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PORTLAND HISTORY COMEBACK JUST IN TIME

July 14, 2024 by

Portland history used to be easy. Two old guys flipped a coin in a clearing and here we are living happily ever after. That’s my story, but I’m not sticking to it when I tell the Portland story.

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PORTLAND SURVEY ASKS: SO WHAT?

June 7, 2023 by

This Portland survey asks one question: Who is moving to Portland? More important, who is staying? People have opinions, none very favorable. I’m here to work on it.

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PORTLAND DIRT IS JUST LIKE YOUR DIRTY TOWN

September 7, 2022 by

To know Portland Oregon you better like dirt. I’m not talking about pioneering farmers, either. It started with the first native canoe stopping on the Willamette. Paddling against the current takes as much energy now as it did then, so if you’re into historical reenactment you’d better be in shape.

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JOB APPLICATION: IT NEVER ENDS, NOR SHOULD IT

May 18, 2022 by

An election is a job application. Win an election and you get the job. Lose an election? Then what? Nixon is a good example.

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PORTLAND BRIDGE RUN AND RESCUE AFTER DARK

July 24, 2021 by

This is my favorite Portland bridge, the Hawthorne Bridge. The picture makes it look longer than it is on foot, or on a bike. When I lived on the west side, I had a job on the east side and crossed it twice a day. Then I moved to east side and worked on the […]

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HISTORY MATTERS WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING

June 2, 2021 by

History matters more to history majors? We like to think so, but history matters to everyone else, too. It matters with personal history, house history, town history, business history, and the big history between nations. The key to remember is that it always starts small. And it starts with one question: What happened?

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HISTORY LESSONS? WHO SKIPPED THAT CLASS

October 13, 2020 by

History lessons come the hard way. All the dates and names pile up. We give up on history, and stop paying attention when history reads like a phone book. But once the connections hit and we start linking names, dates, and places, we seek out history lessons. I walked between the Portland Art Museum and […]

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PORTLAND MAN: PAST AND FUTURE OF A CITY ON THE EDGE

August 19, 2020 by

Portland man met another man and flipped a coin to name this place. We know who won since it’s not called Boston. From a distance it’s easy to see why people fall in love with a city growing in the woods. It’s a terrific strip of urban life in the western wilderness. You don’t have […]

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HISTORY MATTERS MORE THAN OPINIONS? USUALLY

August 2, 2020 by

History matters when someone starts explaining things beyond their grasp. If you don’t understand the basics of a single topic, then everything sounds authoritative. So how is it possible to tell the difference between a crackpot and a legitimate source? If you trust a blogger who gets with it an a daily basis, you’re on […]

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PORTLAND FOX THEATER HISTORY UP IN THE AIR ON A RAINY DAY

April 3, 2020 by

For Portland history, or any history, like the Fox Theater history, the events remain the same. It’s the interpretation that changes. This is why you trust your sources in regard to what you hear and believe, and what to reject. Primary sources make the difference. But what is a primary source? Take this, for instance:

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