oregon | The Filson Journal

group of loggers in white shirts and overalls standing in forest

Maxville: The Town of Oregon’s African American Loggers

Nestled in the dense forests of Northeast Oregon stood Maxville, a former logging town that granted residence to African American loggers during the state’s exclusionary period, which saw Black people outlawed from the state. Despite the odds, this timber town thrived and prospered amidst adversity to become a boon for Black men and their families to flourish.

5 Min

Profiles

Matt Mendes of Spin the Handle: Chasing Reservation Chrome

Before Matt Mendes guided on the Deschutes River, he drove the Green Monster. It was 2002, and Mendes was 13 years old; the job was his first on the river. The Green Monster, an old Ford F350, nicknamed for its paint job, belonged to his maternal grandfather, Al Bagley, a revered fly-fishing guide and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The tribe governs the 1,019-square-mile Warm Springs Indian Reservation, located in Oregon’s high desert and bound to the east by the Deschutes, one of the country’s premier steelhead and trout destinations. In 1997, Bagley became the tribe’s first fly-fishing guide, capitalizing on its exclusive access to 22-miles of the Deschutes’s west bank, per an 1855 treaty with the United States government. The business was gangbusters from the get-go.

5 Min

collection of rogue canned and bottled beers of different sizes in front of a line of

Field Notes

Rogue’s Brewmaster Joel Shields – What are you drinking?

“As we enter our third week of social isolation nostalgia for simple things like lunch out with coworkers or an afterwork drink at our neighborhood bar is setting in. Times might be a bit crazy right now, but I know that we can get through this together. And luckily for us, there are still delicious beers (and spirits) that you can enjoy right at home.” – Joel Shields

4 Min

Profiles

Sheds, Snow, and Steeps: A First-Timer’s Notes on Shed Hunting

I grew up in the hardwood forests of the southeastern U.S. hunting whitetail deer with my grandfather. Much of what I consider valuable I learned from him, about life and about hunting. As a boy he told me stories of traveling left on the map to chase mule deer and elk in the American West.

16” Redside, Oregon’s native Rainbow Trout in net

Field Notes

Unfailing Dads: Like Father, Like Son

Our fathers have endured many early mornings and painstaking days teaching us how to cast a fly rod, fell a tree, and to safely handle an over-and-under; and we couldn’t be more grateful. With Father’s Day right around the corner, it feels fitting to return the favor and share stories of appreciation for the men

Profiles

Fishing for Hawks: Trapping Raptors with Adam Baz

Adam Baz is a bird biologist, photographer, and outdoorsman based in Portland, OR. His fieldwork studying bird populations takes him throughout the mountains of the west. The photo essay below takes us through a day on the job, trapping hawks on the slopes of Mt. Hood.