Dave Knows Portland

Kick Ass Oregon History Vol 3 #8: Oregon’s First Christmas

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Kick Ass Oregon History Vol 3 #8: Oregon's First ChristmasKick Ass Oregon History is the latest series of podcasts from the enthusiastic historians behind ORHistory.com.

Volume 3 #8 dropped yesterday – Oregon’s First Christmas:

In which 3 Men and A Baby (plus 28 other men, a girl and a dog) eat a lot of elk, get rained on and somehow stay cheery, despite not having the latest toys.

Featuring an interview with Tom Wilson of Fort Clatsop.

The brains behind this Kick Ass 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. Catch up on missed episodes at the Kick Ass Oregon History archives.

December 13, 1916: Deschutes County, Oregon’s Last, Established

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Morning Oregonian headline, 14 December 1916Deschutes County, Oregon’s 36th and last created, was established on December 13, 1916 (Morning Oregonian, 14 December 1916).

SALEM, Dec. 13. – (Special.) – Oregon now has 36 counties. Upon his return from Portland tonight Governor Withycombe signed the proclamation declaring that Deschutes County is a political entity of the state, and is no longer a portion of Crook county.

Created from the western portion of Crook County, Deschutes County was named after the river which flows through it. Early fur traders referred to the river as the the Riviere des Chutes, which means River of the Falls.

December 11, 1950: Sale of The Oregonian to S.I. Newhouse Reported

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The Oregonian front page, 11 December 1950The first issue of The Oregonian, the oldest newspaper in continuous production west of Salt Lake City, was published on December 4, 1850. Almost exactly one hundred years later, on December 11, 1950, the paper reported its sale to Samuel I. Newhouse (The Oregonian, 11 December 1950).

The Oregonian had been founded by Thomas J. Dryer, and was sold to Henry L. Pittock ten years later. Pittock sold controlling interest of the paper to several prominent Portland businessmen, including H. W. Corbett and W. Lair Hill, in 1872. Five years later former, and future, editor Harvey W. Scott bought Corbett’s stock and Scott and Pittock together bought all the remaining stock. Until the 1950 sale ownership remained almost exclusively with the Scott and Pittock estates (Ibid.).

The sale price was over $5,000,000. The Newhouse family-owned Advance Publications still owns The Oregonian today.

December 10, 1805: Fort Clatsop Construction Begins

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William Clark's plan for Fort ClatsopConstruction of Fort Clatsop, the winter quarters for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, began on December 10, 1805.

all hands were employed at work notwithstanding the rain. Capt Clark and party returned to camp, they found the ocean to be about 7 miles from our camp… in the evening we laid the foundation of our huts.

The fort, near present day Astoria, was about fifty feet long on each side, with cabins in parallel on two sides and gates at the ends. The expedition spent over three, rainy, months in the fort. When the expedition left in Spring, 1806 they left the fort to Clatsop Chief Coboway.

A replica fort (the second, after the first burnt down) is now part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.

Kick Ass Oregon History Diorama Contest

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DioramaThe first annual Kick Ass Oregon History Diorama Contest has begun.

Dioramas! Die-Oh-Ram-Ahs! Those awesome little cardboard boxes detailed with globs of glue and faded construction paper that make history just jump to life!

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 (bitch!).

Here’s how it works: Create a diorama depicting a Kick Ass Oregon Historical event (check out the podcasts for inspiration), take photos of your masterpiece, and email them to oregonhistorian@gmail.com by January 15, 2012. The winners will be announced at the Stumptown Stories show at the Jack London Bar (in the basement of the Rialto at 529 SW 4th) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. Winners will Bask in fame and glory and gain a whole gang of 26 year old stripper girl friends as a result. ANNDD win some prizes!!

Visit ORHistory.com and stay tuned to @Oregon_History on Twitter for further details.