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The Oregon Companion

An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane

Paperback , 432 pages
ISBN: 9780881928990 (0881928992)
Published by Timber Press
$27.95(US)

Review Quote

“[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.”

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

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.

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

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

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