Dave Knows Portland

On This Day in Oregon History

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This Day in Portland and Oregon HistoryAt some point in 2010 I realized that with my Multnomah County library card I had access to The Oregonian Historical Archive, among other research databases and sites. That, plus an obsession with Oregon history, gave me the bright idea to write a “Day in History” post for every day in 2011.

Naturally, and innocently, I started on January 1st. Ends up writing the pieces was the easy part – for most posts I didn’t delve into the topic too deeply. But the project ended up to be much more of a time sink than I had anticipated. Some days it was easy to find a historical event to write about, other days it took me literally hours to find something. But thanks to my obsessive compulsive tendencies I completed the task, with my final post on December 31, 2011.

Nowadays I don’t have time for such an endeavor – what with twin toddlers and all – but at the beginning of each month this year I will be cataloging each month’s posts. Here’s what I have so far:

Kick Ass Oregon History Diorama Contest 2015

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Kick Ass Oregon History Diorama ContestThe 4th annual Kick Ass Oregon History Diorama Contest is under way.

You made them in Mrs. Dingleberry’s 5th grade American History class. You saw them at that Crappy County Historical Society your Dad drug you to on that one summer road trip. And you envied Suzie Snotgrass’s winning science faire entry of Tranquility Base.

NOW Vengeance can be yours, Dear Ass Kicker!

Here’s how it works : Create a diorama depicting a Kick Ass Oregon Historical event (perhaps check out the podcasts and website for inspiration), take photos of your masterpiece, and email them to oregonhistorian@gmail.com by February 10, 2015.

The winners will be announced at Oregon’s Birthday Party and Diorama Show in Kick Astoria!! on Saturday, February 14, 2015. Win fabulous prizes – and bask in fame and glory and gain a whole gang of fourth graders who HATE YOU and to whom you can constantly sing-song “my diorama was better than yours” each and every-time you see them at Freddies.

Entries will be judged on four categories, each worth 10 points:

  1. Kick Ass-ness
  2. Oregon Historical Significance
  3. Originality
  4. Ass Kicken-ness!

You don’t have to be present at the Merry Time show on February 14 to win, but if you do bring your diorama to the show, you’ll earn 5 bonus points.

Prizes include passes to upcoming Kick Ass Oregon History tours, and booze!

Stay tuned to @Oregon_History on Twitter and check out the recap of last year’s event for photos of previous entries, and more details.

Old Town History: “Illumination #1” (4-7, 12-14, 19-21 December 2014)

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Illumination #1For three weekends in December the 1881 Mariner’s Building (209 NW 3rd) will be the location, and canvas, for Illuminations #1, a site-specific work by artist Rose Bond.

[E]ducator and animator Rose Bond, will use the windows of the historic building as screens for still and moving images that evoke specific gestures, story fragments, and names to explore the identities of the Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, Roma, and other residents of Old Town and Chinatown.

Opening night is First Thursday, December 4, 2014. The project will be displayed from 6 PM to 8 PM on December 4-7, 12-14, and 19-21. The project is part of the “Illuminations Series” of the Old Town History Project, a community-based history, art and culture organization devoted to the preservation and revitalization of Portland’s oldest surviving historic district. Visit the Restore Oregon website for more details.

Holiday Cheer: A Celebration of Oregon Authors (7 December 2014)

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Holiday CheerThe 47th Annual Holiday Cheer: A Celebration of Oregon Authors takes place Sunday, December 7, 2014 from noon until 4 PM at the Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park).

This celebration of Oregon writers is a popular holiday tradition. Authors will be on hand displaying, autographing, and of course selling their latest works.

Attendees this year include Heather Arndt Anderson (Portland: A Food Biography), Barney Blalock (The Oregon Shanghaiers: Columbia River Crimping from Astoria to Portland), J.D. Chandler and J.B. Fisher (Portland on the Take: Mid-Century Crime Bosses, Civic Corruption and Forgotten Murders), Bart King (The Big Book of Superheroes), and dozens more.

Admission is free this year! Visit the OHS website for the full list of authors attending and special offers.

Oregon History 101: Immigration and Ethnicity (1 December 2014)

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History 101: Immigration and EthnicityOregon History 101: “Looks Like a Good Beginning”: Immigration, Ethnicity, and Exclusion in Oregon, 1850-1910. will be presented by Dr. Jacqueline Peterson-Loomis at the Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave) on 1 December 2014 at 7 PM.

Oregon History 101 is a nine-month public history program series designed to give Oregonians a basic understanding of the state’s significant people, places, and events. Each month, historians will present a chapter of Oregon History, beginning with the earliest peoples and ending with the turn of the twenty-first century. The series will emphasize Oregon’s connection to historical themes in American History, including Native history, early exploration, western expansion, race, gender, and social justice, and the post-industrial economy.

The 101 series was designed by Dr. Carl Abbott and Dr. William Lang. Each presentation features images from the Oregon Historical Society archives and will be filmed and made available online (watch September’s presentation on Native Life and Pre-Contact here). The Oregon Encyclopedia and Oregon History Project are also preparing research guides and other digitized material for the project.

Presenter Dr. Jacqueline Peterson-Loomis is Emeritus Professor of History, Washington State University. This all ages event is free and open to the public.