Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

From 1998 through 2013, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs sought to develop a casino in Cascade Locks, Oregon. This prompted objections from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, who already operated a lucrative casino in the region. Brook Colley’s in-depth case study unravels the history of this disagreement and challenges the way conventional media characterizes intertribal casino disputes in terms of corruption and greed. Instead, she locates these conflicts within historical, social, and political contexts of colonization. Through extensive interviews, Colley brings to the forefront Indigenous perspectives on intertribal conflict related to tribal gaming. She reveals how casino economies affect the relationship between gaming tribes and federal and state governments, and the repercussions for the tribes themselves. Ultimately, Colley’s engaging examination explores strategies for reconciliation and cooperation, emphasizing narratives of resilience and tribal sovereignty.

xx, 203 pages : illustration, maps ; 23 cm

In Potluck, Ana Maria Spagna explores the enduring human connection to place, journeying from Tijuana to a California beach to Utah’s canyon country—and, always, back to the sparsely populated valley in the North Cascades that she calls home. Potluck homes in on the everyday gatherings that, over time, define a community: a makeshift wedding, an art gallery opening, a farewell potluck, a work party, a work party, a campfire, a political caucus, a funeral. “What connects us?” Spagna asks, and she reveals, again and again, the gift of community—easy and uneasy, deep and enduring and essential.

175 pages ; 22 cm

"Mildred Valley Thornton had an abiding passion which she pursued with almost missionary fervor throughout her life - the preservation of Canada's Native culture. For over fifty years she dedicated herself to that purpose through the medium of her paintings, writings and lectures. During the course of her career, Mildred not only painted the portraits of many prominent and historical Native Canadians, but she assembled an accompanying catalogue of anecdotes, folklore and legends, which today provide a unique chronicle of a vanished age. This publication is a collection of both Thornton's colorful portraits and the fascinating story behind each one."--pub. desc

317 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm

Potlatch examines the intricate ceremonial gatherings and deep cultural consolidation situated within the sheltered coastal inlets and towering cedar forests of Vancouver Island's rugged western shoreline. Clutesi details how the region's dramatic maritime topography—specifically the rich tidal estuaries, the dense temperate rainforests, and the intricate network of deep-water fjords—strictly dictated the margins of inter-tribal connectivity and seasonal habitation. By mapping the staging of massive winter ceremonies within monumental cedar longhouses anchored securely to the Pacific edge, the narrative highlights how the profound abundance of the local marine and forest ecosystems directly sustained complex societal structures. Ultimately, this cultural record serves as a deeply localized spatial history, demonstrating how the rich estuarine geography and immense botanical scale of this Pacific Northwest coastline fundamentally shaped the deeply rooted, geographically tethered character of Nuu-chah-nulth ceremonial life.

188 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Postmarked Washington: Okanogan County by Guy Reed Ramsey is a 1966 local history, famously the first book ever published by the Okanogan County Historical Society, that details the region's early pioneer communication networks. The work meticulously chronicles the establishment, operation, and eventual closure of every frontier post office that existed within the county's borders. Ultimately, it serves as an essential genealogical and historical reference for understanding the rural development and the pioneer postmasters who connected this rugged area of North Central Washington.

60 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

Postmarked Washington: Pierce County by Guy Reed Ramsey, posthumously edited by Jeanne Engerman, is a 1981 historical reference published by the Washington State Historical Society that chronicles the region's early communication networks. Building upon decades of exhaustive research, the book catalogs the establishment, operation, and eventual closure of numerous frontier post offices within the county, detailing its early settlements and pioneer postmasters. Ultimately, it serves as an invaluable resource for genealogists and regional historians seeking to understand the rural development and civic infrastructure that connected communities across the Tacoma and Mount Rainier areas.

xi, 123 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Postmarked Washington: An Encyclopedia of Postal History Covering Eleven Counties of Eastern Washington, compiled by Bert Webber from the foundational research of the late Guy Reed Ramsey, is a comprehensive reference work detailing the region's early pioneer communication networks. The book meticulously catalogs the establishment, operation, and discontinuation of numerous frontier post offices across eastern Washington, highlighting the local postmasters who served these growing communities. Ultimately, it serves as an essential historical resource for genealogists, philatelists, and regional scholars researching the rural development and civic infrastructure of the Inland Northwest.

volumes <1> : illustrations ; 27 cm

Postmarked Washington: Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties by Guy Reed Ramsey and Alan H. Patera is a meticulously researched 1987 reference book that chronicles the complete postal history of two of Washington state's earliest coastal counties. The work catalogs the establishment, operation, and eventual closure of numerous local post offices, while also documenting the pioneer postmasters and early mail routes that connected these remote frontier communities. Ultimately, it serves as an invaluable resource for philatelists, genealogists, and regional historians seeking to understand the pioneer communication networks of the Pacific Northwest.

148 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Postmarked Washington: Lewis and Cowlitz Counties meticulously traces the history of early postal routes and isolated settlements scattered across the heavily timbered river valleys and rugged Cascade foothills of southwestern Washington. Ramsey details how the turbulent, flood-prone watersheds of the Cowlitz and Chehalis rivers dictated the precise placement of pioneer homesteads and remote logging camps, forcing early communication networks to navigate dense old-growth forests and steep ravines. The narrative highlights the profound physical isolation of these early communities, many of which were wedged between the imposing volcanic slopes of Mount St. Helens to the south and Mount Rainier to the north, relying entirely on treacherous overland trails or seasonal river transport. Ultimately, by tracking the rise and subsequent abandonment of dozens of remote post offices, the book provides a deeply localized spatial history of how this formidable inland topography both fostered and eventually erased these fleeting Pacific Northwest outposts.

x, 240 pages : illustrations maps, portraits ; 23 cm

This is the story of the settlers and settlements of three counties on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, with emphasis on stories of the postal service and postmasters that served the area. Examples of towns included are Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Sequim, Shelton, Forks, and Neah Bay. Hardbound, 180 pages, 6 x 9 inches. Included are maps, photographs, and sketches.

180 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Postmarked Washington: Island County, San Juan County examines the grueling establishment of early communication networks and isolated pioneer settlement across the deeply indented, tide-swept archipelagos of the Salish Sea. Ramsey details how the region's formidable physical barriers—specifically the treacherous marine currents of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the steep, heavily timbered shorelines of islands like Orcas and Whidbey, and the vast, fog-bound expanses of water separating these enclaves from the mainland—strictly dictated the margins of human survival and postal connectivity. By mapping the arduous logistical realities of establishing remote island post offices and the dangerous navigation required by early mosquito fleet steamers to deliver vital correspondence across these fractured aquatic topographies, the narrative highlights the immense physical endurance required to anchor permanent communities in this demanding maritime environment. The absolute geographic isolation of these remote homesteads and resource camps forced them into a strict reliance on the deepwater marine highway, completely anchoring their civic and commercial existence to the unpredictable weather patterns and the precarious arrival of maritime mail routes. Ultimately, this philatelic and historical record serves as a deeply localized spatial history, demonstrating how the severe aquatic isolation and complex island topography of this Pacific Northwest frontier fundamentally shaped the fiercely resilient, strictly maritime-dependent character of the San Juan and Island County communities.

62 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, maps ; 23 cm

Guy Reed Ramsey and Susan Goff’s Postmarked Washington: Thurston County serves as a meticulous civic and logistical history that traces the establishment, evolution, and frequent disappearance of early settlements at the southern terminus of Puget Sound. Moving beyond a simple philatelic catalog, the text reveals how the territory's earliest communication networks and pioneer mail routes were mapped directly onto the ancient overland trails and river portages long established by the Nisqually, Squaxin, and Chehalis peoples. The authors detail how the hard-fought authorization of a local post office acted as the ultimate catalyst for frontier community building, transforming isolated timber camps, prairie homesteads, and maritime claims into officially recognized, interconnected civic hubs. By documenting the transient nature of many of these rural outposts, the history highlights the boom-and-bust cycles of the region's early timber and agricultural economies, showing how rural pioneers relied on interdependent community alliances to maintain these vital mail lifelines. Ultimately, this detailed geographic index demonstrates how the cooperative, grueling effort to establish frontier mail service successfully stitched a scattered wilderness into the cohesive civic infrastructure that anchors modern Thurston County.

vi, 125 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Robert L. Landis's historical directory, Post Offices of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, provides a comprehensive geographic record of how postal communication networks expanded across the diverse landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. The book acts as a detailed gazetteer, tracing the establishment of early mail routes from the bustling maritime hubs of Puget Sound and the Columbia River to the most isolated mining camps deep in the Idaho panhandle. By documenting the life cycles of hundreds of rural, urban, and island post offices—many of which are now forgotten ghost towns—the text maps the shifting demographics and settlement patterns of the region. Ultimately, this extensive catalog illustrates how the challenging topography of coastal rainforests, high deserts, and rugged mountain passes dictated the vital flow of communication and commerce throughout these three frontier states.

[8], 89, 98, 55, 9 pages illustrations 24 cm

"A fascinating account that links early maritime history, Indigenous land rights, and modern environmental advocacy in the Clayoquot Sound region by award-winning author and historian Barry Gough. Centred on Meares Island, located near Tofino on Vancouver Island's west coast, Possessing Meares Island weaves a unique history out of the mists of time by connecting eighteenth century Indigenous-colonial trade relations to more recent historical upheavals. Gough invites readers to enter a dramatic epoch of BC's coastal history and watch the Nuu-chah-nulth nations spearhead the maritime sea otter trade, led by powerful chiefs like Wickaninnish and Maquinna. Eventually, Meares Island declines into an economic backwater due to overhunting the sea otter, the bloody Clayoquot War of 1855, and most importantly, the proxy of empire--the Hudson's Bay Company--establishing colonial roots in nearby Victoria. Caught up in the tides of change, the Oregon Treaty of 1846 ushers in a new era as the island is officially declared property of the British Crown. Gough bridges the gap between centuries as he describes how the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council draw on this complicated history of ownership to invoke their legal claim to the land and defend the majestic wilderness from the indiscriminate clear-cut saw. Possessing Meares Island will not only appeal to history buffs, but to anyone interested in a momentous triumph for Indigenous rights and environmental protection that echoes across the nation today."-- Provided by publisher

xxv, 230 pages, 8 pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Portrait of Lynden chronicles the grueling agricultural transformation and isolated pioneer settlement situated within the flood-prone river corridors and dense lowland forests of northwestern Washington. Koert details how the region's formidable physical barriers—specifically the towering, impenetrable old-growth timber of the Nooksack River valley, the waterlogged, marshy soils, and the unpredictable, heavy maritime precipitation—strictly dictated the margins of early human survival and agrarian expansion. By mapping the immense physical labor required to painstakingly extract massive cedar and fir stumps from the damp earth and to engineer vital drainage networks across the floodplain, the narrative highlights the monumental cooperative effort necessary to forcibly convert this dense temperate rainforest into highly productive dairy and agricultural pastureland. The absolute geographic isolation from the deeper marine ports of Puget Sound initially forced these remote homesteaders into a strict reliance on the precise topography of the Nooksack River for early transportation, completely anchoring their commercial existence and tightly knit community structure to the severe hydrological realities of the river basin. Ultimately, this civic and historical record serves as a deeply localized spatial history, demonstrating how the extreme physical labor, dense forested topography, and specific riverine geography of this Pacific Northwest frontier fundamentally shaped the fiercely resilient, strictly agriculturally dependent character of the Lynden settlement.

163 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Summary: In 150 inforgraphic maps, two leading geographers explore Portland, Oregon, through unexpected topics such as city chickens, wild coyote encounters, food-truck trends, and coffee culture. Each map starts with the gathering of at least one data set about a given topic, then translating that into visual form which blends traditional cartographic skills with modern graphic design

190 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps, color plans ; 26 cm

Celebrating America's favorite cityscapes, this series combines historic interest and contemporary beauty. Then and Now features fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. A visual lesson in the historic changes of our greatest urban landscapes

144 pages : chiefly illustrations (some color) ; 26 x 29 cm

in connection with the antecedent explorations, discoveries, and movements of the pioneers that selected the site for the great city of the Pacific

3 volumes : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 27 cm

"William "Bill" Sumio Naito (1925-1996) was a remarkable and visionary individual--the Portland-born son of Japanese immigrants who became one of the city's most significant business and civic leaders. Every day thousands of people drive on Naito Parkway alongside Portland's Waterfront Park, yet little has been written about the man for whom it was named. In this first biography, Erica Naito-Campbell, Bill's granddaughter, shows how his story is also the story of Portland, the city he loved. Naito's life, from the Great Depression and World War II through Portland's rebirth in the 1970s and its profound growth, tracked most of the major events in the city and was the catalyst for many of them. Through hard-earned success in importing and real estate with his brother Sam, Naito came to wield considerable power in the city, and his leadership led to much of what we consider iconic Portland today: the "Portland Oregon" sign near the Burnside Bridge, the annual Christmas tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square, and Harbor Drive's conversion to Waterfront Park. Naito's name became synonymous with civic leadership, whether it was growing Portland's urban tree canopy, revitalizing its downtown, or preserving historic buildings. But less is known about his difficult childhood--with a father who worked twelve-hour days and a mother whose treatment of him was harsh at best--and the racism he endured during World War II. After the expulsion of Japanese Americans following Pearl Harbor and his military service in Occupied Japan, Naito overcame great emotional turmoil to return to Portland and become one of its greatest change-makers."-- Provided by publisher

x, 278 pages : illustrations, map, portraits ; 23 cm

"This book is a non-fiction study of the lives of ten different sculptors and the key public sculptures each contributed to the landscape and identity of Portland, Oregon, between 1900 and 2003. Each chapter examines the history of how these artworks were created, the challenges each sculptor faced, and how these artworks in a variety of sculpture media have contributed to the public arts scene of Portland into the twenty-first century. For its discussion of historical sculpture unique to Portland, a researched examination is made into those subjects selected by each sculptor, where influences of national identity, patriotism, symbolic representation, and the lives of each sculptor help to better understand the history and forces at work which brought these sculptures into existence. Interviews with two of the sculptors offer personal insights into their creative process: from the studio design to final installation in Portland. From Roland Hinton Perry and Alice Cooper, to James Lee Hansen and Raymond Kaskey, sculptures ranging from bronze castings of U.S. presidents, to other historical and allegorical figures in copper and marble, the author provides an in-depth review and presentation of Portland's public art as never seen before"-- Publisher's website

128 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits ; 24 cm

256 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

A compact and comprehensive history of Portland from first European contact to the twenty-first century, Portland in Three Centuries introduces the women and men who have shaped Oregon’s largest city. The expected politicians and business leaders appear, but Carl Abbott also highlights workers and immigrants, union members and dissenters, women at work and in the public realm, artists and activists, and other movers and shakers. Incorporating social history and contemporary scholarship in his narrative, Abbott examines current metropolitan character and issues, giving close attention to historical background. He explores the context of opportunities and problems that have helped to shape the rich mosaic that is Portland. This revised and updated second edition includes greater attention to the Indigenous peoples of the Portland region, Portland’s communities of color, and the challenges of recent years that have thrust Portland into the national spotlight. A highly readable character study of a city, and enhanced by more than sixty historic and contemporary images, Portland in Three Centuries will appeal to readers interested in Portland, in Oregon, and in Pacific Northwest history.

192 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Terence O'Donnell and Thomas Vaughan’s Portland: An Informal History & Guide chronicles the rapid municipal transformation of "The Clearing" into the Pacific Northwest’s preeminent deep-water river port on the lower Willamette. The narrative documents the systematic superimposition of an orthogonal street grid, timber wharves, and early commercial storefronts directly over the riparian bottomlands and sloughs stewarded by Upper Chinookan communities, including the Multnomah and Clackamas peoples. By cutting plank roads through the rugged Tualatin Mountains and capitalizing on the natural head of deep-draft navigation, early entrepreneurs engineered a vital transshipment hub linking interior agricultural valleys to Pacific maritime routes. Ultimately, the work captures how municipal expansion and commercial capital permanently restructured an ancient Indigenous riverine crossroads into an American mercantile center.

x, 211 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

This is the definitive book on Portland's political history, beginning in 1845 when a 16-lot townsite was laid out on the bank of the Willamette River and continuing through the sesquicentennial of Portland city government. Jewel Lansing has amassed a treasure trove of information on Portland's civic and political life, which she presents in a lively volume, organized around accounts of the successive reigns of Portland's mayors. The story is rich in anecdotes that bring to life the unique individuals and controversial issues of Portland's distant and more recent past. Lansing shows that Portland's path to its present place as the 28th largest city in the United States, with a deserved reputation as one of the nation's most livable cities, has not always been smooth. Corruption, profiteering, and wide-open vice characterized the City of Roses at the turn of the 20th century, and every era has had its own controversies and rivalries: disputes over railroad franchises and rights-of-way, women's suffrage, public versus private power, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Prohibition, and the siting of freeways, to name just a few. Anyone with an interest in Portland, and in learning more about the individuals, events, and issues that have shaped it, will find this comprehensive history fascinating and informative. About the author: Jewel Lansing served as the elected City of Portland Auditor from 1983 to 1986 and as Multnomah County Auditor from 1975 to 1982. She was the author of eight books, including two about women and politics, and a murder mystery set in Portland City Hall. She is honored on Portland's Walk of the Heroines for her pioneering role as a woman in government and politics and her outstanding civic contributions.

xii, 576 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Port Townsend—Years That Are Gone provides a visual and historical chronicle of a maritime boomtown strategically situated at the extreme northeastern tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The authors detail how the city's exposed location at the turbulent junction of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet dictated its early development, physically dividing the settlement between a bustling deepwater commercial waterfront and a residential district built atop steep coastal bluffs. By examining the ornate Victorian architecture constructed during its prosperous peak, the narrative demonstrates how the town's ultimate geographic isolation—surrounded by marine waterways and backed by rugged mountains—thwarted vital railroad connections and abruptly halted its expansion. Ultimately, the book captures the physical legacy of this unique seaport, mapping its rapid late-nineteenth-century boom and sudden bust directly onto the dramatic coastal topography of the Pacific Northwest.

iii, 192 pages : illustrations ; 21 x 22 cm