How the Brother Jonathan became the Titanic of the West Coast episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 15, 2026 · 27 MIN

How the Brother Jonathan became the Titanic of the West Coast

from The Evergreen

The shipwreck of the Brother Jonathan is one of the Pacific Coast's deadliest maritime disasters.   In 1865, the ship crashed into a rock and sank off the coast of Crescent City, California, killing more than 200 people and taking a fortune in gold with it to the ocean floor.    OPB’s Kami Horton takes us on board to understand what happened that day, and learn about the people the ship carried before its demise, from all walks of life and all over the world.    Watch Kami Horton's "Oregon Experience" documentary, The Wreck of the Brother Jonathan.   For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.  

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How the Brother Jonathan became the Titanic of the West Coast

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This episode is 27 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 15, 2026.

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The shipwreck of the Brother Jonathan is one of the Pacific Coast's deadliest maritime disasters.   In 1865, the ship crashed into a rock and sank off the coast of Crescent City, California, killing more than 200 people and taking a fortune in gold...

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