Offbeat Oregon History podcast

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Corvallis man found cows make lousy boat engines

The “Genius of Corvallis” hoped his cattle-powered riverboat would give the upper-Willamette sternwheelers a run for their money; and so it did, so long as it didn't try to go upstream... (Corvallis, Benton County; 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1706c.cow-powered-riverboat-hay-burner-448.html)

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  Palatial riverboat caught in hurricane on open sea

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  Drunk looting party broke out at scene of shipwreck

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  Civil War plotters hoped to get West Coast to secede

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  Buster Keaton brought Hollywood to Cottage Grove (Part 2 of 2)

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  Buster Keaton brought Hollywood to Cottage Grove (Part 1 of 2)

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  Prohibition sting ended with a deadly gunfight

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  Town’s emergency wood money is still legal tender

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  Bunny-massacre parties were big social events

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  Alcoholic shipmate drank snake-preserving whiskey

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  Schemers’ plans to exploit Multnomah Falls failed

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  Shanghai tunnels mostly a myth...or are they?

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  Tarzan fans are grateful for gold miner’s failure

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  Riverboat party turned out to be shanghaiing trick

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  Skipper doubled down on a bad bet ... and lost it all

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  Bad recording technique led to FBI investigation