Champion of the Columbia River Highway, founder of Maryhill Museum and the father of the Peace Arch in Blaine Washington, Sam Hill is one of Oregon's most important and legendary figures.
The story of the controversial Oregon newspaper editor, writer and suffragist who rose from ordinary beginnings to become a nationally famed champion of women's rights.
Bill Bowerman is considered one of the greatest track coaches the world has ever known. In his 24 years at the University of Oregon he won four NCAA team championships and coached 33 Olympians. Using archival materials and interviews with family and former students, Oregon Experience looks at the remarkable life of this legendary coach and co-founder of NIKE.
Reuben A. Long was a horseman, rancher and philosopher, as well as one of Eastern Oregon's most colorful characters. Many of his recollections wound up in a book called "The Oregon Desert" (Caxton Press, 1964). In the spirit of that book, this program looks back at the places, events and people Reub Long wrote about and features several interviews with local folks who knew him.
William Gladstone Steel is considered the "Father of Crater Lake National Park" and was instrumental in preserving the Cascade Range Reserve. His efforts lead to millions of acres of protected forestlands and watersheds, but he was also an opportunistic entrepreneur who pushed for roads and development. Complex and controversial, he dedicated his life to the mountains of Oregon.
World War II created a huge demand for American farm products. But the war also caused vast numbers of farm workers to abandon the fields, either to join the military or to seek work in the cities. The solution would be a unique contract-worker agreement between the United States and Mexico -- The Bracero Program.
Beatrice Morrow Cannady was a leading African-American civil rights activist in Portland during the early part of the 20th century. As a newspaper publisher and lawyer, she challenged racial prejudice and discrimination at a time when the Ku Klux Klan was rising to power.
The Second World War brought major changes — economic, social and demographic — to the state of Oregon. The war years also left profound impressions on the individuals who lived through them, whether in military service or on the home front. "Oregon at War" is a one-hour special that explores both the big picture and the personal stories of Oregon and Oregonians during World War II.
In 1852, beer came to the Northwest quenching the thirsts of loggers, miners, fisherman and farmers. Today Portland is the beer capital of the world. The story of the industry through compelling and amusing anecdotes of the Oregon beer community.
Governor Tom McCall signed The Beach Bill in 1967, forever granting the public recreational access to Oregon's beaches. But the landmark legislation almost died in committee. This is a story of vision and passion to preserve the beaches of Oregon for generations to come.
As a young West Point graduate, Charles Erskine Scott Wood fought in the tragic Nez Perce War of 1877. And he’s credited with recording Chief Joseph’s famous surrender speech. Artist, writer, civic leader and prominent Portland attorney CES Wood left a lasting legacy. Charles Erskine Scott Wood was a true Renaissance man whose life and career bridged the 19th & 20th Centuries. As a young West Point graduate, Lt. Wood traveled west, first to engage in Alaskan adventures, then to fight in the tragic Nez Perce War of 1877.
The people of Baker City knew him as a successful businessman and his home town’s most active booster. But few realized just how successful “Mr. Baker” had been. This is a story of ambition and achievement and one ordinary man’s relationship with the small town he loved. Leo was a successful Baker City businessman, whose 98-year lifetime spanned the 20th century. He was born there, near the Idaho border and far from most other places in Oregon. Leo Adler left an astonishing financial legacy to the people of his community. Initially endowed with his gift of $22 million, the Leo Adler Foundation annually administers generous tuition grants to hundreds of young people. His appreciation for his hometown will enhance education, social services and community-building for many, many decades to come.
"The Art Makers" presents a story rich with wonderful paintings and colorful characters. These include: Harry Wentz, who encouraged countless students to paint traditional subjects with fresh, modernistic techniques; C.S. Price, who evolved his painting into uncharted expressionist and abstract territory; and Louis Bunce, whose bold mural for the Portland Airport opened a hornet's nest of public opinion.
On April 1, 1908 Lola G. Baldwin was sworn in “to perform police service” for Portland, Oregon and became the nation’s first policewoman. As Superintendent of the new Women’s Protective Division, Detective Baldwin crusaded for the moral and physical welfare of young, single working women. Her goal was to prevent them from being lured into lives of prostitution and crime by offering positive alternatives and by making the city safe. April 1, 2008 marked the 100th Anniversary of the hiring of Lola Baldwin as America’s first policewoman. To honor Detective Baldwin’s achievements, Portland Mayor Tom Potter proclaimed April 1, 2008 as Lola Greene Baldwin Centennial Day.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a popular New Deal program that put young men to work on public lands. The "CCC boys" fought fires, planted trees and improved the landscape. Many of our current parks and forests are their legacy. Through interviews and rare footage, this program tells the story of the CCC in Oregon.
The beauty and magic of the Columbia River Gorge has attracted photographers for more than 150 years. The River They Saw chronicles the history of the Gorge with rarely seen images crafted by Carleton Watkins, Sarah Ladd, Benjamin Gifford, Al Monner and many others. These early photographers left a stunning visual legacy through images still considered among the greatest landscape photos ever made.
The Lewis & Clark Expedition was a pivotal moment in American history. But the story of York, a slave to William Clark and comrade on this journey, has been obscured by omission and stereotype. Searching for York paints a portrait of this unofficial member of the Corps of Discovery as it discusses the ways in which history is written.
In 1923, a Missouri lumber company built a town in northeastern Oregon named Maxville. Hundreds of loggers left Arkansas and Mississippi to live and work there. Many brought their families, and many were African Americans. While the town has long since disappeared, the Maxville story is still unfolding. The Logger’s Daughter follows Gwen Trice, an African-American woman who was born and raised in Eastern Oregon, as she sets out to explore her family’s past.
In 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union. Road to Statehood celebrates Oregon’s 150th birthday by exploring the lives of Native peoples already living here, the mountain men and fur trappers who came for adventure and wealth, and the pioneers who brought their hopes and prejudices with them over the Oregon Trail.
In the late 1800s, thousands of Chinese miners came to Eastern Oregon in search of gold. Among them were two men - Ing “Doc” Hay and Lung On - who opened a store and herbal apothecary called Kam Wah Chung. Though originally catering to their fellow Chinese, over time these two men attended to the medical needs of many, becoming highly regarded members of the community.
From Razor clam souffle’ to her famous currant teacakes — Mary Beard loved to cook, and always with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Her son James embraced his mother’s passion for food. And even as the proclaimed “dean of American cookery” later moved away and traveled the world, James Beard would forever champion Oregon as a food-lover’s paradise.
Few other cities in the world have water as pure and as well-protected as Portland. For nearly 115 years, an ingenious, gravity-fed system has delivered mountain rainwater from an isolated river called the Bull Run. Yet the rich history of Portland’s water supply has unfolded largely unbeknownst to the people it serves.
The Portland Youth Philharmonic is America's first youth orchestra. But the story of the PYP begins in Burns where a violinist named Mary Dodge shared her love of music with the local children. As their talent emerged, Dodge formed a children's orchestra called the Sagebrush Symphony that captivated audiences statewide.
In the summer of 1970, some tens of thousands of people converged in rural Clackamas County for an event called Vortex I. This festival celebrated freedom - freedom from violence, from drug laws and from clothes. It also served as an elaborate ploy to lure young people away from Portland. Vortex I is the only state-sponsored rock festival in U.S. history. Content Alert - Partial Nudity.
In 1920, Oregon’s Opal Whiteley was the center of international controversy. Her childhood diary was called a work of genius, until readers discovered hidden clues to a mystery that has not been solved to this day. At the turn of the century, Opal grew up literally barefoot and dirt poor in Oregon’s logging camps. From an early age she stood out. She seemed to be a child prodigy with an encyclopedic knowledge of nature.
In 1946 the field of electronics was exploding. Radiomen Howard Vollum and Jack Murdock were home from the War and decided to start their own business. The company was Tektronix. The product? An indispensable piece of test equipment that engineers couldn’t work without. In The Spirit of Tek you’ll meet some of the people who built a unique company that changed the world. Four young entrepreneurs decided to start an electronics company in Portland, Oregon. It was the right idea at the right time. Howard Vollum was fresh from the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Jack Murdock was home from the Coast Guard. Both were radiomen eager to build new careers. Along with fellow “Coastie” Miles Tippery and accountant Glenn McDowell, they decided to start their own business and signed incorporation papers in December 1945. They named their company Tektronix.
Also called consumption or “wasting disease,” tuberculosis once ran rampant in America. It still claims 8 million lives a year worldwide. Oregon led the Northwest in the fight against TB in the early 1900s. Yet even then, and until the advent of modern antibiotics, most treatments remained crude and ineffective. OREGON EXPERIENCE explores the historical impact of TB in Oregon.
The Pendleton Round-Up will celebrate its centennial this Fall. Dedicated volunteers, tribal involvement and thrill-a-minute entertainment have made the Round-Up one of the oldest and most prestigious rodeos in the world. Oregon Experience looks back at the first hundred years of Round-Up!
In 1959, Washington ranchers Don and June Mulford decided to try what everybody said couldn't be done -- ride the entire length of the 2,400 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in one year. It would prove to be the adventure of a lifetime. Armed with a movie and slide camera they documented life on the trail and captured surprises along the way. A Ride to Remember showcases their stunning photography and will delight viewers with memories still fresh after fifty years.
Oregon once had one of the country's most extensive streetcar systems in the country. Streetcars provided cheap, comfortable public transportation - before there were automobiles. Streetcar lines formed the streets and neighborhoods that shaped our cities, providing a foundation for the modern streetcar revival.
Oysters are unusual little creatures, and they've played a distinctive role in Pacific Northwest history. As Euro-Americans settled this region, the native oyster became one of the first natural resources to be exploited on a large scale — and one of the first to be depleted. The oyster business spawned the creation of several coastal communities and precipitated the demise of a vast Indian reservation. Yet the oysters themselves and the colorful oystermen who farm them have contributed many unacknowledged environmental benefits, as well.
Linus Pauling is considered one of the greatest chemists of the 20th century. A brilliant scientist and humanitarian he made revolutionary discoveries in chemistry, physics, molecular biology and medicine; then used his international fame and popularity to promote world peace. Targeted by the FBI and labeled a Communist during the height of the Cold War, Linus Pauling is the only person in history to win two unshared Nobel Prizes.
In 1911, a small liberal arts college was launched in Portland, Oregon with its sole mission to promote the life of the mind. Founded by a prominent minister and brought to life by a visionary young upstart president, Reed College soon became a well-regarded institution of higher learning nationally but also something of a lightning rod for criticism locally. This is the history of a college confronting wide-ranging public opinion even as it strives to live up to its founders’ ideals.
The Modoc War of 1872 to 1873 was one of the costliest American Indian wars in U.S. history, considering the number of people involved. For nearly seven months, a handful of Modoc Indian warriors and their families held off hundreds of U.S. Army soldiers. The war is largely forgotten to most of the nation, but at the time of the conflict, the story made headlines from London to San Francisco. People were enthralled as one of the last real-life, Wild-West battles unfolded on the American frontier.
Wayne Morse served four terms (1945–1969) in the US Senate. He represented Oregon with brilliance and bravado and followed a vision of “principle above politics.” He could be quick to criticize, and he rankled many opponents. But he wrote and sponsored legislation that was well ahead of its time. Morse also warned of an American war in Vietnam — a full decade before an incident in the Gulf of Tonkin formally started it. He was one of just two members of Congress to vote against it. And for the rest of his career, Morse led a national outcry to end the war and bring the troops home.
In the 1960s, a new breed of pioneers began arriving in Oregon’s Willamette Valley determined to grow Vitis vinifera, the fine wine grapes of Europe. They were told it couldn’t be done and were amply warned that Western Oregon was too cold and wet for vinifera to flourish. But they came anyway with a dream of producing fine premium wines – in particular Pinot noir, made from the delicate red grape of Burgundy, France. The pioneers’ risky experiment would create a new industry in Oregon and change the world of wine forever.
In 1981, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a spiritual leader from India, and thousands of his disciples moved to Wasco and Jefferson Counties. On what had been the Big Muddy Ranch, the “sannyasins” set out to build a new city, a utopian community in the desert -- Rajneeshpuram. Thousands of people from around the world gathered here to celebrate life. They worked hard and transformed the landscape. And more than a few hoped to spend the rest of their days at this place. But by 1986, they were gone.
Until 1912, Oregon women lived by men’s law. They had few legal rights with little power to improve their lives or communities. That changed when women won the right to vote. Together they won the vote for Oregon women, and went on to help implement social change that dramatically altered the lives of women and children, and improved working conditions for all Americans. This era of women’s mobilization changed Oregon, and ultimately, the country.
Nearly forty years after he left office and thirty years after his death, Oregon Governor Tom McCall remains one of the state’s most renowned political figures. He envisioned a quality of environment and life unique to Oregon, and he worked relentlessly to protect those values. McCall’s bold achievements set a new standard for the rest of the nation: The Beach Bill and the Bottle Bill, the SB100 land-use law, the Willamette River cleanup and the reinvention of Portland’s waterfront — all of these emerged from the McCall years.
Thousands of forgotten glass plate negatives from the turn of the twentieth century bring new insight to rural Oregon’s frontier history.
Shot on location, the program tells the story of the early history of Hanford largely through the words of people who worked there during World War II and during Hanford’s expansion during the Cold War years. Viewers will also see early archival film shot at Hanford and remarkable photographs taken over the years. In addition, viewers will go inside B-reactor – the first full-scale nuclear reactor in the world, now being preserved as a National Historic Landmark.
From shanghaied sailors to opium dens, Portland’s illicit past is legendary. But how much of it is true? Portland Noir examines Old Town’s sordid history.
Ken Kesey (1935 - 2001) is one of the best-known authors to ever emerge from Oregon. He wrote his two most-acclaimed novels, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) and Sometimes a Great Notion (1964), when still in his twenties.
A new Oregon Experience examines an Oregon man’s lifelong search for America’s first people.
Southern Oregon and Northern California make up the mythical State of Jefferson. The “state” is the product of local lore, regional identity, and pride for its residents. It remains a symbol of an enduring rural-urban divide. Now, some are working to make it the 51st official state.
Founded in 1811 by wealthy fur baron John Jacob Astor, Astoria is the oldest United States settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about the multifaceted history of this city and where those two centuries of activity have brought Astoria today.
Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice explores Portland's African American history with a focus on the turbulent 1960s, '70s and early '80s. At the time, issues surrounding urban renewal, school desegregation and brittle police relations were exploding both nationally and locally.
Chronicles Oregon’s most infamous train holdup, and examines the myths and mysteries still associated with the case. On October 11, 1923, three brothers tried to rob a Southern Pacific train as it made its way over the Siskiyou Summit of Southern Oregon. Before it was all over four men would be dead, and three brothers on the run. The incident would be the basis of movies, songs, comic books and even trading cards.
This one-hour episode explores the origins and the evolution of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival – how one man's vision for a holiday event grew to become the economic mainstay of the city of Ashland and a major presence in American Theater.
Oregon's Jewish pioneers were among the region's first settlers. Arriving with the gold miners, they came for a better life away from persecution. In the process, they helped build the businesses and civic organizations that shaped the state.
Frontier preacher and pioneer geologist, Thomas Condon was the first to recognize the scientific significance of The John Day Fossil Beds. He would devote his life to teaching and educating others about Oregon's ancient past.
"Jazz Town" examines the vibrant, post-World War II eruption of music and nightlife in North and Northeast Portland. A colorful and significant chapter in the city's cultural narrative, this short-lived period is largely unknown to many Oregonians. Produced by Eric Cain and edited by Bruce Barrow
At age 85, Portland's Darcelle is the nation's oldest performing drag queen, and operates what is thought to be the country's longest running drag revue. Throughout her long career she has been a part of revolutionary change within the LGBT community. Today, Walter Cole, as Darcelle XV, remains Portland's iconic Drag Queen.
During the early 1940s, Vanport, Oregon was the second largest city in the state. But on a Sunday afternoon in May 1948, it disappeared completely - destroyed by a catastrophic flood.
Chinese immigrants were instrumental in building the West, but they faced unprecedented legalized discrimination and violence. In 1887, a gang of Wallowa County men killed as many a 34 Chinese gold miners along the Snake River. For over a century the murders were covered up, and no one was held accountable. Today, the massacre at Hells Canyon is finally acknowledged.
Hundreds of books exist about the Lewis and Clark expedition and the decades of pioneers who followed them West. But even today, most Oregonians don't know much about the people who had settled here centuries before "the settlers" came. "Broken Treaties" introduces viewers to the tribes of our state and explores a thread of the Oregon story that hasn't been told very well over the years.
Nearly 50 years after the end of combat operations in Vietnam. Oregon Experience explores the stories of a wide variety of people, from combat veterans, nurses and support personnel, to anti-war protestors and outspoken political leaders, grieving family members and today's Vietnamese community– all deeply affected by the events of those times.
At one time, the largest landowner in North America was the Hudson's Bay Company, a vast British trading enterprise. In the early 1800s, Fort Vancouver served as the HBC headquarters in the Oregon Country employing hundreds of people from over 35 different ethnic groups. This unique, vibrant, multicultural community prevailed for more than 20 years.
This year, Oregon State University celebrates its 150th anniversary Oregon's only Land Grant University. Since 1868, its mission has been to be a school for the people of the state, offering research, outreach, and instruction to residents in every county.
Long before Oregon became a state, black people were in the Far West. Some were brought to the region as slaves, but many others arrived as freemen looking for a new life. They opened boarding houses and stores, worked farms and mined for gold. But as more white settlers arrived over the Oregon Trail, the newcomers passed discriminatory laws to keep blacks out.
By the 1920s Oregon had thriving Japanese American communities in Portland and Hood River. Immigrant pioneers managed business, farms and orchards with their American born children. Pearl Harbor would profoundly impact everyone forever. Oregon Experience will explore our region's Japanese American history, their forced incarceration during WWII and the fight for reparations decades later.
“Fern Hobbs and the Snake River Showdown” weaves together the story of a governor’s crusade, a lawless town in the wilds of Eastern Oregon and a young woman pioneering her own path in life.
From 1964 to 1971, dozens of astronauts trekked to Central and Southern Oregon’s lava fields, which some scientists believed might mimic the moon’s surface.
Twenty years ago, the last resident left Fairview. When it closed in 2000 amid lawsuits and investigations, it was one of the largest and oldest institutions of its kind in the nation. For nearly 100 years, Fairview was Oregon's primary institution for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For many residents, it was the only home they ever knew. For others, it was a living hell.
In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan drew tens of thousands of members across Oregon. The group infiltrated local communities and influenced politics Why was this hate group once so prevalent throughout the state?
On May 9, 1934 more than 12,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job from Bellingham to San Diego. They demanded better working conditions, union recognition and a coastwide contract. The strike would cripple shipping and paralyze commerce for nearly three months. Despite violent clashes up and down the coast, solidarity bound the longshoremen together
In the early 1950s, Oregon singer Johnnie Ray was one of the biggest pop stars in the world. His unique sound, along with his emotional performances, thrilled audiences and helped usher in rock and roll.
During the early 1900s, Marie Equi was among the pioneering female physicians in Oregon focusing on the health of women and children. Fiercely independent she was a radical activist for the working class, lived openly as a lesbian and championed reproductive rights and civil liberties for all.
For decades, Oregon required counties to care for their indigent residents. Government-funded poor farms provided food, shelter, and medical services throughout the state. They became a refuge for the elderly, people with disabilities, or anyone unable to care for themselves. However, the care varied widely. Some provided residents with a home, while others operated more like prisons.
In 1958 retired engineer, M. Lowell Edwards, approached cardiac surgeon, Dr. Albert Starr, with an idea to build an artificial heart. Agreeing to tackle the project one heart valve at a time, Starr and Edwards embarked on an unexpected collaboration that would result in a revolutionary breakthrough in cardiac surgery -- the invention of the world’s first successful artificial mitral heart valve.
