This Week Back Then Portland State University History Department

Wasco County, Oregon, was once a relatively sleepy community. But in the 1980s it became home to members of a group who called themselves the Rajneeshees. As the group morphed from a peaceful following into a militarized and exclusive community, they began to butt heads with Wasco county residents. Host Kim Andrews looks at the Rajneeshees and the battles between communities.

The Snake begins in Wyoming, crosses through southern Idaho, forms the western boundary between Idaho and Oregon, and joins the Columbia river in Washington. The Supreme Court’s decision in Udall v. Federal Power Commission of 1967, which temporarily halted the damming of this river coincided with the rise in the environmental movement. Taylor Bailey hosts this weeks show that takes a look at the government’s relationship to the environment.

Vanport is a highly covered tragic event in Oregon History. Take another look at the horrific flood and the events that followed with Jeffrey Stone as he uncovers attempted coverups and reveals the stories of those who lived through the event.

Portland’s charm as a quirky town on a river is framed through the 12 bridges that cross over the Willamette River. The history of Portland as a growing city is often forgotten in that image. Using the various reconstructions of Portland’s famous Morrison Bridge as her timeline, Jazmine Kelly examines the growth of the city and what has been the true cost of its development.

More at:
http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/05/21/morrison-bridge-bridge-portlands-growth/

Corruption takes center stage in this week’s episode. In late nineteenth-century Portland, vote-buying was a common occurrence as political bosses provided owners of local boarding houses and vice establishments with the funds necessary to pay their patrons to vote for specific candidates. Don’t miss host Alecia Giombolini’s account of mayoral candidate James Chapman’s admitted vote-buying scheme.

More at:
http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/05/14/1882-portland-mayoral-election-scandal/

In this episode, listen as Mike Mata chronicles the life of Oregon’s first murderess, Charity Lamb after she murdered her husband, Nathaniel, on May 13, 1854. Some say she was abused, some display her as a cold blooded killer, regardless, Charity was convicted for the murder of her husband and sentenced to hard labor. After listening to this episode, what do you think?

More at:
http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/05/07/oregons-lizzie-borden-unfaithful-axe-wielding-killer-mentally-unstable-abused-wife/