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‘Bucket of Blood’ saloon a relic of the shanghaing era
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 hott…
Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Dynamite used to be a regular part of Oregon life
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…
Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Did Sir Francis Drake visit Oregon in 1579?
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 Albio…
Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Quest for legendary mine actually led to real riches
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 Ore…
Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago
“Bear Grylls of the 1910s” had something to prove
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 reputati…
Published on 3 months ago
Even as a boy, Erector Set inventor larger than life
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. (Sa…
Published on 3 months ago
How Oregon’s own ‘anti-Grinch’ saved 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 Washingto…
Published on 3 months ago
Cali Gold Rush started by failed Oregon farmer
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 Ri…
Published on 3 months ago
Lighthouse built 18 days too late for ship’s sailors
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 belo…
Published on 3 months ago
The legendary lost Spanish gold of Neahkahnie Mountain
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 Span…
Published on 3 months, 1 week ago