ISSUE 29

CRENSHAW AT THE CROSSROADS An ambitious civic project aims to revitalize a historic Black neighborhood— without forgetting its past. THE ELUSIVE HISTORY OF THE OREGON TRAIL Uncovering a chain of destruction that culminated in the tragic killing of 19th-century missionary Narcissa Whitman, the first white woman to complete the overland journey west. THE LAST AND FINAL DEATH OF SMOKEY A bear cub rescued from a 1950 wildfire has become so many things to so many people while remaining a symbol of something far greater—and more tragic—than preventing forest fires. To see what else is in this issue, click here.