The month of March brings three opportunities to learn about Portland and Oregon history from knowledgeable voices at the Architectural Heritage Center (AHC). Saturday, March 14, 10-11:30 am Darrell Jabin, Oregon’s Traveling Historian, presents Oregon’s Historic Homes and the People Who Lived in Them. Historic homes tell stories. Some of them are rather plain and some very extravagant. Some were the homes of Oregon business and community leaders and served as meeting places for people who helped create the state. They have been preserved and many are now museums. Jabin has been researching and sharing Oregon history since 2009 and has produced award winning videos, hosts a twice monthly radio show and frequently gives informative and entertaining presentations.
Oregon Gold author William F. Willingham Ph.D. gives a free talk with book signing Saturday, March 21, 12-1 pm. Willingham shows how mining was an important aspect of the state’s history, far greater than has been traditionally understood. He provides special attention and analysis to the role Chinese miners played in the story of eastern Oregon mining and to the demographic makeup of two major mining communities, Susanville and Granite, that thrived during the period.
Saturday, March 28, 10 am-12 pm is The Portland Zoo Railroad: The Biggest Little Railway in the Country. The Portland Zoo Railway (PZRy) was founded in 1958 in the West Hills of Portland, one year before the opening of the new Portland zoo. Its flagship, the streamlined Space Age-styled Zooliner, made its debut June 5, 1958 and carried over 2,500 riders that day. This was a year before the opening of the zoo, and the fares collected over the season, as planned, were used to fund and build the zoo. The presentation by Melissa Darby will trace the history of the railroad and explore the route, examine the rolling stock and discuss some famous passengers.
Register for any, or all, of the talks at visitahc.org/talks-and-events. The March 14 and March 28 talks are $30 for the general public, $20 for AHC members. While the Oregon Gold talk is free to attend, registration is required as seating is limited.
Photo by AHC.
