This 2016 episode covers the May 30, 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon. What really makes the story more than a historical footnote is how it ties into the racial makeup of both Portland and Oregon at the time.

This 2016 episode covers the May 30, 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon. What really makes the story more than a historical footnote is how it ties into the racial makeup of both Portland and Oregon at the time.

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

SYMHC Classics: Vanport Flood

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ef290c3d-fafb-4a5a-a43e-b457003fd73c/transcript

Holly talks about the agreement known as the Pact of the Catacombs and recent developments related to it. There's then discussion of Daguerre's Legion of Honor medal.

Holly talks about the agreement known as the Pact of the Catacombs and recent developments related to it. There's then discussion of Daguerre's Legion of Honor medal.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Pacts and Facts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9c506687-1d40-4e06-8ab6-b47401485ef6/transcript

On September 16, 1890, Louis Le Prince vanished. He was never seen or heard from again. While that is the most well-known thing about him, he had a whole life before that which involved some very intriguing things.

Research:
“Amongst the persons …” The Leeds Mercury. August 2, 1870. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390297596/?match=1&terms=%22Louis%20Le Prince%22
Atreyee Gupta. “The Disappearance of Louis Le Prince.” Materials Today. Volume 11, Issues 7–8. 2008. Page 56, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1369-7021(08)70160-3.
Aulas, Jean-Jacques and Jacques Pfend. “Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, inventeur et artiste, précurseur du cinéma.” 1895. Vol. 32. 2000. https://doi.org/10.4000/1895.110
Britannica Editors. "Étienne-Jules Marey". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Etienne-Jules-Marey
Casey, Keiron. “The mystery of Louis Le Prince, the father of cinematography.” Science + Media Museum. Aug. 29, 2013. https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/louis-le-prince-created-the-first-ever-moving-pictures/
“CINEMATOGRAPHY Pioneers of Early Cinema: Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (1841-1890?).” National Media Museum. https://www.meiermovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PioneersOfEarlyCinemaLouisLe Prince.pdf
“First Surviving Film.” Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-surviving-film
Fischer, Paul. “The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies.” Simon & Schuster. 2022.
“Hannibal Goodwin.” National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/inductees/hannibal-goodwin
Kelley, Peter. “Louis A. A. Le Prince and the Whitley Family.” Oak Leaves. Oakwood and District Historical Society. Summer 2002. https://www.oakwoodchurch.info/Oak%20Leaves%20Part%203%20-%20Louis%20A%20A%20Le%20Prince%20and%20the%20Whitley%20Family%20by%20Peter%20Kelley.pdf
Le Prince, A. “METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMATED PICTURES OF NATURAL SCENERY AND LIFE.” U.S. Patent Office. Jan. 10, 1888. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/26/13/3c/c0bd20490abc9b/US376247.pdf
Lewis, Maria. “The tragedy of Louis Le Prince.” ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image). https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/tragedy-louis-le-prince/
“The Life, Mystery and Legacy of Louis Le Prince.” Leeds Museums & Galleries. https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/blog-life-mystery-and-legacy-of-louis-le-prince-fylq
Marey, Etienne-Jules. “Chronophotographic gun.” Google Arts and Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/chronophotographic-gun-%C3%89tienne-jules-marey-otto-lund/KAFgqcxSaDadqw?hl=en
“New research centre honours father of film.” The Reporter. University of Leeds. May 19, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20120205020340/http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/490/s6.htm
“PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT NITROBENZENE.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp140-c1-b.pdf
Rawlence, Christopher. “The Missing Reel: the untold story of the lost inventor of moving pictures.” New York : Atheneum : Maxwell Macmillan International. 1990. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/missingreeluntol0000rawl/mode/1up
“Single-lens Cine Camera by Louis Le Prince.” Science Museum Group. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co18634/le-prince-single-lens-cine-camera-cine-camera-cinematograph
Swift, John. "Siege of Paris". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Siege-of-Paris-1870-1871
Britannica Editors. "Franco-German War". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War
Youngs, Ian. “Louis Le Prince, who shot the world's first film in Leeds.” BBC. June 23, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33198686

On September 16, 1890, Louis Le Prince vanished. He was never seen or heard from again.&nbsp;While that is the most well-known thing about him, he had a whole life before that which involved some very intriguing things.
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;Amongst the persons &hellip;&rdquo; The Leeds Mercury. August 2, 1870. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390297596/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Louis%20Le Prince%22</li>
<li>Atreyee Gupta. &ldquo;The Disappearance of Louis Le Prince.&rdquo; Materials Today. Volume 11, Issues 7&ndash;8. 2008. Page 56, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1369-7021(08)70160-3.</li>
<li>Aulas, Jean-Jacques and Jacques&nbsp;Pfend. &ldquo;Louis Aim&eacute; Augustin Le Prince, inventeur et artiste, pr&eacute;curseur du cin&eacute;ma.&rdquo;&nbsp;1895. Vol. 32. 2000. https://doi.org/10.4000/1895.110</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "&Eacute;tienne-Jules Marey".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Etienne-Jules-Marey</li>
<li>Casey, Keiron. &ldquo;The mystery of Louis Le Prince, the father of cinematography.&rdquo; Science + Media Museum. Aug. 29, 2013. https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/louis-le-prince-created-the-first-ever-moving-pictures/</li>
<li>&ldquo;CINEMATOGRAPHY Pioneers of Early Cinema: Louis Aim&eacute; Augustin Le Prince (1841-1890?).&rdquo; National Media Museum. https://www.meiermovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PioneersOfEarlyCinemaLouisLe Prince.pdf</li>
<li>&ldquo;First Surviving Film.&rdquo; Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-surviving-film</li>
<li>Fischer, Paul. &ldquo;The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies.&rdquo; Simon &amp; Schuster. 2022.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Hannibal Goodwin.&rdquo; National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/inductees/hannibal-goodwin</li>
<li>Kelley, Peter. &ldquo;Louis A. A. Le Prince and the Whitley Family.&rdquo; Oak Leaves. Oakwood and District Historical Society. Summer 2002. https://www.oakwoodchurch.info/Oak%20Leaves%20Part%203%20-%20Louis%20A%20A%20Le%20Prince%20and%20the%20Whitley%20Family%20by%20Peter%20Kelley.pdf</li>
<li>Le Prince, A. &ldquo;METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMATED PICTURES OF NATURAL SCENERY AND LIFE.&rdquo; U.S. Patent Office. Jan. 10, 1888. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/26/13/3c/c0bd20490abc9b/US376247.pdf</li>
<li>Lewis, Maria. &ldquo;The tragedy of Louis Le Prince.&rdquo; ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image). https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/tragedy-louis-le-prince/</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Life, Mystery and Legacy of Louis Le Prince.&rdquo; Leeds Museums &amp; Galleries. https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/blog-life-mystery-and-legacy-of-louis-le-prince-fylq</li>
<li>Marey, Etienne-Jules. &ldquo;Chronophotographic gun.&rdquo; Google Arts and Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/chronophotographic-gun-%C3%89tienne-jules-marey-otto-lund/KAFgqcxSaDadqw?hl=en</li>
<li>&ldquo;New research centre honours father of film.&rdquo; The Reporter. University of Leeds. May 19, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20120205020340/http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/490/s6.htm</li>
<li>&ldquo;PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT NITROBENZENE.&rdquo; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp140-c1-b.pdf</li>
<li>Rawlence, Christopher. &ldquo;The Missing Reel: the untold story of the lost inventor of moving pictures.&rdquo; New York : Atheneum : Maxwell Macmillan International. 1990. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/missingreeluntol0000rawl/mode/1up</li>
<li>&ldquo;Single-lens Cine Camera by Louis Le Prince.&rdquo; Science Museum Group. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co18634/le-prince-single-lens-cine-camera-cine-camera-cinematograph</li>
<li>Swift, John. "Siege of Paris".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Siege-of-Paris-1870-1871</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Franco-German War".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War</li>
<li>Youngs, Ian. &ldquo;Louis Le Prince, who shot the world's first film in Leeds.&rdquo; BBC. June 23, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33198686</li>
</ul>

On September 16, 1890, Louis Le Prince vanished. He was never seen or heard from again. While that is the most well-known thing about him, he had a whole life before that which involved some very intriguing things.

Louis Le Prince, the Missing Inventor of Motion Pictures

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/46415418-ce4f-4c13-b0c9-b473007f56a6/transcript

The story of the Roman catacombs is vastly different than that of the catacombs of Paris, as Rome’s are much older and were created for very different reasons.

Research:
Bonello, Giovanni. “Charting the enigmatic life of Antonio Bosio.” Times of Malta. Dec. 6, 2014. https://timesofmalta.com/article/Charting-the-enigmatic-life-of-Antonio-Bosio.547468
Bonello, Giovanni. “How Antonio Bosio Became famous Worldwide.” Times of Malta. Dec. 13, 2014. https://timesofmalta.com/article/How-Antonio-Bosio-became-famous-worldwide.548393
Bosio, Antonio. “Roma sotteranea.” 1650. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=zCXXSKqq3nQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false
Britannica Editors. "Edict of Milan". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Aug. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Edict-of-Milan
Britannica Editors. "First Jewish Revolt". Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Jewish-Revolt
Britannica Editors. "Law of the Twelve Tables". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Law-of-the-Twelve-Tables
“The Catacombs of Rome.” The Atlantic Monthly. March 1858. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1858/03/the-catacombs-of-rome/627225/
Coleman-Norton, Paul R. “The Twelve Tables.” 2024 (eBook). https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14783/pg14783-images.html
“Diocletianic Persecution.” Ebsco. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/diocletianic-persecution
“Jews in Roman Times.” The Roman Empire. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/jews.html
Lamberton, Clark D. “The Development of Christian Symbolism as Illustrated in Roman Catacomb Painting.” American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 15, no. 4, 1911, pp. 507–22. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/497187
Munro, Dana Carleton et al. “Translations and reprints from the original sources of European history : series for 1897.” University of Pennsylvania. 1898. https://archive.org/details/translationsrepr00munr/page/n3/mode/2up
Northcote, James Spencer. “The Roman Catacombs.” Sophia Institute Press. 2017. (Reprint)
Northcote, James Spencer. ““The Roman Catacombs; or Some Accounts of the Burial Places of the Early Christians in Rome.” Philadelphia. Peter F. Cunningham. 1857. (Reprint)
Osborne, J. “The Roman Catacombs in the Middle Ages.” Papers of the British School at Rome , 1985, Vol. 53 (1985), pp. 278-328. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40310821
Perrottet, Tony. “Explore Rome’s Hidden Underworld, Where a City Lurks Beneath a City.” Smithsonian. April/May 2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/explore-romes-hidden-underworld-city-beneath-city-180986228/
“PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR SACRED ARCHAEOLOGY – Historical Notes.” Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/archeo/inglese/documents/rc_com_archeo_doc_20011010_cenni_en.html
Richter, J. P. “Early Christian Art in the Roman Catacombs.” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, vol. 6, no. 22, 1905, pp. 286–262. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/856226
“The Roman Catacombs.” Architecture. April 20, 1888. No. 414, p. 224. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433084078983&seq=414&q1=catacombs
“The Roman Catacombs.” Scientific American, vol. 58, no. 20, 1888, pp. 312–312. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26094597
Rossi, Giovannie Battista de, et all. “Roma sotterranea : or, Some account of the Roman catacombs, especially of the cemetery of San Callisto ; comp. from the works of Commendatore de Rossi with the consent of the author.” Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer. London. 1869. https://archive.org/details/a606740800rossuoft/a606740800rossuoft/page/6/mode/2up
RUTGERS, LEONARD VICTOR, and לאונרד רוטגרס. “הקטקומבות היהודיות ברומא: הערכה מחודשת / THE JEWISH CATACOMBS OF ROME RECONSIDERED.” Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies / דבריהקונגרסהעולמילמדעיהיהדות, י, 1989, pp. 29–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23535611
Terry, Andrea, and John Osborne. “Un Canadien Errant: Charles Smeaton and the Earliest Photographs of the Roman Catacombs.” RACAR: Revue d’art Canadienne / Canadian Art Review, vol. 32, no. 1/2, 2007, pp. 94–106. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42630755
Yeomans, Sarah. “City of the Dead.” Archaeology, vol. 61, no. 4, 2008, pp. 55–62. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41780388

The story of the Roman catacombs is vastly different than that of the catacombs of Paris, as Rome&rsquo;s are much older and were created for very different reasons.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Bonello, Giovanni. &ldquo;Charting the enigmatic life of Antonio Bosio.&rdquo; Times of Malta. Dec. 6, 2014. https://timesofmalta.com/article/Charting-the-enigmatic-life-of-Antonio-Bosio.547468</li>
<li>Bonello, Giovanni. &ldquo;How Antonio Bosio Became famous Worldwide.&rdquo; Times of Malta. Dec. 13, 2014. https://timesofmalta.com/article/How-Antonio-Bosio-became-famous-worldwide.548393</li>
<li>Bosio, Antonio. &ldquo;Roma sotteranea.&rdquo; 1650. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=zCXXSKqq3nQC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Edict of Milan".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Aug. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Edict-of-Milan</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "First Jewish Revolt".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Jewish-Revolt</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Law of the Twelve Tables".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Law-of-the-Twelve-Tables</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Catacombs of Rome.&rdquo; The Atlantic Monthly. March 1858. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1858/03/the-catacombs-of-rome/627225/</li>
<li>Coleman-Norton, Paul R. &ldquo;The Twelve Tables.&rdquo; 2024 (eBook). https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14783/pg14783-images.html</li>
<li>&ldquo;Diocletianic Persecution.&rdquo; Ebsco. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/diocletianic-persecution</li>
<li>&ldquo;Jews in Roman Times.&rdquo; The Roman Empire. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/jews.html</li>
<li>Lamberton, Clark D. &ldquo;The Development of Christian Symbolism as Illustrated in Roman Catacomb Painting.&rdquo;&nbsp;American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 15, no. 4, 1911, pp. 507&ndash;22.&nbsp;JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/497187</li>
<li>Munro, Dana Carleton et al. &ldquo;Translations and reprints from the original sources of European history : series for 1897.&rdquo; University of Pennsylvania. 1898. https://archive.org/details/translationsrepr00munr/page/n3/mode/2up</li>
<li>Northcote, James Spencer. &ldquo;The Roman Catacombs.&rdquo; Sophia Institute Press. 2017. (Reprint)</li>
<li>Northcote, James Spencer. &ldquo;&ldquo;The Roman Catacombs; or Some Accounts of the Burial Places of the Early Christians in Rome.&rdquo; Philadelphia. Peter F. Cunningham. 1857. (Reprint)</li>
<li>Osborne, J. &ldquo;The Roman Catacombs in the Middle Ages.&rdquo; Papers of the British School at Rome , 1985, Vol. 53 (1985), pp. 278-328. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40310821</li>
<li>Perrottet, Tony. &ldquo;Explore Rome&rsquo;s Hidden Underworld, Where a City Lurks Beneath a City.&rdquo; Smithsonian. April/May 2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/explore-romes-hidden-underworld-city-beneath-city-180986228/</li>
<li>&ldquo;PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR SACRED ARCHAEOLOGY &ndash; Historical Notes.&rdquo; Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/archeo/inglese/documents/rc_com_archeo_doc_20011010_cenni_en.html</li>
<li>Richter, J. P. &ldquo;Early Christian Art in the Roman Catacombs.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, vol. 6, no. 22, 1905, pp. 286&ndash;262.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/856226</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Roman Catacombs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Architecture. April 20, 1888. No. 414, p. 224. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433084078983&amp;seq=414&amp;q1=catacombs</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Roman Catacombs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Scientific American, vol. 58, no. 20, 1888, pp. 312&ndash;312.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26094597</li>
<li>Rossi, Giovannie Battista de, et all. &ldquo;Roma sotterranea : or, Some account of the Roman catacombs, especially of the cemetery of San Callisto ; comp. from the works of Commendatore de Rossi with the consent of the author.&rdquo; Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer. London. 1869. https://archive.org/details/a606740800rossuoft/a606740800rossuoft/page/6/mode/2up</li>
<li>RUTGERS, LEONARD VICTOR, and לאונרד רוטגרס. &ldquo;הקטקומבות היהודיות ברומא: הערכה מחודשת / THE JEWISH CATACOMBS OF ROME RECONSIDERED.&rdquo;&nbsp;Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies / דברי הקונגרס העולמי למדעי היהדות, י, 1989, pp. 29&ndash;36.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23535611</li>
<li>Terry, Andrea, and John Osborne. &ldquo;Un Canadien Errant: Charles Smeaton and the Earliest Photographs of the Roman Catacombs.&rdquo;&nbsp;RACAR: Revue d&rsquo;art Canadienne / Canadian Art Review, vol. 32, no. 1/2, 2007, pp. 94&ndash;106.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42630755</li>
<li>Yeomans, Sarah. &ldquo;City of the Dead.&rdquo;&nbsp;Archaeology, vol. 61, no. 4, 2008, pp. 55&ndash;62.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41780388</li>
</ul>

The story of the Roman catacombs is vastly different than that of the catacombs of Paris, as Rome’s are much older and were created for very different reasons. 

Catacombs of Rome

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c9f8a494-be54-4271-8e87-b471004d195a/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Vanport Flood

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