Oregon Books

I gave this to my Grandson who lives in Portland OR and is interested in architecture. He loved the book.

This book has beautiful pictures of the Portland, OR area. Steve is an excellent photographer and has a great eye for picture content. Anyone interested in the Portland area will enjoy this book immensely. I bought three of them, one for myself, one for my son who has moved to Seattle, WA and one for my daughter who has moved to Eagle River, AK. This will give them a little piece of home to look at any time they want.

This, published in the late 1970s, is a gem. Local historian Eugene Snyder, who ought to be justly renowned for his approachable, "historian-for-the-rest-of-us" approach to Portland Oregon history, produced a genius book that is a friendly, chatty rundown of Portland street names, address system history, and where all those names really came from. Among the the things you'll know are:

* Why Ladd's Addition came about, and why it looks the way it does
* Why Downtown's Ankeny Street is so remarkably narrow
* Why Portland's address grid is the way it is (and why we needed a Great Renaming)
* Why those streets in NW Portland run alphabetically
* What game Lovejoy and Pettygrove played to choose the name of the new town

This is a book that is lovingly done, as thoroughly researched as can be and despite its dating (copyright was 1979) still essential. Published by a small Portland press which as since passed into history, it's hard to find, so get it while you can!

PORTLAND OREGON: CITY OF ROSES is 32-page paperback book primarily designed for tourists, or as a gift for family and friends who do not live in Portland and want to see what the City of Roses is all about. It is short on text and large on pictures: postcard style color photographs are on every page, sometimes three or four per page; the first page is a map of Portland. Pictures are divided into ten subsections: "Portland Waterfront - Westside of the Willamette River"; "Downtown Portland"; "East of the Willamette River"; "Sports"; "Rose Festival"; "Rivers of Portland"; "Washington Park"; "Bridges of Portland"; "Nearby Attractions"; "Mount Hood." Dimensions are 10" by 7". It's a beautiful collection of the most stunning sites in the city and surrounding area. I took this book on my trip as an exchange student to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to show my host family where I was from (I was living in Portland at the time), and they were very impressed with Portland's beauty.

Andrew Michael Parodi

Clear, large enough print to read, small size and laminated to protect from that Portland weather! Covers the downtown area very well, and I use it on a weekly basis. Even bought one for my fiancee when she relocated to Portland. All our guests who borrow the car find it to be the best map we have on the area. Great map of the area, helps me get around daily.

Amazing is all that can explain this book. The pictures in this book are some of the best photographes I have ever seen of the City of Roses. If you are interested in Portland, or even if you live there, you must see this book. Nothing is any better.

"Portrait of America" was a popular video documentary series in the mid-eighties, a product of collaboration between Superstation/Turner Broadcasting Corporation and Ambrose Home Video. Well-researched, each video is divided into 5 segments covering most unique historical, social, and cultural aspects of each state. Watching such an interesting documentary, each being roughly about 50 minutes long, without advertisements and other interruptions seems to be a privilege in these days!

I'm not just giving this book a high rating because it was written by my late father, Jack Evans, but also because it is a fascinating eyewitness account of Oregon Trail history in northeastern Oregon, as related through actual pioneer diaries.

We take a lot of things for granted in present-day America, but after reading this book I learned to have a greater appreciation for the way things were during pioneer days. Those who emigrated to the Pacific Northwest via the Oregon Trail faced unimaginable hardships that included dysentery, attacks by Native Americans, animal attacks and horrible weather. The pioneers' descriptions of the countless grave markers along the route are a reminder of the courage and toughness of those who survived the trip, and the tragedies that befell those who didn't live to see Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Having lived in northeast Oregon most of my life, Dad's book added new levels of understanding to my view of this region. When I look at the steep hill above Ladd Canyon at the south edge of our valley, it is hard not to imagine covered wagons making their perilous descent. When I look above town and above Table Mountain, I can see the route the wagons had to travel to get to the top of the ridge, and I wonder how they possibly could have made it, given the roughness of the terrain.

The book also features maps on which Dad outlined the route of the Oregon Trail. If you like to get out and walk and if you are good with USGS maps, you might be able to follow the Oregon Trail yourself, through Oregon's Malheur, Baker, Union and Umatilla Counties.

My father's writings help connect the pioneer diary excerpts in a near-seamless manner, creating an amazing story or courage. Please take time to read this book. Whether or not you are familiar with Oregon Trail history, "Powerful Rockey" will provide you with a sense of wonder and a greater understanding of the American pioneer spirit!

Excellent reference book for anyone who grows or plans to grow native plants. Will likely go out of print. Highly recommended for the native plant lover or nursery grower. Unusual book.

This is a great map if you JUST want a detailed view of downtown Portland, OR only. If you need any of the suburbs you will need another map like the Thomas guide.