The Oregon Shanghaiers: Columbia River Crimping from Astoria to Portland (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781540209917)

In the hardscrabble early days of Portland's seaport, shanghaiing" or "crimping" ran rampant. The proprietors of crooked saloons and sailors' boardinghouses coerced unwitting patrons to work on commercial ships. Shanghaiers like James Turk, Bunko Kelley and Billy Smith unashamedly forced men into service and stole the wages of their victims. By the 1890s, these shanghaiers had become powerful enough to influence the politics of Astoria and Portland, charging sea captains outrageous fees for unskilled laborers and shaping maritime trade around a merciless black market. For nearly a century, the exploits of these notorious crimpers have existed mainly in lore. Now historian Barney Blalock offers a lively and meticulously researched account of these colorful and corrupt men, revealing an authentic account of Oregon's malicious maritime legends."

Author: Barney Blalock
ISBN-10: 1540209911
ISBN-13: 9781540209917
Publisher: History Press Library Editions
Language: English
Published: 04/08/2014
Pages: 162
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.44d