(North of Newport, Lincoln County; 1873) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1706b.yaquina-head-light-should-have-been-cape-foulweather-light-447.html)

... it was all in a weekend's work for Gov. T.T. Geer. (Champoeg, Marion County; 1900) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1706a.governor-geer-bicycles-to-champoeg-446.html)

So, all the land reverted back to the city for unpaid taxes, and the city turned it into Forest Park. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1948) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/H1010d-family-camped-in-downtown-portland-for-4-years.html)

... the tunnels under the saloons and streets were useful for lots of other shanghaiing-related activities ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1890s) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1905d.shanghai-tunnels-based-on-true-story-549.html)

Each Tuesday we have a reading from a particularly interesting historical item. Sometimes it's a historical tidbit that wasn't quite beefy enough to make a full column out of; other times, an especially interesting old newspaper article; frequently it's a short story from one of the frontier literary magazines that thrived in Oregon at the end of the 19th century.

Today it's a lengthy interview with a garrulous, tall-tale-telling old Telegraphers' Union man, George Estes, who spoke at length to WPA writer Andrew Sherbert about the old days, when he was the lead negotiator across the table from Southern Pacific Railroad brass. and the time he persuaded Nicholas II, Czar of All the Russias, to intervene with a recalcitrant telegrapher who needed to be persuaded to join the union. (For text and PDFs, see https://www.loc.gov/item/wpalh001955/)

Fifteen years later, an Oregonian shot him in a gun fight in Skagway. (Lane, Multnomah, Clatsop counties; 1882) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1705d.soapy-smiths-oregon-story-445.html)

... to say he'd settled down wouldn't quite be accurate. (Wasco and Umatilla counties; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1402d.hank-vaughan-part-3-farmer-hellraiser.html)

Some of his exploits are still being talked about today. (Wasco and Umatilla counties; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1402c.hank-vaughan-rustling-years-2of3.html)

... his hard-drinking, quick-shooting ways nearly got him lynched as a teen. (Umatilla and Wasco counties; 1880s) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1402b.hank-vaughan-frontier-legend-1of3.html)

Each Tuesday we have a reading from a particularly interesting historical item. Sometimes it's a historical tidbit that wasn't quite beefy enough to make a full column out of; other times, an especially interesting old newspaper article; frequently it's a short story from one of the frontier literary magazines that thrived in Oregon at the end of the 19th century.

Today it's 'Three Links and a Jewel,' a fascinating short story by J.D. Hassfurther, which led me down an amazing late-Victorian rabbit hole of research on Theosophy, late-1800s socialism, the Progressive movement, women's clubs ... and the connection with the darkest elements of the racial-socialist movements of the mid-20th century ... download, if you dare, for an earful of my own special blend of history-inflected amateur sociology .... 'Three Links' was published in the December 1898 issue of Pacific Monthly magazine, a Portland-based literary magazine that was one of the precursors of Sunset Magazine. Oh yeah and here is a link to the show notes, including an image of the newspaper article quoted from in the story: http://offbeatoregon.com/assets-readings/2021/210420.p2104b.hassfurther-intro.pdf