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  • Frankie Baker found a home, and some peace, in Oregon

    Frankie Baker found a home, and some peace, in Oregon
    2026/04/03
    Sometime in 1915, a 40-year-old Black woman named Frankie Baker stepped off the train at Portland’s Union Station. She had come to stay; Oregon would be her home for the rest of her life. At that time, Portland had a a reputation as a good place to hide out when you were on the lam. It was far off the beaten path; but the town had all the cultural perquisites of civilization, or most of them anyway. Plus, the people of Oregon had a reputation for minding their own business. So a lot of people who got into trouble back east came to Portland hoping for a fresh start. And yes, Frankie was one of them. But she wasn’t running from the law, or from an abusive spouse. She was running from a popular song. Frankie Baker, you see, was the Frankie — of “Frankie and Johnny” fame. ... (Portland, Multnomah County; 1920s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-04.frankie-baker-they-done-her-wrong-596.html)
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    11 分
  • ‘Johnny’s’ Frankie lived in Portland, hiding from "her song"

    ‘Johnny’s’ Frankie lived in Portland, hiding from "her song"
    2026/04/02
    THE STORY TOLD in “Frankie and Johnny” is very well known — the song has been covered by at least 250 recording artists over the last 120 years. Mae West made it her theme song. Elvis Presley’s recording earned him a gold record. Originally a ragtime piece, it’s been adopted into jazz (Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck …), country (Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, Jimmie Rogers …), blues (Leadbelly, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Joe Callicott …), rock-and-roll (Jerry Lee Lewis, Van Morrison, Gene Vincent …) — basically, every musical style that’s come along since the end of the 19th century. Somewhere out there, there is probably even a dubstep version. I couldn't find one, but I did find Lena Horne's. And the list goes on and on. Of course, it should be no big surprise that the story the song tells is not strictly true. But, what is the real story, you might ask? The front cover of one of the first nationally-published sheet-music versions of Frankie and Johnny, published by Tell Taylor in 1912. (Image: Square Dance Resource Net) (link to the PDF of the sheet music: https://offbeatoregon.com/assets-2021/21-04.frankie-baker-he-done-her-wrong/FrankieAndJohnny-LeightonBrosRenShields-1.pdf ) Well … (St. Louis, Missouri; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/21-04.frankie-baker-they-done-her-wrong-596.html)
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    10 分
  • Charming gentleman by day, robber-poet by night

    Charming gentleman by day, robber-poet by night
    2026/04/01
    Charles “Black Bart” Bolton's neighbors in San Francisco thought his money came from ownership in gold mines. It turned out it came from furtive excursions northward to rob stagecoaches in Oregon and northern California. (Siskiyou Pass, Jackson County; 1880s, 1890s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1401d.black-bart-gentleman-stage-robber-poet.html)
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    9 分
  • Rosecrans rescue one of Coast Guard’s finest hours

    Rosecrans rescue one of Coast Guard’s finest hours
    2026/03/31
    Two motor lifeboat crews went out on the bar to save three surviving sailors. Both boats went to the bottom of the sea — but not a man was lost on either crew, and all the survivors were rescued. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1506d.CursedShips-RosecransRescue.html)
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    11 分
  • Cursed or not, Rosecrans was one unlucky ship

    Cursed or not, Rosecrans was one unlucky ship
    2026/03/30
    The big oil tanker had weathered two major catastrophes in the previous year — a stranding and a colossal fire. But for 33 doomed crew members, the third time would be the charm — or, rather, the hex. (Columbia River Bar, Clatsop County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1506c.cursed-ships-rosecrans-344.html)
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    10 分
  • Town’s police chief was later executed for murder

    Town’s police chief was later executed for murder
    2026/03/27
    At the pay the city of Sandy was offering, Otto Austin Loel was the only man willing to take the job. He didn't turn out to be much of a bargain ... but it wouldn't be until years later that the town learned how much worse he could have been. (Sandy, Clackamas County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1506a.sandy-police-chief-executed-for-murder-342.html)
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    9 分
  • Rooftop stunt made local aero-daredevil famous

    Rooftop stunt made local aero-daredevil famous
    2026/03/26
    “This is an age of do-it-first,” said Silas Christofferson, and proceeded to launch his spindly kite-like “aeroplane” from the roof of a downtown hotel — making aviation history in the heart of Oregon's biggest town. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1910s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1408e.302.silas-christofferson-portland-hero-aviator.html)
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    9 分
  • Giant skeleton hinted at legend of pirate treasure

    Giant skeleton hinted at legend of pirate treasure
    2026/03/25
    Neighbors wondered if the eight-foot-tall corpse found by developer at what today is YWCA Camp Westwind was evidence that an old Native American legend of a pirate ship is true; if so, there might actually be booty buried there, some say. (Cascade Head, Lincoln County; 1930s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1204e-giant-skeleton-evidence-of-pirate-treasure-legend.html)
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    8 分