Tucked among the great pioneer destinations on the Oregon Trail is the fertile agricultural area of the Willamette Valley. Today the valley forms the cultural and political heart of Oregon and is home to three-quarters of the state's population. The beginning of the 20th century saw the entrance of Filipinos into the valley, arriving from vegetable farms in California and Washington, fish canneries in Alaska, and from the pineapple and sugar plantations in Hawaii. At the same time, the U.S. territorial government in the Philippines started sponsoring Filipino students, beginning in 1903, to study in the United States. Oregon's two biggest centers of education, today's University of Oregon in Eugene and Oregon State University in Corvallis, became home to Filipinos from the emerging independent Philippine nation. They were mostly male, the children of wealthy Filipinos who had connections. Most of them returned to the Philippines upon graduation; some stayed and created a new life in America.

Speaking for the River is the first book-length study of Willamette River clean-up efforts from the 1920s through the 1970s. These efforts centered on a struggle between abatement advocates and the two primary polluters in the watershed, the City of Portland and the pulp and paper industry.

Located between the population centers of Portland and Eugene, Oregon's Willamette Valley boasts rich opportunities for outdoor recreation that are too often overlooked. Wild in the Willamette is a guidebook to the natural treasures of the mid-Willamette Valley, extending far beyond the familiar I-5 corridor. Sprinkled with natural history sidebars and infused with essays by notable local authors, it aims to connect residents and visitors with the best hiking, biking, and paddling opportunities the mid-Valley offers. With a special focus on seven watersheds--the Marys, Calapooia, South Santiam, North Santiam, Luckiamute, Yamhill, and Pudding--as well as the middle portion of the main stem Willamette River, the book describes a range of outings at different levels of challenge. Families with young children, day hikers, long-distance backpackers, kayakers, canoeists, bird watchers, and cyclists alike will find ideas for spending a satisfying afternoon or venturing outside for a multiday trip. Whether choosing a wheelchair-accessible trail, a rugged hike in a wilderness area, a dip in a rocky swimming hole, a paddle on the broad Willamette, or a bike ride through farmland--whether lifetime residents or week-long visitors--outdoor enthusiasts will benefit from detailed notes on the history and ecology of this special place. Armchair travelers will also find reward in the book's literary and natural history offerings. Generously illustrated with maps and keys to the area's many attractions, Wild in the Willamette is an essential guide to the natural wonders of Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley.

After an arduous overland journey, Levi Scott and his son John arrived in Oregon City in November 1844. Scott joined the Jesse Applegate's 1846 expedition seeking a better, safer way through the Cascades to the Willamette Valley. Their new southern route wound through the Umpqua Valley, three mountain ranges, and the Black Rock Desert before meeting the established California Trail. Applegate recruited emigrants and while others went ahead to prepare the road, Scott led the initial wagon train west. He details a harrowing trip. Retracing the trail in 1847 and 1849, he again faced narrow escapes and deadly encounters with Native Americans. Edited and extensively annotated, Scott's unpublished autobiography has become "Wagons to the Willamette." An exceptional contribution to Oregon Trail history, it is the only first-hand account written by someone who not only searched for the southern route but also accompanied its first wagon train.