McMenamins History Pubs

Photo by Merve Şahin

McMenamins History Pub invites you to explore Oregon and Pacific Northwest history.

Enjoy an evening with local experts, scholars, first-person experiencers and historians who dive into topics from Lewis and Clark to shipwrecks, hop growing to women pioneers and beyond.

McMenamins History Pub is like attending a college lecture with a stiff drink and full menu of tasty food.

Here are the upcoming events.

Upcoming McMenamins History Pub Events

The Search for Chequoss: A Camp from the 1853 Pacific Railroad Survey Expedition

On July 18, 1853, 68 men and 173 horses and mules set out from Fort Vancouver under the command of Army Brevet Captain George B. McClellan to explore the mountain passes of what is now Washington state and find a route suitable for a transcontinental railroad. Using Native American guides, they followed a well-established Indigenous trail across the Cascade Mountains, which ethnographer George Gibbs called the Klickitat Trail. They rested for three days at a camp the local Klickitat Indians called Chequoss.

In this talk, Cheryl Mack describes the efforts to relocate Chequoss, using a combination of archival records, oral history and archaeology.

This event is Monday, August 12, at Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St. in Troutdale.

Tickets are $5 in advance. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Titanic: The Forest Grove Connection

In 1912, The RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic while on the final leg of her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The “unsinkable” luxury liner slid to her watery grave along with 1,500 people. 

While many people are familiar with that fictional movie of love and loss, few have heard the real Titanic love story that began in Forest Grove and ended tragically in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Historian Lisa Casten shares a survivor’s account, presented with historical photographs.

This event is Wednesday, August 14, at the Grand Lodge, 3505 Pacific Ave. in Forest Grove.

Tickets are $5 in advance. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Trees, Landscapes, Climate and What Comes Next

As we endure another season of heat waves and catastrophic wildfires, Professors Vivek Shandas and Joshua Howe discuss the historic and contemporary relationships among Oregon’s trees and climate change.

Oregon’s landscapes have been shaped by many forces. The evolution of trees shaped ancient landscapes, which then were shaped anew through relationships with Indigenous people. During the past two centuries, many of our relationships with trees and forests have been shaped by the social, economic and environmental structures.

This talk is presented by the Oregon Historical Society and World Forestry Center.

This event is Monday, August 26, at Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. in Portland.

Tickets are $5 in advance. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Want more Portland freebies, events and deals? Subscribe to my newsletter (only one email a day), and follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

You may also like:

Hollywood Theatre’s Outdoor Movies in Oregon State Parks

8 Places to See a Movie for $7 or Less

Discount Day at OMSI