I apologize for taking so long to write another review. I have been very busy lately, and have had little enough time to read, much less to blog. With that said, I shall proceed share my thoughts on Portland's Lost Waterfront: Tall Ships, Steam Mills, and Sailors' Boardinghouses, by Barney Blalock.
My godfather, Barney Blalock, is a well-spring of information on many things, but especially on Portland, Oregon. When it comes to Portland's history, he is literally a walking encyclopedia. So when he wrote a book on the subject, I was quite excited. I have already read numerous children's books written by him (all of which are wonderful), and I looked forward very much to a history of the Portland waterfront by such a knowledgeable and talented writer.
Portland's Lost Waterfront exceeded my expectations. It was an excellent, highly informing, and very enjoyable book. (I'm usually not the kind of person who likes to sit down and read non-fiction for fun, so this is high praise indeed.) I learned so much about the Willamette River, the shipping and grain industry in Portland, bridges, shanghaiing, and of course the infamous (and non-existent) shanghai tunnels of Portland.
I also learned a great deal about the origins of Portland. Before reading the book, I had only a very fuzzy idea of how the city came to be what it is today. After reading the book, I felt completely different! I now know about the little troubles faced by the little village of Portland in its early days, the "Can't Get Away Club" that stayed in Portland during the California gold rush, and rapid growth of the little town into an inland seaport. It is a really fascinating story, and I was glad to learn about it.
Then, of course, there are the infamous sailors' boardinghouse masters: Jim Turk, Bunco Kelly, "Mysterious" Billy Smith, and the like. The stories of these scoundrels, who are now the stuff of legends, were fascinating.
Barney Blalock is an excellent writer, and his book was a joy to read. He has thoroughly researched his topic, and he shares a wealth of knowledge with the reader. Portland's Lost Waterfront was a very enjoyable and educational read from a wonderful author, and I highly recommend it.
Note: For those who would like to know even more about the Portland waterfront, I recommend Barney Blalock's blog: The Portland Waterfront History Blog. He is frequently adding more interesting information on the city of Portland--almost enough to write another book--there.
