Oregon Books

On Memorial Day 1948 an Oregon city of more than 18,000 residents was swept away in a matter of hours. Manly Maben's "Vanport" does an outstanding job of telling the story of the swift rise and astonishing destruction of the largest World War II housing project in the United States.

Portland, Oregon was one of the communities that saw spectacular growth during the Second World War, mainly due to Henry Kaiser's decision to make it one of the principal locations for construction of Liberty Ships. Kaiser realized that the thousands of workers he was attracting to the community would need places to live, and so Kaiserville, eventually rechristened Vanport City, was born. The development was another marvel of the US's capacity to mobilize to meet the needs of the war effort. An entire city, complete with grocery stores, schools, a library, a post office and a police and fire station rose in less than a year's time.

The decision that doomed Vanport was made at its birth. The townsite selected was in a flood plain very close to the Columbia River. It was protected by a series of dikes, but when one of those dikes gave way at the end of May, 1948, the city vanished in a matter of hours. Although the death toll was never conclusively documented, at least 15 lives were lost.

Although Maben's book covers the destruction of Vanport quite extensively, it also tells much about the life of this wartime community. In some respects the ultimate company town, Vanport was progressive in many ways, such as offering one of the first 24-hour community day care programs. The city's life was brief, its impact on the region was lasting. Many of the displaced residents stayed on in the area. Vanport College eventually evolved into Portland State University. This remarkable story is well-illustrated throughout with photos from the Oregon Historical Society's files. "Vanport" is a valuable contribution to the history of the region.--William C. Hall

This is a great collection of Catholic Liturgical music that I have used in 2 different churches. It has traditional sounding music as well as gospel and contemporary sounds. There is also a great CD available of this collection.

Good read for those interested in how their ancestors ate -- especially if it is known one of them was among those who went west using this paticular route. Highly recommended.

"Readers who enjoy action packed westerns in the genre of Louis L'Amour will find the book hard to put down."...Country Bookshelf: "Worth a critical read", Paul Pintarich, Book Editor, The Oregonian: A corking good novel about the early west", The West Magazine. "Filled with excitement and drama", Bookman's weekly

The title says it all. This book is the best book I've found for quick plant selection. The plants, shrubs, and trees in this book are proven to perform well in the Pacific Northwest. I've enjoyed how detailed the information is in regard to growing and care for each plant. It has taken a lot of the guess work out of figuring out what to buy at the nursery. My only disappointment is that it neglects to include a section on herbs, and there is only one photo for each plant. I would have like to see a photo showing each plant up close and a distance shot that shows the mature size. Photos are inconsistent sometimes showing a plant up very close and sometimes showing the full mature size. The book is also somewhat pricy compared to the similar book Best Garden Plants For Washington And Oregon, but the information is much more thorough.

After living in the West for four years there were two things I could count on above all else. First, the issue of water in the West. It is a given that everyone, and I mean everyone, has a strong opinion on water, or more aptly, the lack thereof, and what to do about it. Second, the consistently high quality of a publication known as the High Country News which is published in Paonia, Colorado. Thus, you can imagine my delight in receiving a copy of this book dealing with Water in the West and containing articles written by contributors to High Country News over the past fifteen years. It's kind of like getting a two-for-one deal. And what a deal it is. For anyone remotely interested in the history and current status of what editor Char Miller rightly calls the West's most precious resource, water, this book is indispensable reading. The list of contributing scholars and journalist is impressive and provides the reader with insightful analysis and historical context that is rare in this age of mass-produced trivia. My favorite chapter is titled "Taming Glen Canyon Dam" and contains an article on how, in 1993, the Colorado river almost reclaimed Glen Canyon Dam and accomplished what Edward Abbey and a host of activists have struggled to do since 1963. The entire contentious issue of Glen Canyon Dam is covered in a balanced manner and worthy of the reader's time. Ah, but there is more, much more. Come go with me to visit the Northwest and read of the Salmon Crisis; the proposal to tear down eighteen dams; and a plan to unleash the Snake River. From there we will travel to Arizona and Utah to learn of the follies and successes of the Central Arizona and Central Utah Projects. These Federal water projects are your tax dollars at work. From the deserts of Arizona and Utah we will go to Denver and Las Vegas and see what the urban areas of the west have in mind for the limited amount of water available. The chapter on Native American Water Issues is refreshing in that, for once, we learn that the Indians have won some court battles that have the effect of giving them back that which was, you guessed it, taken from them in the first place. Take all of this and wrap it up with chapters on Watershed Restoration and Water Allocation and Management, plus a comprehensive introductorly overview, and you have a wonderful primer on Water in the West. This book is one tall drink of water. Oregon State University Press and High Country News are to be commended for making it available to all of those that care about this precious resource.

As soon as I finished "Weeding At Dawn" I wanted to open to page one and start all over again, so much is the pleasure to be in Madrone's company as she weaves nonfiction story, journal entry or poem into a rich tapesty of life on the land. Readers who have joyed in the writings of such authors as May Sarton, Terry Tempest Williams, Annie Dillard, to name but a few, will find "Weeding At Dawn" another source for inspiration and delight. Madrone's memoir is richly detailed, deftly turned with just the right metaphors and images; the content is sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, sometimes sensual. It is an evocative portrayal of lesbian country life as well as an invitation to all readers to the meditative richness of rural solitude. Frankly, Thoreau's writings, while certainly full of words to ponder, pales in comparison to this memoir's life in the Oregon woods. I guarantee readers will love the pleasure of Madrone's company not once but many times.

An excellent book for anyone interested in history, travel, women's studies, or the early settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Leighton writes with a accessible, personable style, and makes wonderful non-judgemental observations about the wide range of people she meets. Her sketches of Native Americans and Chinese are particularly poignant and enlightened for her era. Leighton was unafraid of roughing it, and experienced some travel adventures that make thrilling reading.

I purchased this book for my nieces and nephews because they were planning a family trip to Oregon. They found the book to be a lot of fun as well as very informative. I had looked for children's books on the Oregon Trail and found WESTWARD HO WITH OLLIE OX to be the best for young children. I recommend it highly.

Chick

Lawney Reyes is the artistic member of a remarkable Native American family. His brother was Bernie Whitebear, the leader who founded United Indians of All Tribes Foundation in Seattle and led the fight to build the Daybreak Star Cultural Center at Fort Lawton. Their sister, Luanna, was responsible for the establishment of the Seattle Indian Women's Health League. And Lawney, well, Lawney is a superb artist who has created many, many beautiful sculptures and works of art that grace homes, buildings and institutions throughout our state. He is a quiet and unassuming man who has written a quiet and unassuming book of great power and grace. Read it and understand the man. Read it and understand his family, his people, his odyssey. Marvel at the character and talent that has found expression in Lawney and his brother and sister. Thanks to the University of Washington Press for publishing this book so that more people can know and remember.