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Historians' Roundtable to discuss Vortex I concert
The Advocate
MHCC will hold an Historians' Roundtable panel Oct. 29 to discuss the Vortex I concert held in Oregon in 1970.
It was 40 years ago that thousands of people gathered at McIver State Park, a mile west of Estacada in rural Clackamas County, for a rock concert that now lives in history as Oregon's "Woodstock."
The event was sponsored by the State of Oregon and planned and organized by former Oregon Gov. Tom McCall.
"Many who attended were not aware that Tom McCall had planned this to get the possible radicals out of town," said MHCC psychology instructor Stephanie Cram, who attended the concert.
Vortex I was a week-long rock concert that was held to minimize potentially violent protests predicted to be held in Portland.
The demonstrations, organized by anti-war groups, were intended to protest at the American Legion convention (commemorating veterans) which was scheduled to be held in downtown Portland. But many of the potential protesters abandoned the demonstration when McCall's chief of staff, Ed Westerdahl, convinced the governor to sponsor the concert.
The FBI had estimated that as many as 50,000 protestors might be present at the demonstration.
"Vortex I was largely endorsed by the governor," MHCC history instructor Pat Casey said in an interview Wednesday. "It was a gutsy thing to do," he said.
"The Vietnam War was still much underway and there had been significant anti-war demonstrations that were particularly violent. The fear was that the American Legion would attract a huge anti-war demonstration," said Casey, the main organizer of the Historians' Roundtable.
This fear of violent demonstration was spurred on by the fact that several "radical folks," as Casey put it, such as Jerry Rubin had taken control of several anti-war groups and "thought that the U.S. was so corrupt that you couldn't reform it except through a revolution," said Casey.
Much of the concern that arose was also due to the infamous Kent State University protests earlier the same year, in which four students were killed and nine wounded when the Ohio National Guard fired into the crowd.
"McCall worked with some concert promoters to host a rock concert to lure away the hardcore radical folks from protesting," said Casey.
But the purpose behind sponsoring Vortex I was not the only reason for the controversy.
"There was a fair amount of nudity – many of the nudists skinny dipping in the Clackamas (River). Drugs were plentiful, mainly pot and psychedelics, and a fair amount of drinking," said Cram.
"(McCall) had the state police there to provide security but had them look the other way from the drug use and the nudity and other things that were happening," said Casey.
MHCC economics instructor Ted Scheinman, who was also at the concert, recalled that "the National Guard troops were fairly laid back," he said.
The Historians' Roundtable panel discussion will be Oct. 29 from noon to 12:50 p.m. in AC1267.
Scheinman, Stephanie Cram and MHCC adviser Calvin Walker, were all at the concert and will take part in the discussion.
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