Cascade PBS

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APR 2

A Journey to the Headwaters of the Columbia

The massive Columbia River travels more than 1,200 miles from start to finish. It crosses four mountain ranges, powers 14 hydroelectric dams and irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, among other feats. But its origins start humbly: in a gentle lake in the mountains of British Columbia. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger journeyed to these headwaters for a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there’s far more left to explore. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to share what it was like to make the trek to that peaceful lake in Canada where it all begins. Berger and Hegg also discuss the fur trade that kicked off an early-19th century era of exploration along the Columbia; the Welsh-Canadian explorer and cartographer known for navigating and mapping the entire river from start to finish; and the existential threat that climate change poses to the ice and snow that feed the river and its watershed. This is the last episode of the season! Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next season with more. In the meantime, check out the new Mossback's Northwest Special. It's a 30-minute deep dive on the Columbia River, streaming now on Cascade PBS and at CascadePBS.org. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

Apr 2

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33 min
MAR 26

The 1800s Influencer Who Made Tacoma Famous

In the second half of the 19th century, a businessman named George Francis Train rose to prominence through his success with global shipping and trade. As his wealth grew, so did his obsession with himself, and his tireless self-promotion made him a social media phenomenon of his age. Train is perhaps best known for the alleged relationship between his world travels and the Jules Verne bestseller Around the World in 80 Days, and less well-known for his attempts to beat subsequent travel records through a partnership with a newspaper in Tacoma. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger shone a spotlight on Train and his adventures in the Pacific Northwest in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there’s much more left to uncover. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to more deeply explore Train’s eccentric and monomaniacal exploits. Berger digs into Train’s obsessions, travels and unique psychology; reads aloud from some of his writings; explains how he coined the still-beloved Tacoma moniker “City of Destiny”; and ponders Train’s uncanny resemblance to some contemporary figures. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

Mar 26

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32 min
SEP 24

Ferguson vs. Everyone: No comment

The governor’s office has been keeping communications tight. Three state politics reporters discuss the unusual lack of access and its public impact. Another surprising aspect of the first few months of the Ferguson administration was a lack of communication with the public, particularly through the press. Gov. Bob Ferguson was slow to hold weekly press conferences during the first few months of the legislative session and slow to provide reporters with information about his whereabouts. He also sent a memo to state agencies requiring all public communication to go through the governor’s office before it is released. In this episode, host Sara Bernard sits down with Cascade PBS reporter Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard reporter Jerry Cornfield and Axios reporter Melissa Santos to discuss the unusually limited access to the governor’s office so far, and why that matters. Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here. --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich Host/Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you. If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

Sep 24

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32 min
FEB 19

How Horseless Carriages Took Off

At the turn of the 20th century, almost no one had a car in Seattle. There weren’t traffic laws or paved roads, and at first, only the wealthiest people could own these “horseless carriages.” Within a couple of decades, though, cars were everywhere, and Pacific Northwesterners were using their cars for all kinds of intrepid adventures, from long-haul road trips to mountainside camping. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger took a look at early car culture in our region in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there’s much more left to explore. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to discuss when the very first cars showed up in Washington and what those cars were like. They dig into some of the earliest (and most treacherous) road trips; the day cars were turned away from Mount Rainier National Park; pioneering women drivers of the era; and the newfangled camping gear that manufacturers raced to produce for the region’s ever-outdoorsy drivers. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

Feb 19

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36 min
FEB 12

The Forces That Carved the Columbia

The Columbia River has been carved up by more than a dozen dams over the past century. But it’s the colossal floods and lava flows from millions of years ago that truly set it on its winding path. How do we really know what we know about the Columbia? To better understand this history, Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger joined forces with geologist Nick Zentner of Nick on the Rocks in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series. But there’s much more left to unearth. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to discuss his decision to spend half of this past season of Mossback’s Northwest on different aspects of the Columbia River. They also dig into the massive floods and lava flows that made the Columbia River what it is today; what it was like for Berger to work with Zentner on this project and other geological inquiries over the years; and the enthusiastic response from viewers, including one observation of a mistake in the video that led Berger down an entirely new path. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

Feb 12

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29 min
05/19/2023

How the Frango Became a Northwest Fixture

For decades, department stores competed for customers. Knute Berger recalls how Frederick & Nelson lured them in with a chocolate mint truffle. Food does more than feed us. It connects us, to each other, to traditions and to place. This is true everywhere, but especially in the Pacific Northwest, where an abundance of life creates endless options for indulgence. Salmon, apples and even chicken teriyaki all have a spot in the hearts of Northwesterners, but there is one delectable that seems to inspire a particularly intense and mouthwatering nostalgia: the Frango. Host Knute Berger and Stephen Hegg discussed the Seattle-made chocolate treat in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series. But there is more to the story. For this episode of the Mossback podcast, Berger and co-host Stephen Hegg dig into the origin and cultural impact of the Frango. They discuss how the chocolate mint truffle was a part of a larger department-store culture that shaped the rituals of the region for many, and they explore some of the other sweets created here. Before listening, we suggest you watch the Mossback's Northwest episode about Frangos and other Northwest delights here. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Seth Halleran Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten

05/19/2023

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33 min
04/28/2023

The Tree Stump Craze That Swept the Northwest

During the timber boom, opportunists turned the remains of old-growth trees into homes and postcard spectacles. The timber boom of the early 20th century reshaped both the places and the population of the Pacific Northwest. At one point, 63 percent of wage earners in Washington were drawing a paycheck from the industry that was felling the old-growth forests to produce lumber and profits. The remains of those trees – their massive, imposing stumps – served as a kind of cultural signifier for the people and an inspiration for their creativity and ingenuity. Images of stumps as homes, dance floors and stages for feats of derring-do proliferated. Crosscut's resident historian told the story of these gargantuan stumps in a recent episode of his Mossback's Northwest video series, but there is much more to explore. For this episode of the Mossback podcast, Berger and co-host Stephen Hegg talk about the outsized influence of these stumps on the region’s early settlers. They discuss the reasons the stumps were so high, the photographers who made them famous and the long-term effects of the destruction that created them. Before listening, we suggest you watch the Mossback's Northwest episode about the stumps here. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Seth Halleran Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten

04/28/2023

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31 min
02/08/2022

Who Was Paul Bunyan For?

The legendary lumberjack has been central to American identity. But who does he really represent? Over the course of the past two centuries, tall tales of Paul Bunyan have stretched across North America, from the frigid woods of the East Coast all the way to the Pacific. With his ax and his ox Babe, the legendary lumberjack is said to have single-handedly shaped the continent. That was all fiction, of course. Much of the landscape that Bunyan is credited with creating was here long before any white man with an ax showed up. And the forces that would actually reshape the land in the 19th and 20th centuries consisted of multitudes, many of them felling trees in the Pacific Northwest. Knute Berger touched on this history in a recent episode of his Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there is much more to discuss. For this episode of the Mossback podcast, Berger and co-host Sara Bernard dissect the folklore and ask why, exactly, Paul Bunyan was created, who did he serve and what we should make today of a legend that ignores the history and people that came before it. Before listening, we suggest you watch the original Mossback's Northwest episode about Paul Bunyan here. --- Credits Hosts: Sara Bernard, Knute Berger Editorial assistance: Mason Bryan Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten

02/08/2022

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31 min
MAR 19

The Deadly Mouth of the Columbia

The tumultuous mouth of the Columbia River, near Astoria, Oregon, is beautiful but deadly. Thousands of ships have capsized and wrecked on its shores over the centuries. That’s earned it the menacing nickname “Graveyard of the Pacific,” although that’s not the only gloomy moniker in the region. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger explored some of this history in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there are more stories left to tell. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to discuss the early explorers who coined so many of the area’s depressing names, from Cape Disappointment to Dismal Nitch; the natural forces that make the river's mouth so treacherous; some of the area’s most famous shipwrecks; and the deadliest tragedy to ever occur here and its uncanny parallel to Berger’s own family history. Plus, Berger shares his adventures from scouting and shooting the video for Mossback’s Northwest, including breathless hikes, sandy mishaps and barking sea lions. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

Mar 19

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33 min
05/24/2024

The Wood That Won the Wars

Sitka trees were key military materiel in both World Wars. Knute Berger shares how the need for wood and the women who harvested it changed logging. In the early 20th century, Sitka spruce, a giant conifer native to the Pacific Northwest, became known as an excellent material for building airplanes. As a result, when the U.S. entered World War I, the demand for that wood exploded. The American military set up what was called the “Spruce Division” and brought in soldiers to Washington forests to help manage a growing industry. Over time, as the demand for spruce continued into World War II, women began to fill tens of thousands of timber jobs traditionally held by men. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger dug into these overlapping histories in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there is far more left to explore. In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to discuss the unique characteristics of Sitka spruce and why the U.S. military was so interested in it; labor strife and the role of unions in the Northwest logging industry in the early 20th century; the entrance of female workers into the lumber camps and the rampant sexism they sometimes faced; and the larger impact that all of these forces had on the Pacific Northwest and its timber business. For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today. --- Credits Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Sarah Menzies

05/24/2024

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32 min

At Cascade PBS, we believe that an informed public is essential to solving the challenges of our time. As the Pacific Northwest’s independent, reader-supported, nonprofit news outlet, Cascade PBS strives to provide our audience with the facts and analysis they need to intelligently participate in civic discourse, and to create a more just, equitable and sustainable society.

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