Joe Streckert - Storied & Scandalous Portland, Oregon: A History of Gambling, Vice, Wits, and Wagers

Joe Streckert is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He previously contributed to The Portland Mercury, Comic Book Resources, McSweeneys Internet Tendency, and other publications. Joe is a founding member of Stumptown Stories and the host of the Weird History podcast.

No one does anything alone. Every book happens because an author had people in their life who supported and developed them. These are the people who helped me on my journey.

Before I wrote about Portland, I spoke about it as a tour guide. Thank you to David Schargel, Bob Fisher, Adam Sawyer, and all of my colleagues at Portland Walking Tours for introducing me to so much of this history.

Id also like to thank my editors and colleagues at the Portland Mercury. Steve Humphrey, Marjorie Skinner, Dennis Theriault, Allison Hallet, Courtney Ferguson, Megan Burbank, and Suzette Smith all gave me fascinating assignments, and even though I only ever freelanced for Portlands best alt weekly, they made me feel like I was part of the team.

For years my colleagues and I at Stumptown Stories gave public lectures about Pacific Northwest history. Once a month wed fill the basement of the Rialto Pool-room with anyone who cared to learn about history while sipping on a drink, and being part of that was one of the best and weirdest experiences Ive ever had. Im very grateful to Terry Robbinett for the opportunity to put on a show, and to Doug Kenck-Crispin, Heather Arndt Anderson, Finn J. D. John, and J. B. Fisher for being exceptional history buddies.

Id also like to thank Jenn Tibbit, Adam Collins, Matt Myler, Jim Gibbons, Katie Sukalich, Elizabeth Harney, Thomas Wells, and Shy Allot, all formerly of Bonfire Marketing. Working at an agency was like boot camp for my writing, and I wouldnt have gotten this manuscript done in time without the professional skills I learned from all of you.

Im indebted to Portlands many writers and scholars who have come before me. Carl Abbot, E. Kimbark MacColl, Jewel Lansing, Gloria E. Myers, and Robert Donnelly are all amazing researchers and writers. In many ways Im merely walking along trails theyve already blazed. I hope Ive written something that can share a shelf with their works.

Im thankful for growing up with friends and family who supported me. My father Tom, my stepmother Ann, my sister Brigitte, and my brothers David and Patrick all helped me on my way. I also want to thank my dear friends Joseph Barker, Colin Williams, Ellery Sills, and Molly Andersen. All of you walked with me on my path to becoming an author.

Lastly, and most importantly, I have to thank my amazing wife, Sarah. This book wouldnt be here without her. Nor would my podcast, most of my bylines, or much of my career. Im fortunate beyond belief to have such a wonderful partner, and Im grateful for her every single day. I love you, darling, and I cant thank you enough for being a part of my life.

Abbot, Carl. Portland in Three Centuries: The Place and the People. Oregon State University Press, 2011.

Abbot, Carl. Portland: Planning, Politics and Growth in a Twentieth Century City. University of Nebraska Press, 1983.

Amis, Martin. Invasion of the Space Invaders. Penguin Random House UK, 2018.

Arndt Anderson, Heather. Portland: A Food Biography. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.

Blalock, Barney. The Oregon Shanghaiers. The History Press, 2014.

Blalock, Barney. Portlands Lost Waterfront. The History Press, 2012.

Boag, Peter. Does Portland Need a Homophile Society? Gay Culture and Activism in the Rose City between World War II and Stone Wall, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 105 No. 1, Mar 2004.

Chandler, J. D. and J. B. Fisher. Portland on the Take: Mid-Century Crime Bosses, Civic Corruption & Forgotten Murders. The History Press, 2014.

Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Dreams of the West: A History of the Chinese in Oregon 18501950. Ooligan Press, 2007.

Clark, Malcolm H., Jr. The War on the Webfoot Saloon. Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 58 No. 1, Mar 1957.

Donnelly, Robert C. Dark Rose: Organized Crime and Corruption in Portland. University of Washington Press, 2011.

Duniway, Abigail Scott. Yours, For Liberty. Selections from Abigail Scott Duniways Suffrage Newspaper, Oregon State University Press, 2000.

Hills, Tim. The Many Lives of the Crystal Ballroom. McMenamins Pubs & Breweries, 1997.

Holbrook, Stewart. Wildmen, Wobblies & Whistle Punks: Stewart Holbrooks Lowbrow Northwest. Oregon State University Press, 1992.

John, Finn J. D. Wicked Portland: The Wild and Lusty Underworld of a Frontier Seaport Town. The History Press, 2012.

Johnston, Robert D. The Radical Middle Class: Populist Democracy and the Question of Capitalism in Progressive Era Portland, Oregon. Princeton University Press, 2003.

Lansing, Jewel. Portland: People, Politics, and Power 18512001. Oregon State University Press, 2003.

Lears, Jackson. Something for Nothing: Luck in America. Viking Penguin, 2003.

Lovejoy, Asa. Lovejoys Pioneer Narrative. Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31, No.3, Sept 1930.

MacColl, E. Kimbark. The Growth of a City: Power and Politics in Portland, Oregon 19151950. The Georgian Press, 1979.

MacColl, E. Kimbark. Merchants, Money & Power: The Portland Establishment 18431913. The Georgian Press, 1988.

MacColl, E. Kimbark. The Shaping of a City: Business and Politics in Portland, Oregon 18851915. The Georgian Press, 1976.

Myers, Gloria E. A Municipal Mother: Portlands Lola Greene Baldwin, Americas First Policewoman. Oregon State University Press, 1995.

Pitzer, Paul C. Dorothy McCullough Lee: The Success and Failures of Dottie-Do-Good. Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 91 No. 1 Mar 1990.

Sawyer, Chris D. From Whitechapel to Old Town: The Life and Death of the Skid Row District in Portland, Oregon. Portland State University, 1985.

Schwantes, Carlos A. The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History. University of Nebraska Press, 1989.

Stanford, Phil. Portland Confidential: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Rose City. West Winds Press, 2004.

Sternheimer, Karen. Pop Culture Panics: How Moral Crusaders Construct Meanings of Deviance and Delinquency. Routledge, 2014.

Universal Studios, Forgotten Noir Vol. 1, Portland Expose, 1957.

Uris, Joseph Samuel. Trouble in River City. Portland State University, 1981.

P ortlands west side is a tiny, divided world.

The oldest part of the city embodies a stark contrast to the rest of town. South of Burnside, downtown is a mixture of office buildings, high-end hotels, and the occasional theater or expensive restaurant. North of Burnside, though, the city fades into Old Town, and the tone changes sharply.