"'Skookum' is the startlingly original narrative rendering of the experiences of a prominent westering family from 1843 to the present. The remarkable story of the Applegate family encompasses many of the predominant themes of the early American West: the overland crossing via the old Oregon Tail in 1843, the quirky restlessness of Applegate men who, after reaching the 'promised land, ' permitted their travel- worn families to rest only for a while,...

"Like two bright-eyed lambs trotting happily off to slaughter, Paul and Maureen Fattig had no idea what was in store when they bought the woebegone old cabin along Sterling Creek in the upper reaches of the beautiful Applegate Valley in southwest Oregon. After being ravaged by fire and vandals, the cabin was occupied by bats and rats, all itching for a fight. But the two childhood sweethearts jumped at the challenge of restoring the old place and...

Fascinating stories about thirty-one events that helped make Oregon what it is today.