and her friends were fed up with the halfhearted, desultory service they were getting from city government. So they got organized, ran for all the public offices, and won ... much to the chagrin of the defeated mayor: Starcher's husband. (Umatilla, Umatilla County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903d.umatilla-petticoat-revolution-540.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Laura Starcher and her friends were fed up with the halfhearted, desultory service they were getting from city government. So ... Laura Starcher and her friends were fed up with the halfhearted, desultory service they were getting from city government. So they got organized, ran for all the public offices, and won ... much to the chagrin of the defeated mayor: Starcher's husband. (Umatilla, Umatilla County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1903d.umatilla-petticoat-revolution-540.html) 00:10:12 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 13 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002a.1904a.PD.2510.tillamook-wildlife.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w002a.1904a.PD.2510.tillamook-wildlife.mp3 Clarence the logger was running a trapline as a side hustle. One day, he decided a passing skunk would look great on his stretching rack, and impulsively seized the skunk with his bare hands. This did not turn out to be one of Clarence's better ideas. (Garibaldi, Tillamook County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904a.tillamook-county-wildlife-encounters-542.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Clarence the logger was running a trapline as a side hustle. One day, he decided a passing skunk would look great on his stretching rack, and impulsively seized the skunk with his bare hands. ... Clarence the logger was running a trapline as a side hustle. One day, he decided a passing skunk would look great on his stretching rack, and impulsively seized the skunk with his bare hands. This did not turn out to be one of Clarence's better ideas. (Garibaldi, Tillamook County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1904a.tillamook-county-wildlife-encounters-542.html) 00:11:48 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001e.1809e.X.2510.silverman-verdict-juries-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001e.1809e.X.2510.silverman-verdict-juries-2of2.mp3 At Jake Silverman's trial, 11 jurors wanted him to hang, but couldn't convince the lone holdout to change his vote. So voters changed the law and made Oregon the only state in the country where you could be convicted on a 10-2 vote. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1993) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1809e.1812.silverman-verdict.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False At Jake Silverman's trial, 11 jurors wanted him to hang, but couldn't convince the lone holdout to change his vote. So... At Jake Silverman's trial, 11 jurors wanted him to hang, but couldn't convince the lone holdout to change his vote. So voters changed the law and made Oregon the only state in the country where you could be convicted on a 10-2 vote. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1993) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1809e.1812.silverman-verdict.html) 00:09:08 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001d.1310c.OVN.2510.jimmy-walker-silverman-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001d.1310c.OVN.2510.jimmy-walker-silverman-1of2.mp3 It had been an accident, but small-time Portland crook Jimmy Walker had shot Rose City crime boss “Shy Frank” Kodat. Unfortunately for Jimmy, he picked the wrong friend to run to for help. (Portland, Scappoose; Multnomah and Columbia County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310c-jimmy-walker-gangland-murder.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False It had been an accident, but small-time Portland crook Jimmy Walker had shot Rose City crime boss “Shy Frank” Kodat.... It had been an accident, but small-time Portland crook Jimmy Walker had shot Rose City crime boss “Shy Frank” Kodat. Unfortunately for Jimmy, he picked the wrong friend to run to for help. (Portland, Scappoose; Multnomah and Columbia County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310c-jimmy-walker-gangland-murder.html) 00:08:59 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 08 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001c.1402d.IO.2510.HankVaughan3of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001c.1402d.IO.2510.HankVaughan3of3.mp3 The Outlaw as Elder Statesman: In 1883, Eastern Oregon's wildest horse-rustling gunfighter gave up his stock-thieving ways (mostly) and became a wheat farmer. But to say he'd settled down wouldn't quite be accurate. (Part 2 in a 3-part series about Oregon's notorious Hank Vaughan) (Athena and Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402d.hank-vaughan-part-3-farmer-hellraiser.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False In 1883, Eastern Oregon's wildest horse-rustling gunfighter gave up his stock-thieving ways (mostly) and became a wheat farmer.... The Outlaw as Elder Statesman: In 1883, Eastern Oregon's wildest horse-rustling gunfighter gave up his stock-thieving ways (mostly) and became a wheat farmer. But to say he'd settled down wouldn't quite be accurate. (Part 2 in a 3-part series about Oregon's notorious Hank Vaughan) (Athena and Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402d.hank-vaughan-part-3-farmer-hellraiser.html) 00:09:12 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001b.1402c.AUD.2510.hankVaughan2of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001b.1402c.AUD.2510.hankVaughan2of3.mp3 The Oregon frontier's most colorful almost-outlaw spent a dozen years dodging posses and slipping in and out of the Indian reservation with stolen horses and cattle. Some of his exploits are still being talked about today. (Part 2 in a 3-part series about Oregon's notorious Hank Vaughan) (Pilot Rock, Umatilla County; 1870s, 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402c.hank-vaughan-rustling-years-2of3.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The Oregon frontier's most colorful almost-outlaw spent a dozen years dodging posses and slipping in and out of the Indian reservation with stolen horses and cattle.... The Oregon frontier's most colorful almost-outlaw spent a dozen years dodging posses and slipping in and out of the Indian reservation with stolen horses and cattle. Some of his exploits are still being talked about today. (Part 2 in a 3-part series about Oregon's notorious Hank Vaughan) (Pilot Rock, Umatilla County; 1870s, 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402c.hank-vaughan-rustling-years-2of3.html) 00:08:56 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001a.1402b.PD.2510.hankVaughan1of3.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/xPodcastCycle/w001a.1402b.PD.2510.hankVaughan1of3.mp3 Quick to make both friends and enemies, Oregon's most famous frontier cowboy and almost-outlaw was a gifted horseman and rustler. But his hard-drinking, quick-shooting ways nearly got him lynched as a teen. This is part 1 of a 3-part series on the notorious Hank Vaughan. (Canyon City, Grant County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402b.hank-vaughan-frontier-legend-1of3.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Quick to make both friends and enemies, Oregon's most famous frontier cowboy and almost-outlaw was a gifted horseman and rustler. But... Quick to make both friends and enemies, Oregon's most famous frontier cowboy and almost-outlaw was a gifted horseman and rustler. But his hard-drinking, quick-shooting ways nearly got him lynched as a teen. This is part 1 of a 3-part series on the notorious Hank Vaughan. (Canyon City, Grant County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1402b.hank-vaughan-frontier-legend-1of3.html) 00:11:10 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors-703.521/251003.2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors-703.521/251003.2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors.mp3 THIS TIME OF year, the burden of all the serious arguments and disagreements left over from Thanksgiving dinner melt deliciously into a far more congenial controversy, which plays out at every ice-cream shop in the land: Do you prefer a cake cone, waffle cone, or a sugar cone? If you’re partial to the wafer-like texture and subtle flavor of the cake cone, especially after it’s become slightly soggy with melted ice cream, you’re certainly not alone. And the bold cookie flavor and crunch of a sugar cone has many fans too — although most Americans, given a choice, go for the generous size and luxuriant crispness of a waffle cone, sometimes dipped in chocolate. No matter what your preference, though — unless it’s hand-rolled using homemade dough — your favorite cone is the great-great-grandchild of the first mass-produced ice cream cone that dropped out of a brand-new machine invented and fabricated in Portland, Oregon, circa 1912 — the brainchild of a creamery executive named Frederick A. Bruckman, in collaboration with his boss, George Weatherly... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s). (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors-703.521.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False THIS TIME OF year, the burden of all the serious arguments and disagreements left over from Thanksgiving dinner melt deliciously into a far more congenial controversy, which plays out at every ice-cream shop in the land.... THIS TIME OF year, the burden of all the serious arguments and disagreements left over from Thanksgiving dinner melt deliciously into a far more congenial controversy, which plays out at every ice-cream shop in the land: Do you prefer a cake cone, waffle cone, or a sugar cone? If you’re partial to the wafer-like texture and subtle flavor of the cake cone, especially after it’s become slightly soggy with melted ice cream, you’re certainly not alone. And the bold cookie flavor and crunch of a sugar cone has many fans too — although most Americans, given a choice, go for the generous size and luxuriant crispness of a waffle cone, sometimes dipped in chocolate. No matter what your preference, though — unless it’s hand-rolled using homemade dough — your favorite cone is the great-great-grandchild of the first mass-produced ice cream cone that dropped out of a brand-new machine invented and fabricated in Portland, Oregon, circa 1912 — the brainchild of a creamery executive named Frederick A. Bruckman, in collaboration with his boss, George Weatherly... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s). (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2507b.ice-cream-cone-inventors-703.521.html) 00:11:41 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 02 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703c.white-eagle-shanghai-spot-435/251002.1703c.white-eagle-saloon.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703c.white-eagle-shanghai-spot-435/251002.1703c.white-eagle-saloon.mp3 East Portland's White Eagle Saloon has a colorful past. Over the years, it's been local headquarters for the Polish Resistance, a rough watering hole for sailors and dock workers, and Portland's hottest blues and rock-and-roll hot spot. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703c.white-eagle-shanghai-spot-435.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False East Portland's White Eagle Saloon has a colorful past.... East Portland's White Eagle Saloon has a colorful past. Over the years, it's been local headquarters for the Polish Resistance, a rough watering hole for sailors and dock workers, and Portland's hottest blues and rock-and-roll hot spot. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703c.white-eagle-shanghai-spot-435.html) 00:08:59 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2015/1501b.dynamite-oregon-history.321/251001.1501b.dynamite-in-oregon.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2015/1501b.dynamite-oregon-history.321/251001.1501b.dynamite-in-oregon.mp3 Just a few dozen years ago, nearly anyone in Oregon could easily get all the high explosives he or she might want — if not by buying it, then by mixing a few common ingredients together with some old sawdust. (Statewide; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501b.dynamite-in-oregon-history.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Just a few dozen years ago, nearly anyone in Oregon could easily get all the high explosives he or she might want... Just a few dozen years ago, nearly anyone in Oregon could easily get all the high explosives he or she might want — if not by buying it, then by mixing a few common ingredients together with some old sawdust. (Statewide; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1501b.dynamite-in-oregon-history.html) 00:09:06 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703b.francis-drake-whale-cove-nova-albion-434/250930.1703b.drake-whale-cove-theory.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703b.francis-drake-whale-cove-nova-albion-434/250930.1703b.drake-whale-cove-theory.mp3 Let's face it: No one actually knows where the famous English privateer and explorer spent the summer, and his notes, upon his return, were deliberately opaque. But it's possible that his “Nova Albion” was on the Oregon Coast. (Whale Cove, Lincoln County; 1500s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703b.francis-drake-whale-cove-nehalem-bay-nova-albion-434.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Let's face it: No one actually knows where the famous English privateer and explorer spent the summer, and his notes, upon his return, were deliberately opaque. But... Let's face it: No one actually knows where the famous English privateer and explorer spent the summer, and his notes, upon his return, were deliberately opaque. But it's possible that his “Nova Albion” was on the Oregon Coast. (Whale Cove, Lincoln County; 1500s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703b.francis-drake-whale-cove-nehalem-bay-nova-albion-434.html) 00:10:17 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701d.blue-bucket-mine-meek-cutoff-427/250929.1701d.blue-bucket-legend-led-to-real-riches.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701d.blue-bucket-mine-meek-cutoff-427/250929.1701d.blue-bucket-legend-led-to-real-riches.mp3 As a historical account, the Lost Blue Bucket Mine story is, to put it mildly, questionable. But there can be no denying the impact it has had as a legend, repeated and believed by generations of Oregonians. (Auburn, Baker County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701d.blue-bucket-gold-mine-427.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False As a historical account, the Lost Blue Bucket Mine story is, to put it mildly, questionable. But... As a historical account, the Lost Blue Bucket Mine story is, to put it mildly, questionable. But there can be no denying the impact it has had as a legend, repeated and believed by generations of Oregonians. (Auburn, Baker County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701d.blue-bucket-gold-mine-427.html) 00:10:43 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812e.joe-knowles-nature-man-528/250926.1812e.nature-man-joe-knowles.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812e.joe-knowles-nature-man-528/250926.1812e.nature-man-joe-knowles.mp3 Joe Knowles' wilderness-survival demonstration had been a huge success, and made him famous. But he'd been dogged by rumors that he cheated. Now, a continent away, he was going to redeem his reputation with a second try ... in Oregon. (Holland, Josephine County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812e.joe-knowles-survival-guru-528.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Joe Knowles' wilderness-survival demonstration had been a huge success, and made him famous. But... Joe Knowles' wilderness-survival demonstration had been a huge success, and made him famous. But he'd been dogged by rumors that he cheated. Now, a continent away, he was going to redeem his reputation with a second try ... in Oregon. (Holland, Josephine County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812e.joe-knowles-survival-guru-528.html) 00:13:25 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703d.ac-gilbert-boyhood-in-salem-436/250925.1703d.ac-gilbert-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703d.ac-gilbert-boyhood-in-salem-436/250925.1703d.ac-gilbert-2of2.mp3 A.C. Gilbert was a practicing magician good enough to astonish Hermann the Great at age 7, a world-record-holding athlete at age 17, and a born salesman — in the best “win-win” sense of the word. (Salem, Marion County; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703d.ac-gilbert-growing-up-in-salem-436.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A.C. Gilbert was a practicing magician good enough to astonish Hermann the Great at age 7... A.C. Gilbert was a practicing magician good enough to astonish Hermann the Great at age 7, a world-record-holding athlete at age 17, and a born salesman — in the best “win-win” sense of the word. (Salem, Marion County; 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703d.ac-gilbert-growing-up-in-salem-436.html) 00:09:13 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1702d.ac-gilbert-man-who-saved-christmas-432/250924.1702d.ac-gilbert-anti-grinch-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1702d.ac-gilbert-man-who-saved-christmas-432/250924.1702d.ac-gilbert-anti-grinch-1of2.mp3 When Salem native Alfred Carlton Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set, learned that government officials were going to cancel Christmas with their “Buy Bonds, Not Toys” campaign, he went to Washington to change their minds. He did. (Salem, Marion County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702d.ac-gilbert-man-who-saved-christmas-432.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False When Salem native Alfred Carlton Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set, learned that government officials were going to cancel Christmas... When Salem native Alfred Carlton Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set, learned that government officials were going to cancel Christmas with their “Buy Bonds, Not Toys” campaign, he went to Washington to change their minds. He did. (Salem, Marion County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702d.ac-gilbert-man-who-saved-christmas-432.html) 00:09:29 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1702a.gold-rush-mitchell-429/250923.1702a.gold-rush-marshall.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1702a.gold-rush-mitchell-429/250923.1702a.gold-rush-marshall.mp3 Had James Marshall stayed in Oregon for one more month, he likely never would have left; instead, he headed south and found gold. And the discovery led more or less straight to his ruin. (American River, Calif.; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702a.oregon-farmer-started-gold-rush-429.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Had James Marshall stayed in Oregon for one more month, he likely never would have left... Had James Marshall stayed in Oregon for one more month, he likely never would have left; instead, he headed south and found gold. And the discovery led more or less straight to his ruin. (American River, Calif.; 1840s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1702a.oregon-farmer-started-gold-rush-429.html) 00:07:49 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1704b.wreck-of-lupatia-tillamook-rock-438/250922.1704b.lupatia-shipwreck-terrible-tilly.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1704b.wreck-of-lupatia-tillamook-rock-438/250922.1704b.lupatia-shipwreck-terrible-tilly.mp3 The construction crew had knocked off work for the night, and outside the building the blustery January weather raged. Then, over the roar of wind and surf, the crew heard a terrified voice from below shouting, “Hard aport!” (Tillamook Rock, Tillamook County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1704b.lupatia-shipwreck-tillamook-rock-438.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The construction crew had knocked off work for the night, and outside the building the blustery January weather raged. Then, over the roar of wind and surf, the crew heard a terrified voice... The construction crew had knocked off work for the night, and outside the building the blustery January weather raged. Then, over the roar of wind and surf, the crew heard a terrified voice from below shouting, “Hard aport!” (Tillamook Rock, Tillamook County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1704b.lupatia-shipwreck-tillamook-rock-438.html) 00:08:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1008d_spanish-gold/250919.2507a1008d-neahkahnie-gold.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1008d_spanish-gold/250919.2507a1008d-neahkahnie-gold.mp3 OREGON IS A state with more than its share of buried-treasure legends. But the one that gets the most attention, and until fairly recently attracted by far the most treasure hunters, is the lost Spanish gold of Neahkahnie Mountain. Like most buried-treasure stories, it’s a near certainty that nothing is there. But unlike most treasure stories, it seems likely that something real once was. The story of the lost Spanish gold has been passed down and around through Natives and fur traders and later augmented for maximum drama by professional storytellers at Ben Holladay’s Seaside House resort. It’s even been riffed on (sort of) to create one of the most beloved blockbuster movies of all time — I am, of course, referring to “The Goonies.” Today, there really isn’t an official version of the story. But, this is as close as I can come to summarizing the most common version: Sometime in the 1700s, a sailing ship put into Nehalem Bay.... (Nehalem Bay, Tillamook County; 1600s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2507a1008d-spanish-gold-of-neahkahnie-702.085.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False OREGON IS A state with more than its share of buried-treasure legends. But the one that gets the most attention... OREGON IS A state with more than its share of buried-treasure legends. But the one that gets the most attention, and until fairly recently attracted by far the most treasure hunters, is the lost Spanish gold of Neahkahnie Mountain. Like most buried-treasure stories, it’s a near certainty that nothing is there. But unlike most treasure stories, it seems likely that something real once was. The story of the lost Spanish gold has been passed down and around through Natives and fur traders and later augmented for maximum drama by professional storytellers at Ben Holladay’s Seaside House resort. It’s even been riffed on (sort of) to create one of the most beloved blockbuster movies of all time — I am, of course, referring to “The Goonies.” Today, there really isn’t an official version of the story. But, this is as close as I can come to summarizing the most common version: Sometime in the 1700s, a sailing ship put into Nehalem Bay.... (Nehalem Bay, Tillamook County; 1600s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2507a1008d-spanish-gold-of-neahkahnie-702.085.html) 00:13:15 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705d.soapy-smiths-oregon-story-445/250918.1705d.soapy-smith.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705d.soapy-smiths-oregon-story-445/250918.1705d.soapy-smith.mp3 The most famous con artist of the Old West started in Portland, then traveled throughout the state working the “marks” with his signature swindle. Fifteen years later, an Oregonian shot him in a gun fight in Skagway. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705d.soapy-smiths-oregon-story-445.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The most famous con artist of the Old West started in Portland, then traveled throughout the state working the “marks” with his signature swindle. ... The most famous con artist of the Old West started in Portland, then traveled throughout the state working the “marks” with his signature swindle. Fifteen years later, an Oregonian shot him in a gun fight in Skagway. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705d.soapy-smiths-oregon-story-445.html) 00:11:33 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1001d-solid-gold-snuff-can/230508.1001d.gold-snuff-can.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1001d-solid-gold-snuff-can/230508.1001d.gold-snuff-can.mp3 Is there anything to the story of the Native American man who came out of the woods every few years with a snuff can full of gold dust? Maybe. (McKenzie River valley; 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1001d_GoldSnuff.htm) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Is there anything to the story of the Native American man who came out of the woods every few years with a snuff can full of gold dust? Is there anything to the story of the Native American man who came out of the woods every few years with a snuff can full of gold dust? Maybe. (McKenzie River valley; 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1001d_GoldSnuff.htm) 00:05:27 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 16 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701b.part2-deautremont-train-rob-manhunt/250916.1701b.deautremont-train-robbery-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701b.part2-deautremont-train-rob-manhunt/250916.1701b.deautremont-train-robbery-2of2.mp3 College professor's forensic investigation fingered the DeAutremont Brothers in the brutal robbery; after a years-long manhunt, and more than 2 million “wanted” posters, they were caught. But we still don't know the full story. (Siskiyou Pass, Jackson County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701b.part2-deautremont-train-rob-manhunt-425.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False College professor's forensic investigation fingered the DeAutremont Brothers in the brutal robbery... College professor's forensic investigation fingered the DeAutremont Brothers in the brutal robbery; after a years-long manhunt, and more than 2 million “wanted” posters, they were caught. But we still don't know the full story. (Siskiyou Pass, Jackson County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701b.part2-deautremont-train-rob-manhunt-425.html) 00:08:52 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 15 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701a.part1-deautremont-train-rob-robbery-424/250915.1701a.deautremont-train-robbinz-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701a.part1-deautremont-train-rob-robbery-424/250915.1701a.deautremont-train-robbinz-1of2.mp3 After several other attempts to get into the crime business didn't work out for them, the DeAutremont brothers came up with a plan to rob a train at the summit of the Siskiyous. It did not go well — for anyone involved. (Siskiyou Pass, Jackson County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701a.part1-deautremont-train-rob-robbery-424.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False After several other attempts to get into the crime business didn't work out for them, the DeAutremont brothers came up with a plan to rob a train... After several other attempts to get into the crime business didn't work out for them, the DeAutremont brothers came up with a plan to rob a train at the summit of the Siskiyous. It did not go well — for anyone involved. (Siskiyou Pass, Jackson County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701a.part1-deautremont-train-rob-robbery-424.html) 00:10:20 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1111c-oregons-last-civil-war-vet-james-smith/250912.1111c.black-sheep-of-union-arny.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1111c-oregons-last-civil-war-vet-james-smith/250912.1111c.black-sheep-of-union-arny.mp3 Lebanon man lived a quiet, respectable life after the Civil War, but back in his youth he was a member of Olney's Detachment of the Oregon Cavalry — a Union Army outfit nicknamed “Olney's Forty Thieves.” (Lebanon, Linn County; 1860s, 1940s, 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1111c-black-sheep-of-union-army-last-oregon-vet.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Lebanon man lived a quiet, respectable life after the Civil War, but back in his youth he was a member of Olney's Detachment of the Oregon Cavalry ... Lebanon man lived a quiet, respectable life after the Civil War, but back in his youth he was a member of Olney's Detachment of the Oregon Cavalry — a Union Army outfit nicknamed “Olney's Forty Thieves.” (Lebanon, Linn County; 1860s, 1940s, 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1111c-black-sheep-of-union-army-last-oregon-vet.html) 00:09:12 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 11 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112d-dory-fisherman-rescues-sailors/250911.1112d.dory-uscg-rescue.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112d-dory-fisherman-rescues-sailors/250911.1112d.dory-uscg-rescue.mp3 The conditions were too rough even for the legendary Coast Guard 36-foot motor lifeboat to make it through the breakers, so a fisherman brought them ashore two by two in his rowboat. (Port Orford, Curry County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112d-dory-fisherman-rescues-shipwrecked-sailors.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The conditions were too rough even for the legendary Coast Guard 36-foot motor lifeboat to make it through the breakers, so... The conditions were too rough even for the legendary Coast Guard 36-foot motor lifeboat to make it through the breakers, so a fisherman brought them ashore two by two in his rowboat. (Port Orford, Curry County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112d-dory-fisherman-rescues-shipwrecked-sailors.html) 00:07:30 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 10 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1312c-faro-the-crooked-gamblers-dream-game/250910.1312c.faro-crooked-gamblers-dream.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1312c-faro-the-crooked-gamblers-dream-game/250910.1312c.faro-crooked-gamblers-dream.mp3 Frontier Oregon's favorite game of chance was a “banking” game that's little played today. That's because the only way to make money as a faro banker is to cheat ... and cheat they did. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312c-faro-crooked-gamblers-dream-game.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Frontier Oregon's favorite game of chance was a “banking” game that's little played today.... Frontier Oregon's favorite game of chance was a “banking” game that's little played today. That's because the only way to make money as a faro banker is to cheat ... and cheat they did. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1312c-faro-crooked-gamblers-dream-game.html) 00:09:30 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703a.edgenton-hogg-railroad-to-nowhere-433/250909.1703a.hogg-railroad-magnate-yaquina.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1703a.edgenton-hogg-railroad-to-nowhere-433/250909.1703a.hogg-railroad-magnate-yaquina.mp3 Desperate for some ready cash after his steamer wrecked on the beach, the would-be magnate hastily built a “railroad to nowhere” over Santiam Pass in an attempt to swindle the federal government. It probably would have worked, but ... (Newport, Lincoln County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703a.hogg-railroad-yaquina-433.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Desperate for some ready cash after his steamer wrecked on the beach, the would-be magnate hastily built a “railroad to nowhere” over Santiam Pass in an attempt to swindle the federal government.... Desperate for some ready cash after his steamer wrecked on the beach, the would-be magnate hastily built a “railroad to nowhere” over Santiam Pass in an attempt to swindle the federal government. It probably would have worked, but ... (Newport, Lincoln County; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1703a.hogg-railroad-yaquina-433.html) 00:10:13 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701c.alkali-abert-goose-lakes-426/250908.1701c.alkalai-lakes-inland-sea.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1701c.alkali-abert-goose-lakes-426/250908.1701c.alkalai-lakes-inland-sea.mp3 Summer Lake, Abert Lake and Goose Lake were once all part of a vast network of seas surrounded by lush vegetation. In dry years they can evaporate completely — which led to some confusion on the Applegate Trail one year. (Lake County) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701c.alkali-abert-goose-lakes-426.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Summer Lake, Abert Lake and Goose Lake were once all part of a vast network of seas surrounded by lush vegetation. ... Summer Lake, Abert Lake and Goose Lake were once all part of a vast network of seas surrounded by lush vegetation. In dry years they can evaporate completely — which led to some confusion on the Applegate Trail one year. (Lake County) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1701c.alkali-abert-goose-lakes-426.html) 00:08:27 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale-701.520/250905.2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale-701.520/250905.2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale.mp3 LATE ONE SPRING evening in 1917, a man named A.L. Sauvie was trying to sleep, and not having much success. The problem was his downstairs neighbor, who had gotten roaring drunk and was now verbally abusing, and physically beating, his wife. Complicating the situation even further was the fact that the downstairs neighbor was Sauvie’s landlord. He was renting an upstairs room in the Clackamas Tavern, just outside Oregon City. The Clackamas claimed to specialize in chicken dinners, but its real claim to secretive fame was as a speakeasy. Prohibition had started early in Oregon. Also, the wife-beating owner of the Clackamas was about as close to royalty as old Portland’s liquor industry had. His name was August Erickson — the former owner of the legendary Erickson’s Saloon, on Burnside downtown. (Portland, Multnomah and Clackamas county; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale-701.520.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False LATE ONE SPRING evening in 1917, a man named A.L. Sauvie was trying to sleep, and not having much success. The problem was his downstairs neighbor, who had gotten roaring drunk... ... and was now verbally abusing, and physically beating, his wife. Complicating the situation even further was the fact that the downstairs neighbor was Sauvie’s landlord. He was renting an upstairs room in the Clackamas Tavern, just outside Oregon City. The Clackamas claimed to specialize in chicken dinners, but its real claim to secretive fame was as a speakeasy. Prohibition had started early in Oregon. Also, the wife-beating owner of the Clackamas was about as close to royalty as old Portland’s liquor industry had. His name was August Erickson — the former owner of the legendary Erickson’s Saloon, on Burnside downtown. (Portland, Multnomah and Clackamas county; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2506b.august-erickson-cautionary-tale-701.520.html) 00:13:59 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 04 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1310b-pinto-colvig-animation-pioneer/250904.1310b.pinto-colvig.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1310b-pinto-colvig-animation-pioneer/250904.1310b.pinto-colvig.mp3 One of the 20th Century’s most influential show-biz men, the Jacksonville native was a Beaver who made it big; he worked on Disney projects and Popeye cartoons and delighted kids as the first Bozo the Clown. (Jacksonville, Jackson County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310b-pinto-colvig-pioneer-animator-showbiz-legend.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False One of the 20th Century’s most influential show-biz men, the Jacksonville native was a Beaver who made it big... One of the 20th Century’s most influential show-biz men, the Jacksonville native was a Beaver who made it big; he worked on Disney projects and Popeye cartoons and delighted kids as the first Bozo the Clown. (Jacksonville, Jackson County; 1900s, 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1310b-pinto-colvig-pioneer-animator-showbiz-legend.html) 00:09:33 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306e-bud-thompson-newspaper-gunfight-roseburg/250903.1306e.bud-thompson-gunfight.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306e-bud-thompson-newspaper-gunfight-roseburg/250903.1306e.bud-thompson-gunfight.mp3 The nationally notorious “Oregon Style” of newspapering involved vicious personal attacks and a take-no-prisoners style of cutting invective; but it was ink being spilled, not blood. That is, until one day in downtown Roseburg ... (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306e-bud-thompson-gunfighting-newsman.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The nationally notorious “Oregon Style” of newspapering involved vicious personal attacks and a take-no-prisoners style of cutting invective; but... The nationally notorious “Oregon Style” of newspapering involved vicious personal attacks and a take-no-prisoners style of cutting invective; but it was ink being spilled, not blood. That is, until one day in downtown Roseburg ... (Roseburg, Douglas County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306e-bud-thompson-gunfighting-newsman.html) 00:09:09 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112c-mel-blanc-bugs-bunny-grew-up-in-portland/250902.1112c.mel-blanc-looney-tune-man.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112c-mel-blanc-bugs-bunny-grew-up-in-portland/250902.1112c.mel-blanc-looney-tune-man.mp3 His teachers may not have appreciated Mel Blanc's humor and talents, but Portland radio listeners sure did — and later, so did generations of Bugs Bunny fans. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112c-voice-of-looney-toons-mel-blanc.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False His teachers may not have appreciated Mel Blanc's humor and talents, but Portland radio listeners sure did... His teachers may not have appreciated Mel Blanc's humor and talents, but Portland radio listeners sure did — and later, so did generations of Bugs Bunny fans. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1910s, 1920s, 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112c-voice-of-looney-toons-mel-blanc.html) 00:08:24 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 01 Sep 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112b-port-orford-meteorite/250901.1112B.port-orford-meteorite.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112b-port-orford-meteorite/250901.1112B.port-orford-meteorite.mp3 If it's true, the 11-ton space rock is still out there — and worth over $300 million. But the guy who says he found it was in financial trouble, and many geologists today suspect he made the whole thing up. (Port Orford, Curry County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112b-port-orford-meteorite-hoax-or-is-it-real.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False If it's true, the 11-ton space rock is still out there — and worth over $300 million. But ... If it's true, the 11-ton space rock is still out there — and worth over $300 million. But the guy who says he found it was in financial trouble, and many geologists today suspect he made the whole thing up. (Port Orford, Curry County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112b-port-orford-meteorite-hoax-or-is-it-real.html) 00:08:47 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:59:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2012/1202d-lotan-busted-smuggling-tons-of-opium/250830.kpnw2409.lotan-opium-king.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2012/1202d-lotan-busted-smuggling-tons-of-opium/250830.kpnw2409.lotan-opium-king.mp3 A recording of an on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120. Topic: James Lotan's path from political fixer, to state party president, to drug-smuggling kingpin. (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2408a-1202d.james-lotan-opium-king-661.161.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A recording of an on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120... Topic: James Lotan's path from political fixer, to state party president, to drug-smuggling kingpin. (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2408a-1202d.james-lotan-opium-king-661.161.html) 00:20:16 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112a-missing-gold-makes-schooner-wreck-suspicious/250829.1112a.sunshine-shiprekt-mystery.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1112a-missing-gold-makes-schooner-wreck-suspicious/250829.1112a.sunshine-shiprekt-mystery.mp3 There were, so far as we know, no survivors. But when the upside-down hulk drifted ashore, it was 200 miles off course — and there was no sign of the 40-pound keg of gold it had been carrying. What happened? Nobody knows. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112a-missing-gold-makes-mystery-shipwreck-sinister.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False There were, so far as we know, no survivors. But when the upside-down hulk drifted ashore, it was 200 miles off course... There were, so far as we know, no survivors. But when the upside-down hulk drifted ashore, it was 200 miles off course — and there was no sign of the 40-pound keg of gold it had been carrying. What happened? Nobody knows. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1112a-missing-gold-makes-mystery-shipwreck-sinister.html) 00:07:58 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 28 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2019/1901b.shorty-davis-coldest-cold-case-mystery-530/250828.1901b.shorty-davis-mystery.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2019/1901b.shorty-davis-coldest-cold-case-mystery-530/250828.1901b.shorty-davis-mystery.mp3 Shorty Davis was a popular sheepman who one day in 1900 disappeared ... and no one has ever seen a sign of him since. Virtually everyone suspects foul play. (Prineville, Crook County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1901b.shorty-davis-coldest-cold-case-mystery-530.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Shorty Davis was a popular sheepman who one day in 1900 disappeared ... Shorty Davis was a popular sheepman who one day in 1900 disappeared ... and no one has ever seen a sign of him since. Virtually everyone suspects foul play. (Prineville, Crook County; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1901b.shorty-davis-coldest-cold-case-mystery-530.html) 00:09:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 27 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2019/1901a.way-west-movie-spectacular-flop/250827.1901a.way-west-movie-flop.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2019/1901a.way-west-movie-spectacular-flop/250827.1901a.way-west-movie-flop.mp3 It was no 'Heaven's Gate' -- 'The Way West' was more like the 'Ishtar' of the late 1960s. It was spectacularly and expensively shot on location in Oregon, but plans to celebrate its release here foundered in a tidal wave of scathing reviews. (Lane, Deschutes and Lake counties; 1966) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1901a.way-west-movie-spectacular-flop-529.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False It was no 'Heaven's Gate' -- 'The Way West' was more like the 'Ishtar' of the late 1960s.... It was no 'Heaven's Gate' -- 'The Way West' was more like the 'Ishtar' of the late 1960s. It was spectacularly and expensively shot on location in Oregon, but plans to celebrate its release here foundered in a tidal wave of scathing reviews. (Lane, Deschutes and Lake counties; 1966) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1901a.way-west-movie-spectacular-flop-529.html) 00:08:51 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 26 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812d.admiral-benson-shipwreck-527/250826.1812d.admiral-benson-shiprekd.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812d.admiral-benson-shipwreck-527/250826.1812d.admiral-benson-shiprekd.mp3 They pedaled their bicycles from Portland to Astoria, snuck aboard a wrecked ocean liner, and spent the night marooned on board, with breakers crashing all around them. (Peacock Spit, Pacific County (Wash.); 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812d.admiral-benson-shipwreck-summer-vacation.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False They pedaled their bicycles from Portland to Astoria, snuck aboard a wrecked ocean liner, and spent the night marooned on board... They pedaled their bicycles from Portland to Astoria, snuck aboard a wrecked ocean liner, and spent the night marooned on board, with breakers crashing all around them. (Peacock Spit, Pacific County (Wash.); 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812d.admiral-benson-shipwreck-summer-vacation.html) 00:10:12 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 25 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1704a.ashland-shakespeare-vs-boxing-437/250825.1704a.shakespeare-v-boxing.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1704a.ashland-shakespeare-vs-boxing-437/250825.1704a.shakespeare-v-boxing.mp3 The city business leaders hoped the Shakespeare Festival would do OK, but just in case it tanked, they insisted that it share the stage with a series of prizefights. The boxing matches bombed badly; luckily, the Shakespeare plays did not. (Ashland, Josephine County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1704a.shakespeare-festival-vs-boxing.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The city business leaders hoped the Shakespeare Festival would do OK, but just in case it tanked, they insisted that it share the stage with a series of prizefights.... The city business leaders hoped the Shakespeare Festival would do OK, but just in case it tanked, they insisted that it share the stage with a series of prizefights. The boxing matches bombed badly; luckily, the Shakespeare plays did not. (Ashland, Josephine County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1704a.shakespeare-festival-vs-boxing.html) 00:09:02 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2506a.ben-jarrell-king-of-moonshiners-700.519/250822.2506a.ben-jarrell-king-o-moonshiners.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2025/2506a.ben-jarrell-king-of-moonshiners-700.519/250822.2506a.ben-jarrell-king-o-moonshiners.mp3 Among musicians and fans of old-time string-band music, Benjamin Franklin Jarrell is basically royalty. As a member of one of the most influential bands from the golden age of old-time music — DaCosta Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters — old Ben helped preserve that classic Appalachian-mountain style of fiddle-and-banjo string bands. His son, Thomas Jefferson “Tommy” Jarrell, is maybe the most influential old-time fiddle player even today, 40 years after his death. In Oregon, though, in the years of Ben’s youth, he was a different kind of royalty. The newspapers called him “The King of the Moonshiners.” And by all accounts, anyone lucky enough to acquire a quart or two of his product had to agree that the title was his.... (Umatilla and Clatsop county; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2506a.ben-jarrell-king-of-moonshiners-700.519.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Among musicians and fans of old-time string-band music, Benjamin Franklin Jarrell is basically royalty.... Among musicians and fans of old-time string-band music, Benjamin Franklin Jarrell is basically royalty. As a member of one of the most influential bands from the golden age of old-time music — DaCosta Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters — old Ben helped preserve that classic Appalachian-mountain style of fiddle-and-banjo string bands. His son, Thomas Jefferson “Tommy” Jarrell, is maybe the most influential old-time fiddle player even today, 40 years after his death. In Oregon, though, in the years of Ben’s youth, he was a different kind of royalty. The newspapers called him “The King of the Moonshiners.” And by all accounts, anyone lucky enough to acquire a quart or two of his product had to agree that the title was his.... (Umatilla and Clatsop county; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2506a.ben-jarrell-king-of-moonshiners-700.519.html) 00:11:17 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306d-db-cooper-part4-the-theories/250821.1306d.db-cooper-4of4.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306d-db-cooper-part4-the-theories/250821.1306d.db-cooper-4of4.mp3 For more than 40 years, amateurs and pros alike have put forward dozens of theories, many quite plausible and backed with some evidence. But the story seems destined to remain a delicious historical mystery. (Statewide; 1970s, 1980s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306d-db-cooper-part4-the-theories.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False For more than 40 years, amateurs and pros alike have put forward dozens of theories, many quite plausible and backed with some evidence. But For more than 40 years, amateurs and pros alike have put forward dozens of theories, many quite plausible and backed with some evidence. But the story seems destined to remain a delicious historical mystery. (Statewide; 1970s, 1980s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306d-db-cooper-part4-the-theories.html) 00:09:19 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306c-db-cooper-part3-the-hunt/250820.1306c.db-cooper-3of4.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306c-db-cooper-part3-the-hunt/250820.1306c.db-cooper-3of4.mp3 The hunt for the man who called himself Dan Cooper started just hours after he disappeared into the night sky with a bag of $20 bills tied to his waist. Did he get away? Did anyone find him? The search continues to this day. (Part 3 of 4 parts) (Portland, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306c-db-cooper-part-3-the-hunt.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False The hunt for the man who called himself Dan Cooper started just hours after he disappeared into the night sky with a bag of $20 bills tied to his waist.... The hunt for the man who called himself Dan Cooper started just hours after he disappeared into the night sky with a bag of $20 bills tied to his waist. Did he get away? Did anyone find him? The search continues to this day. (Part 3 of 4 parts) (Portland, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306c-db-cooper-part-3-the-hunt.html) 00:10:03 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306b-db-cooper-part2-the-jump/250819.1306b.db-cooper-2of4.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306b-db-cooper-part2-the-jump/250819.1306b.db-cooper-2of4.mp3 After demanding four parachutes and a knapsack of $20 bills, the legendary anonymous skyjacker disappeared into the night sky over southwest Washington with $200,000 — touching off a massive manhunt. (Part 2 of 4 parts) (Columbia River, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306b-db-cooper-part-2-the-getaway.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False After demanding four parachutes and a knapsack of $20 bills, the legendary anonymous skyjacker disappeared into the night sky.... After demanding four parachutes and a knapsack of $20 bills, the legendary anonymous skyjacker disappeared into the night sky over southwest Washington with $200,000 — touching off a massive manhunt. (Part 2 of 4 parts) (Columbia River, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306b-db-cooper-part-2-the-getaway.html) 00:07:51 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306a-db-cooper-part1/250818.1306a.db-cooper-1of4.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1306a-db-cooper-part1/250818.1306a.db-cooper-1of4.mp3 History's only unsolved hijacking drama started at Portland International Airport when a nondescript man calling himself 'Dan Cooper' stepped aboard a Boeing 727 bound for Seattle. (Part 1 of a 4-part series) (Portland, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306a-db-cooper-part-1-the-skyjacking.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False History's only unsolved hijacking drama started at Portland International Airport... History's only unsolved hijacking drama started at Portland International Airport when a nondescript man calling himself 'Dan Cooper' stepped aboard a Boeing 727 bound for Seattle. (Part 1 of a 4-part series) (Portland, Multnomah County; 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1306a-db-cooper-part-1-the-skyjacking.html) 00:08:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Sat, 16 Aug 2025 18:59:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2024/2406b.hathaway-jones-countrys-biggest-liar/250816.kpnw2407-hathaway-jones.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2024/2406b.hathaway-jones-countrys-biggest-liar/250816.kpnw2407-hathaway-jones.mp3 A recording of an on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120. Topic: The wonderful tall tales of Hathaway Jones, the legendary Rogue River Wilderness mailman who almost everyone agrees was Oregon's all-time greatest liar/storytller! (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2406b.hathaway-jones-countrys-biggest-liar.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A recording of an on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120... A recording of an on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120. Topic: The wonderful tall tales of Hathaway Jones, the legendary Rogue River Wilderness mailman who almost everyone agrees was Oregon's all-time greatest liar/storytller! (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2406b.hathaway-jones-countrys-biggest-liar.html) 00:20:39 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 15 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST http://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1110c-ame-post-civil-war-slave/250815.1110c.ame-slave-gravestone.mp3 http://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1110c-ame-post-civil-war-slave/250815.1110c.ame-slave-gravestone.mp3 Ame died in 1874, more than 10 years after President Abraham Lincoln set her free. So, why does her gravestone still identify her as a slave? We'll probably never know. (Corvallis, Benton County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1110c-civil-war-didnt-end-slavery-for-oregon-woman-named-ame.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Ame died in 1874, more than 10 years after President Abraham Lincoln set her free. So... Ame died in 1874, more than 10 years after President Abraham Lincoln set her free. So, why does her gravestone still identify her as a slave? We'll probably never know. (Corvallis, Benton County; 1870s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1110c-civil-war-didnt-end-slavery-for-oregon-woman-named-ame.html) 00:10:07 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705c.ice-skating-cottage-grove-lake-444/250814.1705c.ice-skating-in-valley.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705c.ice-skating-cottage-grove-lake-444/250814.1705c.ice-skating-in-valley.mp3 When the mercury dropped below 20 degrees for six weeks, a six-inch layer of ice formed on many Willamette Valley lakes — and locals took up ice skating. And five years earlier, it got so cold, a newly built steamship actually cracked in half. (Willamette Valley; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705c.ice-skating-cottage-grove-lake-444.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False When the mercury dropped below 20 degrees for six weeks, a six-inch layer of ice formed on many Willamette Valley lakes... When the mercury dropped below 20 degrees for six weeks, a six-inch layer of ice formed on many Willamette Valley lakes — and locals took up ice skating. And five years earlier, it got so cold, a newly built steamship actually cracked in half. (Willamette Valley; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705c.ice-skating-cottage-grove-lake-444.html) 00:07:47 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305d-bank-robber-became-bank-vice-president/250813.1305d.joseph-bank-robber.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305d-bank-robber-became-bank-vice-president/250813.1305d.joseph-bank-robber.mp3 Young cowboy David Tucker wanted a share of the loot so he could marry his sweetheart; after he got out of prison, he worked for decades to earn back the trust of both her and their community. (Joseph, Wallowa County; 1890s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305d-former-bank-robber-named-vp-of-bank-he-robbed.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Young cowboy David Tucker wanted a share of the loot so he could marry his sweetheart... Young cowboy David Tucker wanted a share of the loot so he could marry his sweetheart; after he got out of prison, he worked for decades to earn back the trust of both her and their community. (Joseph, Wallowa County; 1890s, 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305d-former-bank-robber-named-vp-of-bank-he-robbed.html) 00:11:33 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 12 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812c.warm-springs-ka-ton-ka-526/250812.1812c.katonka-warm-springs-medicine.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812c.warm-springs-ka-ton-ka-526/250812.1812c.katonka-warm-springs-medicine.mp3 In the mid-1870s, a fast-talking East Coast hustler teamed up with a famous half-Native Indian scout to cash in on his fame with a line of dodgy faux-Indian patent remedies — and the Oregon Indian Medicine Co. was born. (Warm Springs Indian Reservation; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812c.ka-ton-ka-donald-mckay-warm-springs-indian-medicine.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False In the mid-1870s, a fast-talking East Coast hustler teamed up with a famous half-Native Indian scout to cash in on his fame with a line of dodgy faux-Indian patent remedies.... In the mid-1870s, a fast-talking East Coast hustler teamed up with a famous half-Native Indian scout to cash in on his fame with a line of dodgy faux-Indian patent remedies — and the Oregon Indian Medicine Co. was born. (Warm Springs Indian Reservation; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812c.ka-ton-ka-donald-mckay-warm-springs-indian-medicine.html) 00:11:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 11 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812b.forest-grove-drugstore-saloon-525/250811.1812b.forest-grove-drugstore-fight.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2018/1812b.forest-grove-drugstore-saloon-525/250811.1812b.forest-grove-drugstore-fight.mp3 Forest Grove drugstore responded to city's ban on recreational alcohol by adopting the 'marijuana dispensary' model for medicinal booze, and opening a blind pig in the back. The city fathers were not amused, but when they tried to crack down, things did not go as they'd planned ... (Forest Grove, Washington County; 180s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812b.drugstore-saloon-fight-forest-grove.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Forest Grove drugstore responded to city's ban on recreational alcohol by adopting the 'marijuana dispensary' model for medicinal booze, and opening a blind pig in the back. ... Forest Grove drugstore responded to city's ban on recreational alcohol by adopting the 'marijuana dispensary' model for medicinal booze, and opening a blind pig in the back. The city fathers were not amused, but when they tried to crack down, things did not go as they'd planned ... (Forest Grove, Washington County; 180s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1812b.drugstore-saloon-fight-forest-grove.html) 00:11:01 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 08 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1004d_CampAdair/250808.2505b1004d.camp-adair.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2010/1004d_CampAdair/250808.2505b1004d.camp-adair.mp3 BY EARLY 1941, the U.S. Army knew it was about to get sucked into at least one of the wars that were already raging around the world. The Selective Service and Training Act had passed the previous fall, and already young American men were being drafted into the Army, swelling its ranks with green recruits. Sooner or not much later they’d be in combat, fighting for their lives. There was no time to be lost — those combat noobs had to be trained and hardened and prepared so that they would have as good a chance as possible when thrown into the fight. With that in mind, the Army started looking for suitable locations for a combat-training campus between Portland and San Francisco on the West Coast. It would need to be about 65,000 acres and, in addition to the usual building sites and gunnery ranges, it would have to include geography similar to the sites where the fighting was expected to happen: rolling hills, steep slopes, swampy terrain, thick forests, and something approximating jungle foliage. Moving very fast — after all, new conscripts were coming in all the time — the Army settled on two prospective sites: one near Eugene, and one just north of Corvallis. The Corvallis site won the toss — there were fewer residents to be displaced, and the railroad and highway infrastructure was more developed. That was in June 1941. By the end of that year, the funds were allocated and the plans drawn up, and nine months later Oregon’s second largest city had spring into being out of the swampy ground. (Camp Adair, Benton County; 1940s, 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2505b1004d.camp-adair-699.071.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False BY EARLY 1941, the U.S. Army knew it was about to get sucked into at least one of the wars that were already raging around the world. BY EARLY 1941, the U.S. Army knew it was about to get sucked into at least one of the wars that were already raging around the world. The Selective Service and Training Act had passed the previous fall, and already young American men were being drafted into the Army, swelling its ranks with green recruits. Sooner or not much later they’d be in combat, fighting for their lives. There was no time to be lost — those combat noobs had to be trained and hardened and prepared so that they would have as good a chance as possible when thrown into the fight. With that in mind, the Army started looking for suitable locations for a combat-training campus between Portland and San Francisco on the West Coast. It would need to be about 65,000 acres and, in addition to the usual building sites and gunnery ranges, it would have to include geography similar to the sites where the fighting was expected to happen: rolling hills, steep slopes, swampy terrain, thick forests, and something approximating jungle foliage. Moving very fast — after all, new conscripts were coming in all the time — the Army settled on two prospective sites: one near Eugene, and one just north of Corvallis. The Corvallis site won the toss — there were fewer residents to be displaced, and the railroad and highway infrastructure was more developed. That was in June 1941. By the end of that year, the funds were allocated and the plans drawn up, and nine months later Oregon’s second largest city had spring into being out of the swampy ground. (Camp Adair, Benton County; 1940s, 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2505b1004d.camp-adair-699.071.html) 00:13:54 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705b.mt-hood-active-volcano-443/250807.1705b.mt-hood-eruptions.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2017/1705b.mt-hood-active-volcano-443/250807.1705b.mt-hood-eruptions.mp3 Back when the Mazama Club formed, with membership open only to those who had climbed old Wy’East, standing on top of the mountain meant more than it does today. Just 35 years earlier, fire had been belching out of it. (Wy'East, Hood River and Clackamas County) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705b.mount-hood-active-volcano-443.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Back when the Mazama Club formed, with membership open only to those who had climbed old Wy’East, standing on top of the mountain meant more than it does today.... Back when the Mazama Club formed, with membership open only to those who had climbed old Wy’East, standing on top of the mountain meant more than it does today. Just 35 years earlier, fire had been belching out of it. (Wy'East, Hood River and Clackamas County) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1705b.mount-hood-active-volcano-443.html) 00:08:07 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305a-peyton-allan-murder-by-man-with-the-hook/250806.1305a.zodiac-killer-man-with-hook.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305a-peyton-allan-murder-by-man-with-the-hook/250806.1305a.zodiac-killer-man-with-hook.mp3 At the scene of a notorious double-murder of young lovers Larry Peyton and Beverly Allan, police paid little attention to Edward W. Edwards and soon eliminated him as a suspect. But if they'd dug a little bit deeper ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305a-peyton-allan-murders-manwiththehook.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False At the scene of a notorious double-murder of young lovers Larry Peyton and Beverly Allan, police paid little attention to Edward W. Edwards... At the scene of a notorious double-murder of young lovers Larry Peyton and Beverly Allan, police paid little attention to Edward W. Edwards and soon eliminated him as a suspect. But if they'd dug a little bit deeper ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1950s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305a-peyton-allan-murders-manwiththehook.html) 00:11:18 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Tue, 05 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305c-fujita-pilot-bombed-oregon-friendship-brookings/250805.1305c.fujitas-samurai-sword-2of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305c-fujita-pilot-bombed-oregon-friendship-brookings/250805.1305c.fujitas-samurai-sword-2of2.mp3 Twenty years after he tried to light the surrounding forests on fire, Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita returned to Brookings as an honored guest and presented the town with his family's Samurai sword. (Brookings, Curry County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305c-japanese-pilot-fujita-friendship-with-brookings.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False Twenty years after he tried to light the surrounding forests on fire, Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita returned to Brookings as an honored guest... Twenty years after he tried to light the surrounding forests on fire, Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita returned to Brookings as an honored guest and presented the town with his family's Samurai sword. (Brookings, Curry County; 1960s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305c-japanese-pilot-fujita-friendship-with-brookings.html) 00:08:44 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305b-fujita-samurai-pilot-bombed-oregon/250804.1305b.flying-samurai-fujita-1of2.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2013/1305b-fujita-samurai-pilot-bombed-oregon/250804.1305b.flying-samurai-fujita-1of2.mp3 After World War II started, submariner and pilot Nobuo Fujita hatched an idea: Use his tiny, rickety submarine-launched seaplane to attack an enemy 5,000 miles away from the nearest aircraft carrier. (Brookings, Curry County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305b-fujita-bombs-oregon.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False After World War II started, Imperial Japanese Navy submariner and pilot Nobuo Fujita hatched an idea... After World War II started, Imperial Japanese Navy submariner and pilot Nobuo Fujita hatched an idea: Use his tiny, rickety submarine-launched seaplane to attack an enemy 5,000 miles away from the nearest aircraft carrier. (Brookings, Curry County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1305b-fujita-bombs-oregon.html) 00:10:45 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Sat, 02 Aug 2025 18:59:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1101a-bobbie-silverton-wonder-dog/250802.kpnw2406.silverton-bobbie.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1101a-bobbie-silverton-wonder-dog/250802.kpnw2406.silverton-bobbie.mp3 A recording of a June 2024 on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120. Topic: 'Bobbie the Wonder Dog's' 2,500-mile odyssey. Lost in Illinois, the affable collie crossed the Rocky Mountains on foot in the dead of winter, making friends along the way and causing a sensation upon his arrival home again. (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2406a-1101a.silverton-bobbie-the-wonder-dog-104.652.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A recording of a June 2024 on-air conversation with Bill Lundun and Gerry Snyder of the Wake Up Call on Eugene's KPNW Radio AM 1120... Topic: 'Bobbie the Wonder Dog's' 2,500-mile odyssey. Lost in Illinois, the affable collie crossed the Rocky Mountains on foot in the dead of winter, making friends along the way and causing a sensation upon his arrival home again. (For the full story, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2406a-1101a.silverton-bobbie-the-wonder-dog-104.652.html) 00:20:13 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John) Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:00:00 PST https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1110b-jemmy-jones-rascally-inventor-of-steam-schooner/250801.2503e1110b.jemmy-jones.mp3 https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2011/o1110b-jemmy-jones-rascally-inventor-of-steam-schooner/250801.2503e1110b.jemmy-jones.mp3 THERE WAS NO reason why the U.S. Marshal should spend the night on board the cramped, smelly little freight schooner he was in charge of. After all, the ship was anchored in a semi-civilized town — Steilacoom, near Tacoma in the Washington territory — and there were several decent hotels there. The next day he’d have a few hours’ cruise to Seattle, where the ship would be sold to pay the debts of its owner, Captain James “Jemmy” Jones — who was, by a happy coincidence, locked up in a jailhouse over 100 miles away. Or so he thought. Actually he was much closer. In fact, as the marshal stepped off the deck of the little freighter and walked off toward his comfy hotel bed, there is a pretty good chance Jemmy Jones actually waved a cheerful goodbye to him as he left. THE WHOLE SITUATION stemmed from a near-death experience Jemmy and his crew had had the previous year, while crossing over the dreaded Columbia River Bar in his ship.... (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2503e1110b.jemmy-jones-rascally-captain-695.143.html) Podcasts Finn J.D. John False A true old Oregon character, Captain Jemmy Jones seemed to bear a charmed life. Always in trouble with someone, he survived five shipwrecks and many incarcerations; he invented the steam schooner, and ran from the law in it. THERE WAS NO reason why the U.S. Marshal should spend the night on board the cramped, smelly little freight schooner he was in charge of. After all, the ship was anchored in a semi-civilized town — Steilacoom, near Tacoma in the Washington territory — and there were several decent hotels there. The next day he’d have a few hours’ cruise to Seattle, where the ship would be sold to pay the debts of its owner, Captain James “Jemmy” Jones — who was, by a happy coincidence, locked up in a jailhouse over 100 miles away. Or so he thought. Actually he was much closer. In fact, as the marshal stepped off the deck of the little freighter and walked off toward his comfy hotel bed, there is a pretty good chance Jemmy Jones actually waved a cheerful goodbye to him as he left. THE WHOLE SITUATION stemmed from a near-death experience Jemmy and his crew had had the previous year, while crossing over the dreaded Columbia River Bar in his ship.... (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/2503e1110b.jemmy-jones-rascally-captain-695.143.html) 00:14:18 finn@finnjohn.com (Finn J.D. John)