In 1875, the steamship Pacific disappeared off Cape Flattery with hundreds of passengers aboard. Only two survived. For nearly 150 years, the wreck remained hidden beneath the Pacific Ocean until one diver spent thirty years searching for it. This is the story of one of the greatest maritime mysteries in Pacific Northwest history—and why the greatest treasure wasn’t the gold, but the people history almost forgot.

Episode Sources:

https://ptleader.com/articles/community-news/long-lost-gold-rush-shipwreck-discovered/

https://goia.wa.gov/resources/treaties/treaty-neah-bay-1855

https://discoverourcoast.com/2021/10/13/is-there-treasure-on-neah-kah-nie-exploring-the-truth-and-legends/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neah_Bay,_Washington

https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2023/05/21/ss-pacific-230521/

https://historical-bainbridge-charles194.replit.app/location/neah-bay-and-cape-flattery

https://ravenandchickadee.com/2017/07/return-to-the-edge-of-the-world-neah-bay-wa/

https://1715fleetsociety.com/ss-pacific-located/

https://www.shipwreck.net/republic-treasures

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_3e3292e2d0fe4cc5bc59e59c77649db9.pdf

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_be439ace853d45cf87d6e2117881e108.pdf

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_753e837705954a899ea23f56c5164b5a.pdf

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_10aa15be44ac47ee9349e1c2b543ee7e.pdf

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_9904bd6b5bd3473eadeb3fdc886a6ca5.pdf

https://7500393c-b879-4ffa-ae28-f1a2c21e2538.filesusr.com/ugd/be6d77_3bd970bafcc24aa389c5f79368aa6fc5.pdf

https://www.myolympicpark.com/road-trips/gateway-towns/neah-bay-wa/

This week, we’re stepping inside Mind of a Serial Killer: The Experience for one of our most unique episodes yet.

We had the opportunity to sit down with LaKendra Tookes, host of the exhibition, to talk about the experience, the artifacts, the stories behind the displays, and what visitors can expect when they walk through one of the most talked-about true crime exhibits in the country.

We also dive into several notorious cases featured in the exhibit and explore the psychology behind serial killers, criminal profiling, and why these stories continue to capture our attention decades later.

A huge thank you to LaKendra for joining us for this fascinating conversation.

Be sure to check out @MindOfASerialKillerExperience if you’re in the Seattle area!

https://mindofaserialkillerexpo.com/seattle/

Sources:
https://vault.fbi.gov/jeffrey-lionel-dahmer

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/serial-killers-part-7-jeffrey-dahmer

https://time.com/4412621/jeffrey-dahmer-cannibal-murderer-25th-anniversary-arrest/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Wayne-Gacy

https://www.biography.com/crime/john-wayne-gacy-timeline-murders

https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/known-unknown-murder-victims-john-wayne-gacy-killer-clown

https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g1/gacy-john-victims.htm

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/rosemary-west/trial

https://time.com/7285264/fred-and-rose-west-true-story-netflix/

https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-3995

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_West

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne_Gacy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6474573/

https://www.wisn.com/article/fbi-profiler-wonders-what-jeffrey-dahmer-didn-t-say/6305280

https://people.com/exhibition-about-infamous-murderers-requires-guests-to-sign-a-waiver-to-enter-11959987

https://mindofaserialkillerexpo.com/seattle/

https://www.fbi.gov/history/field-office-histories/kansascity

https://www.kansas.com/news/special-reports/btk/article225082655.html

https://apnews.comColombian serial killer who confessed to murdering more than 190 children dies ...

https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-13/luis-alfredo-garavito-who-raped-and-murdered-189-children-dies-in-colombia.html

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/luis-garavito

We're Back... well almost! We just wanted to get on the airwaves and let you know we are definitely coming back with fun, new, and exciting episodes next week! We love you guys and appreciate your patience!

-Love Jen & Sarah

In the summer of 1902, escaped convict Harry Tracy sparked one of the largest manhunts in Pacific Northwest history after breaking out of the Oregon State Penitentiary in a violent escape. Moving through Oregon and Washington, he hijacked boats, took hostages, and repeatedly slipped through law enforcement after a series of deadly gunfights. For weeks he stayed ahead of posses until he was finally cornered at a farm near Creston, Washington. Wounded and surrounded in a wheat field, Tracy chose to end his own life rather than be captured, closing the chapter on the last desperate run of a notorious outlaw.

Episode Sources:

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/10/19/the-american-west-the-bloody-adventures-of-harry-tracy/

https://museumnwco.org/harry-tracy-the-most-underrated-outlaw-by-far/

https://www.historylink.org/File/5385

https://wheatlife.org/manhunt/

https://myedmondsnews.com/2024/10/history-outlaw-harry-tracy-and-his-local-connections/

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/harry-tracy/

https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/ccca/the-true-story-of-harry-tracy-super-outlaw/

https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/pdf/outlaw-harry-tracy3.pdf

https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/pdf/outlaw-harry-tracy.pdf

https://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/321

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Tracy

http://www.oregonpioneers.com/bios/HarryTracy_1890s.pdf

What happened to DeOrr Kunz Jr.?

In July of 2015, a two-year-old boy vanished from Timber Creek Campground outside Leadore, Idaho and was never seen again.

Search crews combed the Idaho wilderness for days. Helicopters circled overhead. Dogs searched the forest. Volunteers moved through creek beds, ravines, and abandoned mine shafts deep inside the mountains.

But investigators found nothing.

No footprints.

No clothing.

No evidence explaining how a child disappeared without leaving behind a single confirmed trace.

And as investigators began interviewing the four adults who had been at the campground that afternoon, the story surrounding DeOrr’s disappearance only became more complicated.

This week on Mysterious Pacific Northwest, we’re covering one of Idaho’s most haunting unsolved mysteries.

 The Disappearance of DeOrr Kunz Jr.  is available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Sources: 

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/investigations/7-investigates/deorr-kunz-jr-disappearance-remains-unsolved-10-years/277-a07ca934-32fb-4f1d-b499-8b9235afb115

https://www.kivitv.com/news/ten-years-after-he-vanished-from-a-remote-campsite-the-question-remains-where-is-deorr-kunz-jr

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/investigations/little-man-lost/he-vanished-from-a-camping-trip-without-a-trace-what-happened-to-baby-deorr-kunz/289-524426881

https://localnews8.com/news/top-stories/2025/07/10/what-happend-to-deorr-kunz-ten-years-and-no-answers/

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/deorr-kunz

https://charleyproject.org/case/deorr-jay-kunz-jr

https://amp.idahostatesman.com/news/article232504452.html

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/deorr-kunzs-father-speaks-nearly-192913917.html

https://people.com/crime/people-magazine-investigates-deorr-kunz-vanished-woods/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2016/01/former-kunz-p-i/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/07/ten-years-after-he-vanished-from-a-remote-campsite-the-question-remains-where-is-deorr-kunz-jr/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2015/08/kunz-family-investigator-everything-points-to-an-abduction/

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/deorr-kunz-jr-missing-five-years-later/277-f8f45c3f-ff20-4db8-aebf-30150f8b9d88

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/search-for-deorr-kunz-jr-continues-near-leadore/277-584652677

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2019/08/cadaver-dogs-hit-on-area-near-where-deorr-kunz-jr-went-missing-search-to-resume-monday/

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/deorr-kunz-jr-case-still-open-active/article_71c4a6d8-53e9-11ee-a7d6-9fbb89a53db4.html

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/deorr-jay-kunz-jr

For the final episode of The Long Road to Oregon, we’re taking a step back.

After following the trail through its stories, its people, and everything it carried with it, this episode is a reflection—on the series, the history, and what stayed with us after spending so much time on that road.

It’s also a look back on two years of the show, how our storytelling has evolved, and what comes next.

Thank you for being here with us through this series.

Now streaming on all major podcast apps.

#thelongroadtooregon #historypodcast #pnwhistory #oregontrail #pnwpodcast #twoyears #podcastcommunity

Book list: 

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey — Rinker Buck

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476756474

The Oregon Trail: An American Saga — David Dary

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0806136485

The Indifferent Stars Above — Daniel James Brown (Donner Party, essential)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061348112

Across the Great Divide — Laton McCartney

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743249563

Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier — Ray Allen Billington

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0826319812

Frontier Regulars: The U.S. Army and the Indian — Robert M. Utley

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0252068828

Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters (1840–1849) — Kenneth L. Holmes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803272701

Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey — Lillian Schlissel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805211769

Surviving the Oregon Trail, 1852 — Mary Ann & Willis Boatman

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0874222388

For the final episode of The Long Road to Oregon, we step back from the trail itself and look at what was left behind.

Not just the miles traveled—but the lives changed along the way. The families who made it, the ones who didn’t, and the places that grew from a journey that was never as simple as it’s often remembered.

This episode reflects on the road west—what it required, what it cost, and what still remains.

Now streaming on all major podcast apps.

#thelongroadtooregon #oregontrail #pnwhistory #historypodcast #americanhistory #westwardexpansion #pnwpodcast

Book list: 

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey — Rinker Buck

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476756474

The Oregon Trail: An American Saga — David Dary

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0806136485

The Indifferent Stars Above — Daniel James Brown (Donner Party, essential)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061348112

Across the Great Divide — Laton McCartney

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743249563

Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier — Ray Allen Billington

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0826319812

Frontier Regulars: The U.S. Army and the Indian — Robert M. Utley

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0252068828

Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters (1840–1849) — Kenneth L. Holmes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803272701

Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey — Lillian Schlissel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805211769

Surviving the Oregon Trail, 1852 — Mary Ann & Willis Boatman

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0874222388

The journey beyond the trail with the Denny Party—families who didn’t stop in Oregon, but continued north in search of something more.
From a difficult landing at Alki Point to the first uncertain days of settlement across Elliott Bay, this episode explores what it meant to arrive… and realize the journey wasn’t over.
This is the story of early Seattle—its beginnings, its challenges, and the people who chose to stay.
Now streaming on all major podcast apps.
#thelongroadtooregon #pnwhistory #seattlehistory #dennyparty #oregontrail #historypodcast #pacificnorthwest #americanhistorySources:
https://www.historylink.org/file/426
https://www.historylink.org/file/1009
https://www.historylink.org/file/212
https://www.historylink.org/file/790
https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/digital-document-libraries/denny-party
https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/seattle-history
https://www.nps.gov/articles/denny-party.htm
https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/seattle-washington
https://www.britannica.com/place/Seattle-Washington
https://www.duwamishtribe.org/history
https://suquamish.nsn.us/home/about-us/history/
https://www.washingtonhistory.org/research/collections/
https://www.historylink.org/file/2952
https://www.historylink.org/file/410
https://www.historylink.org/file/401
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattle-history/article/Seattle-history-Denny-Party-Alki-Point-1851-12521850.php
https://www.pacificnwmag.com/the-denny-party-and-the-founding-of-seattle/

For this episode of The Long Road to Oregon, we’re looking at a version of the trail many of us remember a little differently.

Before the research, before the real stories—for a lot of us, it started with The Oregon Trail. Decisions, supplies, river crossings… and the message we all remember.

This episode looks at what the game got right, what it left out, and how that version compares to the reality behind it.

Now streaming on all major podcast apps.

#thelongroadtooregon #oregontrail #historypodcast #pnwhistory #nostalgia #edutainment #pnwpodcast

Sources: 

https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/oregon-trail/

https://www.oregontrail.com/history/

https://www.mnhs.org/education/resources/the-oregon-trail-game

https://www.pbs.org/video/oregon-trail-game-history/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-oregon-trail-game-became-classroom-staple-180962833/

https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/14/15291674/oregon-trail-game-history-education-minnesota

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Oregon-Trail-computer-game

https://www.died-of-dysentery.com/stories/history-of-the-game.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/science/03trail.html

https://www.gamehistory.org/oregon-trail/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71204/brief-history-oregon-trail-game

https://www.wired.com/2014/07/oregon-trail/

For this episode of The Long Road to Oregon, we follow one of the most infamous stories of the overland journey—the Donner Party.

What began as a hopeful crossing turned into a fight for survival in the Sierra Nevada, where early snow, starvation, and impossible choices reshaped every life in the camp.

This episode traces the full story—from the decision to take the Hastings Cutoff to the winter that held them in the mountains, told through firsthand accounts and historical record.

Now streaming on all major podcast apps.

#thelongroadtooregon #donnerparty #oregontrail #pnwhistory #historypodcast #westwardexpansion #americanhistory #truehistory

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/donner-history/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/donner-primary-sources/

https://www.nps.gov/places/donner-memorial-state-park.htm

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-donner-party.htm

https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/donner-party

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Donner-Party

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/donner_party/

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-donnerparty/

https://www.utahhumanities.org/stories/items/show/96

https://www.truckeehistory.org/donner-party

https://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/entries/donner-party/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/donner-reed-diary/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/donner-breen-diary/

https://www.library.ucdavis.edu/special-collections/donner-party/

https://digitalcollections.library.unlv.edu/donner-party