Heroes and Rascals of Old Oregon: Offbeat Oregon History Vol. 1

by Finn J.D. John

Overview

Heroes and Rascals ... Shipwrecks and Lost Gold ...

Since 2008 the Offbeat Oregon History syndicated newspaper column has entertained and informed Oregonians with the weirdest, quirkiest, funniest, and most outrageous true stories in the surprisingly long history of their young state.

Now, for the first time, those stories have been collected together, re-researched, augmented with freshly discovered information, and presented to readers in book form -- starting with this volume, in which we've selected the most inspirational heroes, the most scurrilous rascals, and the most hilariously quirky mavericks of our state.

Here's a selection of our favorite stories from this book ...Heroes:

Joel Munson, lighthouse keeper: When a deadly shipwreck threw a battered lifeboat up on the beach, he restored it and used it to start Oregon's first surf-rescue service.

Mary G. Leonard, attorney: After being accused and acquitted of murdering her husband, this erstwhile housewife became the first female attorney in Oregon - and, effectively, its first law clinic for the poor.

Capt. Robert Pamphlet, rumrunner: With a hold full of Scotch, at the height of Prohibition, he took the risk of sailing into American waters to rescue a lifeboat full of shipwrecked sailors ... and paid for his heroism with a prison sentence.

Mavericks:

"Uncle Joab" Powell, circuit preacher: He was the most famous preacher on the West Coast, so when Oregon's first Legislature convened and started looking for a chaplain, they naturally thought of him. They soon wished they hadn't.

Joe Knowles, wilderness-survival guru: Joe was the Bear Grylls of the 1910s, but was dogged by rumors that he'd cheated on the "naked in the woods" stunt that made him famous. So he came to Oregon for a rematch with Mother Nature ...

Art Lacey, gas-station owner: Art heard the government was selling war surplus B-17s for super cheap, so he went to Arkansas and bought one. But getting the big bird home to Milwaukie would be the adventure of a lifetime.

Rascals:

James Lappeus, gambler, liquor peddler and police chief: Portland's first (and, arguably, most colorful) chief of police was the owner of a fine saloon, theater and gambling palace that was rumored to also employ prostitutes.

Maud Myrtle Johnson, actress and insurance fraudster: She made so much money faking injuries on passenger railroads that the claims agents formed a professional association just to catch her ... which they finally did.

Harry Virtue, doctor impersonator: He was getting by as an itinerant fake veterinarian when Harry heard an acquaintance, Dr. Richard Barber, had died heroically while racing to save a patient. So he moved far away, assumed his identity, and went into the doctoring business.

Paul Remaley & al., bootleggers: Their boat had hit a rock, the feds had seized their liquor, and their friends were locked in the county jail awaiting trial. Paul's mission: Break them out -- and save the booze, too.

And there are tons more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635911022
Publisher:	Ouragan House Publishers
Publication date:	07/12/2019
Series:	Offbeat Oregon History , #1
Pages:	414
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.92(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword   xiii

Prologue xxv

Part I: Heroes:

• Marie Aioe Dorion, Woodswoman   3
• Joel Munson, Lifeboat Rescuer 15
• Cheng, Smuggler 19
• Ing Hay, Healer 23
• “One-Eyed Charley” Parkhurst, Stagecoach Driver  29
• Mary G. Leonard, Attorney at Law   35
• Uriah B. Scott, Riverboat Captain 49
• Chee Gong, Chinese Tong Member 55
• Lucinda Schroder, Homesteader 59
• Charles T. “Buck” Bailey, Tugboat Captain 63
• Fern Hobbs, Attorney and Law Enforcer  69
• Harry Lane, United States Senator 77
• Capt. Robert Pamphlet & al., Rumrunners 81
• Thomas McAdams, U.S. Coast Guard Lifesaver 89
• Gordon Huggins & al., U.S. Coast Guard Lifesavers 95
• Jim Wright, Engineer and Aviator 105

Part II: Mavericks:

• “Uncle Joab” Powell, Frontier Circuit Preacher 121
• Lemuel Wells & al., Frontier Circuit Preachers 131
• Capt. Richard Hillyer, Oyster Pirate 143
• “Colonel” T. Edgenton Hogg, Railroad Builder 149
• George Wetherby & al., Real Estate Developers 155
• Lafayette “Lafe” Pence, Real Estate Developer 161
• Joe Knowles, Wilderness-Survival Guru 167
• Gilbert E. Gable, Promoter, “Governor” of Jefferson 177
• Art Lacey, B-17 Smuggler 187

Part III: Rascals:

• Pvt. James W. Smith, Civil War soldier 195
• Capt. James “Jemmy” Jones, D.I.Y. Naval Architect 199
• William Johnson, Pioneer Moonshiner 205
• Edouard Chambreau, Gambler and Saloonkeeper 211
• James Lappeus, Gambler, Saloonkeeper, Police Chief 221
• Walter Moffett, Saloonkeeper 227
• Hank Vaughan, Gunfighter and Rustler 247
• Charles “Black Bart” Bolton, Stagecoach Robber 259
• Donald McKay & al., Patent-Medicine Showmen 265
• Jefferson “Soapy” Smith, Swindler and Racketeer 277
• Maud Myrtle Johnson, Actress and Scammer 283
• Edward F. Lee, Patent-Medicine Swindler  289
• Jonathan Bourne Jr., Political Boss 293
• John M. Hipple (a.k.a. John H. Mitchell), U.S. Senator 299
• Sylvester Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon 307
• Joseph “Bunco” Kelley, Shanghaier and Entrepreneur 315
• F. Wallace White, Mining-Stock Swindler 325
• Ellis Hughes, Meteorite Pirate 331
• Frank “Three Minute” Wagner & al., Prison Escapees 335
• Harry Virtue, Swindler and Quack Doctor 339
• George L. Baker, Vaudeville Impresario and Mayor 345
• Paul Remaley &al, Bootleggers and Jailbreakers 355
• Robert G. “Oregon Wildcat” Duncan, Radio Host  365
• Jim Elkins & al., Racketeers 371
• Allen Midgette, Andy Warhol Impersonator 375