Mysteries and Legends of Oregon: True Stories Of The Unsolved And Unexplained

by James A. Yuskavitch

From the mysterious disappearance of hijacker D. B. Cooper to persistent rumors of Bigfoot, this selection of fourteen stories from Oregon's past explores some of the Beaver State's most compelling mysteries and debunks some of its most famous myths.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Joyce Reynolds-Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard fare for this sort of collection. Some of the legends match what I've read elsewhere, others are completely new.

[Tammie Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories but sometimes the telling of them is a bit jumbled with events being related out of order and, in the case of one story, three instances of "the first time this tale/legend shows up is..." (with three different years for each "first time"). Still, it's entertaining and easy to read if you're looking for a quirky side of Pacific Northwest history.

[Britt-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

News to me. A nice diversion.

[John Orman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leading off, D.B. Cooper somehow beats out Bigfoot!
After Mr. Sasquatch, we have the Bridge of the Gods, and Wallowa Lake Monster.
Maybe I will spend some time looking for the Port Orford Meteorite,
a thirty ton rock reputed to be worth millions--but it could be just a legend!

Portland gets some bad publicity as a former "Shanghai City,"
where sailors were gotten drunk and hauled off to ships that set sail
before the sailors sobered up.
The book does debunk the notion of Shanghai Tunnels running beneath Portland,
used to get the drafted sailors from bar to ship.
That tale has also been debunked by a local historian I talked to,
though Underground Tours of Portland highlight the tunnels,
and a recent TV episode of Ghost Adventures also talked them up as real.

My favorite essay is about the Oregon Vortex, which I visited in the summer of 2011.
At this location near Gold Hill, OR, the laws of physics appear to be defied.
Principles of gravity, mass, and scale no longer rule in the House of Mystery.
The site's founder John Litster, also consulted on the creation of the Mystery Spot
attraction in Santa Cruz, CA, which I have also visited and marveled at.
Skeptics claim it is all optical illusion,
but I would rather believe in Litster's Terralines theory of electromagnetism.
And this place is so cool it was mentioned in an X-Files episode!

[Carye Bye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book for curious adults or young teens (seriously get this book for any 13+ year old!) Great layout of chapters and fun stories about Oregon's lore. Especially liked the chapter on the 'Bridge of the Gods', and the unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper who hijacked a plane with 'the money' in the early 70s, and was never seen again.. though bundles of cash showed up in the Columbia Gorge. The author has a great grasp of science & history and clear interesting writing. I love a well thought out book. Many other 'weird' or 'strange' books about Oregon lore that I've seen often have bad book design and poor writing -- this one stands out. I'd put this one on my permanent book shelf for friends and visitors.

[Jeana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was well researched and interesting. The author did jump around a bit, making it hard for someone like me to follow at times. I'm all about chronological order. Beyond that, it's fascinating and fun. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Oregon history.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but rather sketchily researched, (some of the information is a bit dubious) about various myths, mysteries and legends in the state of Oregon. Mostly compiled from newspaper articles and tall tales.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. While it had the myths of Bigfoot and Walley (lake monster) that you might expect with a title that includes the word "unexplained" is also has a wealth of historical mysteries that were fascinating.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was well written and researched. My favorite legends were the Bridge of the Gods and the Oregon Vortex.

[Karen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly unique and intriguing insight into the wonders Oregon has to offer. Love the history and little background stories of the place I call home