The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful,  the Curious, and the Arcane
“[A] heck of a lot of fun to read…full of photographs that aren’t the usual suspects you see when you pick up a book abut Oregon history.”(The Register-Guard)“Native Oregonians and new web foots alike will find fascinating facts about their state.”(Bloom)The rare photographs alone make this book worth the purchase price and I found myself learning more about Oregon in one sitting than I can ever remember.(Powell's Books Blog)"More than just a coffee-table trophy,The Oregon Companionopens a window onto a distinctly Oregonian version of the past, one that leads (however unexpectedly) into our uncanny Oregonian present."(Willamette Week)"Engeman has proved his mettle as a Pacific Northwest historian and archivist in this tremendous undertaking to coincide with Oregon's sesquicentennial."(News-Review)"If the Smithsonian Institution is America's attic, Engeman dusts off for us a cubbyhole of diversions and souvenirs that, taken together and viewed from a certain angle, create a pointillist portrait rather like a Chuck Close painting … If it will appear different to every reader who picks upThe Oregon Companion—that's no flaw.  It's just life in a random state."(Oregonian)"The book is a handy guide to keep in the car while traveling because of the enticing information of the different sights in Oregon."(Southeast Examiner)"With its succinct entries and well-restored photographs, The Oregon Companion reads more like a riveting narrative—tales of bankers sneaking into Japan on dinghies to teach English to Samurai warriors in the 1800s."(Portland Monthly)"Once I started leafing through the chapters, I just couldn't put it down … Engeman's accessible writing style makes this book an engaging read for young and old alike."(East Oregonian)"This engaging, fact-filled reference book is useful both for newcomers and for forgetful natives."(The Bee)