That Oregon Life · Stories & discoveries
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I grew up in Springfield, Oregon, born in 1981, and when I was a kid in the early 90s, I remember hearing about a wild little place up in Portland called the X-Ray Café. As a…
Stay at Oregon’s Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B, where history meets haunting. Guests still encounter Rue, the ghostly keeper who drifts through rooms, forever tied to the sea and shore.
In the early morning hours of August 2, 1873, fire bells rang out across Portland as volunteer firefighters scrambled to battle a blaze that, according to newspaper accounts, raged “among the cottages of the poor and…
Deeper than the Grand Canyon, rich in Native legend, steeped in tragedy, and overflowing with fierce beauty, these are the untold stories of Hells Canyon in Oregon.
In the 1950s, the United States pursued one of the most devastating policies ever enacted against Native Americans, known as termination. This policy ended the federal government’s trust relationship with tribes, bands, and individual Native people…
If you’ve never heard of the flood that wiped Oregon’s second-largest city off the map, you’re in for one of the most shocking and little-known stories in the state’s history. The city was called Vanport, and…
Writing this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, as my eyes start to tear, and I take another deep breath trying to push forward. For 27 years, I’ve carried the weight of…
Today marks 45 years since the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens, a day etched into the history of the Pacific Northwest—and the minds of everyone who lived through it. On the morning of May 18,…
A beloved Southern Oregon landmark is once again in the spotlight — this time, as one of the most endangered historic places in America. The Oregon Caves Chateau, a nearly century-old lodge tucked away in the…
Gun control in the United States has never truly been about public safety—it has been about control. Throughout history, firearm restrictions have been disproportionately used to disarm Black Americans, marginalized communities, and anyone deemed a "threat"…
There’s something fascinating about Portland’s history that never fails to surprise me. Just when I think I’ve read up on all the city’s historical oddities, I stumble upon something entirely new—at least new to me. That…
Growing up in Springfield, I thought I knew all there was to know about my hometown. I’ve spent years writing about its history and highlighting all the hidden gems this place has to offer. But it…
