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Archives for October 2011

October 29, 2006: Portland Aerial Tram Cars Arrive in Portland

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Portland Aerial Tram CarTwo weeks late, the pair of Swiss-made tram cars destined for use on the Portland Aerial Tram finally arrived in Portland on October 29, 2006.

The two tram cars that will be used to shuttle people back and forth from Oregon Health and Science University to the South Waterfront arrived on a large ship at the Port of Portland’s Terminal Six Sunday afternoon.

The journey for the cars started in Switzerland where they were fabricated.

The cars were originally scheduled to arrive in Portland the week of October 16th. Tram Project Manager, Rob Barnard, told KGW “The ship that they were on didn’t have a lot of freight for the Portland area. It was running late and they diverted to Canada where the majority of their shipment was.”

The cars were built by Bern, Switzerland based Gangloff Cabins.

The Portland Aerial tram officially opened to the public on January 27, 2007.

Photo credit: Tram photo by Wikipedia user Cacophony. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

Kick Ass Oregon History Presents: DB Cooper Night (20-November-2011)

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Kick Ass Oregon History DB Cooper NightJoin the geeked-out history folks of Kick Ass Oregon History for D.B. Cooper Night at Mississippi Studios (3939 N. Mississippi) on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The edifying fun, co-sponsored by Lost Oregon, Jennifer Wells Design Glass Studio, and Dave Knows Portland [that’s me!] begins at 7:30pm!

DB Cooper Nite will (honor? celebrate? recognise? condemn?) note the 40th anniversary of the only unsolved skyjacking in United States Aviation History. On November 24, 1971, a man in a dark suit and sunglasses hijacked a big ol’ jet airliner leaving Portland, drank a few bourbon and 7s, chain smoked some Raleigh cigarettes, obtained $200,000 in twenty dollar bills, and parachuted out of the rear of the plane at 10,000 feet… never to be heard from again. Rock and Roll!

Admission is a mere $5!

Setting the scene of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most memorable and iconic crimes will be historians Katy Barber, Matt Love, OrHistory.com‘s Doug Kenck Crispin, and twitter legend @ancientportland! Enjoy DB Cooper drink specials while listening to live musical performances by Jarad Miles and Oh Darling.

And there’s a Kick Ass Raffle! Portland haberdashery John Helmer has donated a DB Cooperesque skinny black tie. Portland Luggage is offering a black attache case, and one lucky winner will take home the DB Cooper themed fused glass platter created especially for this event by Jennifer Wells Design Studios.

The raffle also includes two Dave Knows Portland T-Shirts, and OrHistory.com will be selling a limited number of DB Cooper Nite t-shirts as well!

AND… In support of this extraordinary, once every forty years event, Kick Ass Oregon History will feature TWO podcasts on the DB Cooper story. Episode 1 will be released on November 1st, and Episode 2 will appear on the 15th.

Visit ORHistory.com, the Kick Ass Orregon History Facebook page, and stay tuned to @Oregon_History on Twitter for podcast info and further details, including possible special guests.

October 28, 1911: East Portland Built Sternwheeler Multnomah Sinks in Elliot Bay

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Sternwheeler Multnomah at Three Tree Point, WA two years before her fatal voyageSunday Oregonian headline (29 October 1911)When the sternwheeler Multnomah was launched in 1885 it was one of the fastest, and certainly the finest fitted, steamer on the Willamette (Morning Oregonian, 22 May 1885). She was placed on the Portland – Oregon City route, making two trips a day. She later ran routes on the Columbia too, including excursions to Multnomah Falls (The Sunday Oregonian, 1 July 1888).

In 1889 the Multnomah was transferred to Seattle, where, thanks to her formidable speed, she quickly attained the title of “Greyhound of the Sound” (Morning Oregonian, 23 November 1889). She plied the waters of the Sound for the next two decades, but technology advanced and the now not-so-fast wooden ship ultimately came to be a mere hulk engaged in carrying freight between Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle, until the fateful night of October 28, 1911 (Morning Oregonian, 29 October 1911).

During a dense fog at midnight the steamship Iroquois outbound from Seattle with passengers for Victoria, struck the freight steamer Multnomah, from Tacoma to Seattle, and cut her in two. The Multnomah was sunk in very deep water. All the persons on board were saved. Fifteen head of cattle went down with the Multnomah. The Iroquois proceeded apparently undamaged.

According to dive reports after the accident she lies in 270 feet of water, her freight deck littered with the still tied down skeletons of the drowned farm animals

Portland Halloween Weekend Amusements 2011

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Your Portland area options for Halloween weekend 2011 are fantastic. Below is my hand-picked selection of events, plus links to where you can find even more parties and events!

All Weekend

Friends of the LibraryFriends of the Library Fall Used Book Sale

The 2011 Friends of the Library Fall Used Book Sale takes place Friday through Monday, October 28 through 31, 2011 at the DoubleTree Hotel (1000 NE Multnomah St). [more]

SquishHowloween and the Squishing of the Squash at the Oregon Zoo

First up the Annual Squishing of the Squash takes place on Friday, October 28 2011 at 10:30am, in the elephant area. The elephants will get to take out their frustrations on a huge pumpkin . . .

And then Howloween at the Zoo takes place Saturday and Sunday October 29-30 2011, from 11am to 4pm. [more]

Friday-Saturday

Fresh French ShortsFresh French Shorts Show

Get your ticket now to Portland’s Fourth Annual Fresh French Shorts film festival showing on Friday, October 28 (7:00 p.m.) and Saturday, October 29 (2:00 p.m.) . . .

Co-presented by NW Film Center and the Alliance, the event features a unique, handpicked selection of recent shorts by emerging French directors [more]

Friday

Portland Art MuseumPortland Art Museum Free Day

Enjoy free admission to the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park) on Friday, October 24, 2011 from 5pm until 8pm.

The museum offers free admission ever fourth Friday (5pm-8pm) of the month . . . [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Amtrak Celebrates 40 YearsAmtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train Stops in Portland

As part of Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary celebration the Amtrak Exhibit Train, a traveling display showcasing historic memorabilia, will make a stop at Portland’s Union Station on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, 2011. [more]

Saturday

PumpkinGreat Pumpkin Event at the PSU Farmer Market

The Portland Farmers Market invites the public to the 2011 Great Pumpkin Event on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at the PSU market.

“The . . . annual Halloween harvest celebration featuring a pumpkin carving contest and children’s costume parade around the market at noon.” [more]

Night of the Living AlesNight of the Living Ales – Halloween Fest!

The 2nd annual Night of the Living Ales takes place on Saturday, October 29, 2011. This year’s fest is a Halloween craft beer, burlesque, fire and live music fest held at Burnside Brewing (701 E. Burnside).

First things first – the beer list . . . [more]

Sunday

Women of Wonder DayWomen of Wonder Day

Women of Wonder Day, the day formerly known as Wonder Woman Day, returns to Portland’s Excalibur Comics (2444 SE Hawthorne) this Sunday, October 30, 2011 from noon until 6pm . . . [more]

PDX Freak ShowPDX Freak Show 2011

The first annual PDX Freak Show, a Halloween costume party, takes place Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 1512 W Burnside.

The PDX Freak Show is an annual Halloween party to celebrate folks who work hard to make Portland a vibrant film community . . . every single person who participates in the film industry on any level! [more]

Halloween Day

Tour of Untimely DeparturesTour of Untimely Departures at Lone Fir Cemetery

The Tour of Untimely Departures returns to Lone Fir Cemetery this Halloween night, October 31, 2011.

“Meet some of Lone Fir’s “residents” at their graves and hear the unusual circumstances surrounding their untimely departures. Ghostly guides will also share some of the history on Lone Fir as they take you through the cemetery on a path lit with candles.” [more]

Shakespeare smells the roseTheatre on Halloween Night Anyone?

While most Portland theatres will be dark on Halloween, Richard III will be haunting the stage for a special Halloween performance and “scaring” the living daylights out of all who stand between him and the throne. [more]

And Lots More!

For even more Halloween weekend events and activities, check out Shadow Over Portland, and qPDX – and of course the usual suspects too: Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.