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Interpretive Essays

vanport flood

Michael N. McGregor, an accomplished writer and Professor Emeritus of Nonfiction Writing and English at Portland State University, wrote these essays using journals, autobiographies, letters, newspapers, photographs, and other primary documents from the Oregon Historical Society archives. Nonfiction storytelling helps readers  imagine the events, people, and issues that shaped Oregon history, encouraging readers to ask questions about the lives of those who lived during times of immense change in Oregon.

quilt vanport summer lodges
Abigail Scott Duniway's Quilt  The Vanport Flood

The Legacy of Mr. Jones:

Spreading Old World Contagions 

pete franch library
The Death of Peter French:
Clashes of Cattlemen and Settlers
A Look Back At Portland Jazz:
When the Joint Was Jumpin'
Interpretive Essay Bibliography