The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane [Paperback]

Richard H. Engeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2009

What's the connection between Ken Kesey and Nancy's Yogurt? How about the difference between a hoedad and a webfoot? What became of the Pixie Kitchen and the vanished Lambert Gardens?
The Oregon Companion is an A-Z handbook of over 1000 people, places, and things. From Abernethy and beaver money to houseboats, railroads, and the Zigzag River, an intrepid public historian separates fact from fiction -- with his sense of humor intact. Entries include towns and cities, counties, rivers, lakes, and mountains; people who have left a mark on Oregon; industries, products, crops, and natural resources. Includes more than 160 historical black and white photos. This entertaining and delightfully meticulous compendium is an essential reference for anyone curious about Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] heck of a lot of fun to read…full of photographs that aren’t the usual suspects you see when you pick up a book abut Oregon history.”

(The Register-Guard )

“Native Oregonians and new web foots alike will find fascinating facts about their state.”

(Bloom )

The rare photographs alone make this book worth the purchase price and I found myself learning more about Oregon in one sitting than I can ever remember.

(Powell's Books Blog )

"More than just a coffee-table trophy, The Oregon Companion opens a window onto a distinctly Oregonian version of the past, one that leads (however unexpectedly) into our uncanny Oregonian present."

(Willamette Week )

"Engeman has proved his mettle as a Pacific Northwest historian and archivist in this tremendous undertaking to coincide with Oregon's sesquicentennial." (News-Review )

"If the Smithsonian Institution is America's attic, Engeman dusts off for us a cubbyhole of diversions and souvenirs that, taken together and viewed from a certain angle, create a pointillist portrait rather like a Chuck Close painting … If it will appear different to every reader who picks up The Oregon Companion—that's no flaw.  It's just life in a random state." (Oregonian )

"The book is a handy guide to keep in the car while traveling because of the enticing information of the different sights in Oregon." (Southeast Examiner )

"With its succinct entries and well-restored photographs, The Oregon Companion reads more like a riveting narrative—tales of bankers sneaking into Japan on dinghies to teach English to Samurai warriors in the 1800s." (Portland Monthly )

"Once I started leafing through the chapters, I just couldn't put it down … Engeman's accessible writing style makes this book an engaging read for young and old alike."

(East Oregonian )

"This engaging, fact-filled reference book is useful both for newcomers and for forgetful natives."

(The Bee )

About the Author

Pacific Northwest historian and archivist Richard H. Engeman graduated from Reed College and holds graduate degrees from the University of Oregon and from the University of Washington. Formerly public historian of the Oregon Historical Society, he serves on the Portland Landmarks Commission and on the board of the Oregon Museums Association and the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program and is the principal of Oregon Rediviva LLC, a historical writing and consulting firm.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (March 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881928992
• ISBN-13: 978-0881928990
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > History

More About the Author

Richard H. Engeman is a Pacific Northwest historian and archivist who has specialized in working with historical photographs, maps, architectural plans and drawings, and paper ephemera. "The Oregon Companion: an Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious and the Arcane" (Timber Press, 2009) and "Eating It Up in Eden: the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Cookbook" (White House Grocery Press, 2009) are his most recent works He is also the author of an award-winning unit of the Oregon Historical Society's online Oregon History Project, "Wooden Beams and Railroad Ties: the History of Oregon's Built Environment."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new companion!, April 15, 2009

By 

T. F. Welsh (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane (Paperback)

I love this book! And, clearly, for Mr. Engeman, writing it was a labor of love..it shines through on every page. I have never been much of a "place booster": You know, the type who says, "our state (or city, etc.) is the best!" As a native Oregonian, I realize that my state, like all others, comprises beauty, wonder, the mundane, ugliness, and everything in between. From the indescribable Columbia Gorge to the strip mall, we have it.

But The Oregon Companion helps me see our state with new eyes. It contains over 400 pages of historical information, trivia, wonderful photographs (I could swear I saw some of those exact scenes from the back window of my grandparents' car!) and revelation. Its alphabetical arrangement makes it easy to access exactly what you're looking for, and boldfaced words indicate cross-references within the book itself.

The book's subtitle says it all: this is no dry historical tome. Rather it is written with wit and verve by someone who knows what he is talking about and has a blast doing it. I look forward to many happy hours of reading Mr. Engeman's take on areas I am familiar with, as well as learning what I don't know (yet). And like all great works, it inspires me to want to learn more.

And, while I am sure Mr. Engeman did not have this as his goal, he has solved my gift-giving dilemmas for years to come: it is hard to imagine a friend or family member who would NOT love this book!

Right now I feel like getting in my car with this book and just driving all over Oregon to see what I have been missing.

I only wish every state should be so lucky as to have a "companion" like this one. Perhaps with this inspiration, they will!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pronounce it "Ory-gun", November 26, 2010

By 

Joseph PL Steinbock "jsteinbo" (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane (Paperback)

I thought I knew Oregon... I went to college there, I lived there for a total of 7 years, I led a tour there, but this book showed me how little of the State I had grasped. This book is written by a scholar of the State's history, places, and culture, who has found something to say about every dot on the map. The title is apt, and I will carry it with me the next time I visit.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read!, June 22, 2009

By 

M. Herr - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane (Paperback)

What a great read! I like short, fun, informative, useful and useless books like this sometimes. It is like reading small town newspapers from all over the state. It was a delight to read about some of the places that I had visited as a child. Some are still around (places at the beach) and some are not (Lambert Gardens). The stories are interesting and fun enough to reel in teenagers as well as adults. I mean, who can resist Jake the Alligator Man? My only regret is that I can't find a similar book for Washington.