Offbeat Oregon History podcast

Listen, download, subscribe

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Civil War plotters hoped to get West Coast to secede

Dreamed up by supporters of the old south, the plan envisioned an independent “Pacific Republic” as a slave state — to be stocked with slaves by a sort of bait-and-switch swindle. But the supporters misjudged public opinion badly. (Salem, Marion County; 1860s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1503d.pacific-republic-scheme-331.html)

• 

  Palatial riverboat caught in hurricane on open sea

• 

  Drunk looting party broke out at scene of shipwreck

• 

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

• 

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

• 

  Prohibition sting ended with a deadly gunfight

• 

  Town’s emergency wood money is still legal tender

• 

  Bunny-massacre parties were big social events

• 

  Corvallis man found cows make lousy boat engines

• 

  Alcoholic shipmate drank snake-preserving whiskey

• 

  Schemers’ plans to exploit Multnomah Falls failed

• 

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

• 

  Tarzan fans are grateful for gold miner’s failure

• 

  Riverboat party turned out to be shanghaiing trick

• 

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

• 

  Bad recording technique led to FBI investigation