Storied Scandalous Portland, Oregon: A History of Gambling, Vice, Wits, an [Paperback]

When vice and scandal are all fun and games.

Portland, Oregon began as a town of itinerant young men who had no shortage of diversions at the end of the workday. This city grew up with lots of revelry and little regulation. After the last tree fell in logging season and after the workday ended on the docks, those young men broke out the cards. Saloon culture quickly took hold in Portland, offering alcohol, sex, gambling, and other diversions. This book traces the storied and scandalous history of Portland, from the underground and elite saloons and gambling rings to the vice, scandal, and fun they brought. Readers will meet the impresarios, gangsters, and racketeers who colored Portland’s history.Joe Streckert is an independent journalist from Portland, Oregon. His work has been published by McSweeney's, Nerve.com, Not For Tourists, Comic Book Resources, and The Daily Journal of Commerce. Joe is a founding member of Stumptown Stories and the host of The Weird History Podcast.Contents

Introduction

The North End

Tall Tales and Shanghaiers

Chinatown

Progressives, Reformers, and Anti-Vice Crusaders

20th Century Vice and Prohibition

Al Winter and Dorothy Lee

Jim Elkins, the Pinball Wizard

The 1950s Vice Scandal

Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll

Betting on the Beast

Everyday Vice

ConclusionJoe Streckert takes good advantage of his years as a Portland tour-guide in this engaging collection of stories from Portland history.Not your father's history book...Don't let Streckert's enthusiastic and breezy tone fool you. Storied & Scandalous Portland, Oregon is a deep dive into Portland's oft untold history. This is a fascinating and highly accessible history that draws you in and doesn't let go. If you want an unflinching look at darker aspects of Portland's history, look no further.Storied & Scandalous Portland, Oregon is the book on vice in the Rosl3/