Wicked Portland

The Wild and Lusty Underworld of a Frontier Seaport Town

By: Finn J.D. John

Narrated by: Finn J.D. John

In its youth, Portland, Oregon, was a bit like a rough-and-ready logging camp with a gritty, hard-punching deep-water port. Lusty lads dallied with hard-eyed beauties in dark alleys, and captains forked over “blood money” to buy men for their crews from shanghai operators. From the seedy waterfront to the notorious North End, Portland's sin sector offered vices packaged in pint glasses and perfumed corsets. Establishments like Nancy Boggs's floating bordello and city police chief James Lappeus's Oro Fino Saloon beckoned to the city's wastrels and grifters, votes could be bought for the price of a pint and opium flowed freely into the city with the help of friendly port officials. Join Finn J.D. John of the “Offbeat Oregon” column as he reveals the roughest, most colorful era of Portland history, when the Rose City developed an international reputation for violence and lawlessness.

©2012 Finn J.D. John (P)2014 Finn J.D. John

Great history!

If you're a fan of the Offbeat Oregon History podcast, this is a great collection of some of the more interesting stories all in one place.

Great Narrator/ Author / Historian

loved the long form narrative as an avid podcast listener. i would recommend this read to anyone i come across.

Polished & Pleasing

The narrator, and author, is a polished performer and solid researcher. Altogether enjoyable, would immediately recommend it to anyone interested in entertaining history in general or Portland in specific.

Great Book Great Narration

This book, like the others by Finn JD John is a great work. It's content is beneficially to every Portlander and PNW historian alike.

Excellent as always.

Finn J.D John is a great story teller and Oregon is lucky to have him.