History Pub: About Scott Joplin and the Ragtime Spaces of Deschutes County: 1900-1918

by Tracy Alexander | May 6, 2026

When Bend became a city in 1905, ragtime music by Midwesterner Scott Joplin and other African American composers dominated entertainment venues across the US. Even in Deschutes County, Oregon, ragtime enlivened town life for at least 20 years, proving unexpected ties...

April History Pub: About Oregon Gold; A history of mining from the Civil War into the Progressive Era

by Tracy Alexander | Mar 11, 2026

Gold mining was an important aspect of Oregon’s history, far greater than what is generally understood. Historian and author William Willingham presents extensive research from his book, Oregon Gold, and offers a comprehensive view of Oregon’s precious...

March History Pub: About the Changing Skyline- 100 Years of Landscape Change in Central Oregon

by Tracy Alexander | Mar 3, 2026

During the summer of 1920, Frederick William Cleator (1883-1957), a Forest Service recreational planner, surveyed and signposted the Skyline Trail. This trail, first laid out between Crater Lake and Mount Jefferson, was a predecessor to the Pacific Crest Trail, which,...

History Pub: The Lands Everyone Wanted with Jeff Kitchens

by Tracy Alexander | Aug 6, 2025

For over 200 years the U.S. has been trying to figure out what to do with its “public” lands. From surveys to sales, grazing to natural gas development, national seashores to national parks, the U.S. has had a very complicated history of land use. Our public lands are...

Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science with Catherine McNeur

by Editor | Nov 14, 2024

In her new book, Mischievous Creatures, historian Catherine McNeur uncovers the forgotten lives and work of the sisters Margaretta Hare Morris and Elizabeth Carrington Morris, who were at the center of scientific conversations and debates in the nineteenth century....