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Archives for July 2011

Kick Ass Oregon History: Chinatown Special Edition Part 4

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Kick Ass Oregon History: Chinatown Special Edition - part 4Kick Ass Oregon History is the latest series of podcasts from the enthusiastic historians behind ORHistory.com.

And the final Chinatown Special Edition, part 4, has just dropped!

Chinatown Special Edition Part 4, In which we learn that you should be afraid of the Po-po in PDX’s Chinatown.

Chinatown Special Edition Part 3, In which we learn that, in Portland’s Chinatown, if you want to kiss a Wookie, that can be arranged.

Chinatown Special Edition Part 2, In which we learn that the possibility of successfully navigating Chinatown is approximately 3,720 to 1.

Listen to part 1 here:
Chinatown Special Edition Part 1, In which we learn that Portland’s Historic Chinatown was once a hive of scum and villainy.

The previous episodes:

The brains behind this project are the crack hustlers of Oregon History Doug Kenck-Crispin and Andy Lindberg. Doug is a graduate student studying Public History and Pacific Northwest History at PSU, and Andy, though a Portland native, is currently working as an actor in New York City. Doug does most of the research and writing for the podcasts with input from Andy, who voices the broadcasts with a thespian’s flair.

With the Kick Ass Oregon History podcast they plan to cover just the good stuff: Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll and Earth Shattering, Devastating Destruction.

Ultimately, our goal is to take Oregon History out of the hallowed halls of the academy, get folks excited and enthused about this shared history, and get them out into the state, digging it and experiencing it. Get them to embrace it, and get their boots muddy in the process. It’s all OUR History; nobody owns it.

Visit ORHistory.com and stay tuned to @Oregon_History on Twitter for further details on specific episodes and the series.

July 31, 1934: West Coast Waterfront Strike Ends

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Cartoon published in Th Oregonian on 1-August-1934

After 82 days the most devastating work stoppage in Oregon’s history ended on July 31, 1934.

The longshoremen’s solidarity, community support, and militancy won them coast-wide union recognition, a joint hiring hall, and substantial wage and hour improvements. The Portland local joined the post-strike movement to reject their corrupt AFL union and to join Harry Bridges’s International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU). Oregon ILWU locals now include Portland 8 and 40, North Bend 12, Astoria 50, Powell’s 5, as well as the Columbia River Pensioners Association, which stand on the foundation of the 1934 strike as rare survivors of militant unionism. [“West coast waterfront strike of 1934” entry in the Oregon Encyclopedia]

July 30, 1965: Record High Temperature of 107 Degrees Fahrenheit Recorded in Portland

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Hourly temperature table printed in The Oregonian, 31-July-1965Portland reached a record 107 degrees Fahrenheit at 5pm on July 30, 1965 (The Oregonian, 31-July-1965).

Friday’s gasping 107-degree heat broke the 25-year record at Portland International Airport and equaled the 107-degrees recorded at the U.S. Customs House in downtown Portland on July 2, 1942.

The airport record prior to the Friday frying was 105 degrees, recorded July 1, 1942.

The record temperature has since been matched twice, on August 8 and 10, 1981, but not exceeded . . . yet.

July 29, 1966: Pacific Coast Route Completed With Opening of Astoria-Megler Bridge

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Astoria-Megler Bridge . . . with rainbow!Following the end of the 45 year old ferry service between Astoria, Oregon and Megler, Washington, the Astoria-Megler Bridge opened to automobile traffic on July 29, 1966, a month before the official dedication (The Oregonian, 30-July-1966).

First across was an Astoria resident, Victor Watson, who paid toll of $1.50 “just for the ride.”

The bridge was built to withstand 150 miles per hour winds, and river flood speeds of 9 miles per hour. The main span’s 1,232 foot continuous truss is the longest in the country. The bridge was a toll bridge until December 24, 1993, when the construction bonds were paid off – two years early.