Introducing Finn J.D. John:

Finn J.D. John (finnjohn.com or @offbeatoregon on Twitter) is originally from Oregon's north Willamette Valley (Silverton-Molalla area), but went to middle school and high school in Portland during the early 1980s, graduating from Central Catholic High School in Southeast Portland.

Since 2008, Finn, a longtime newspaper reporter and editor, has produced a weekly syndicated column titled "Offbeat Oregon History," which is published in 13 different Oregon community newspapers around the state.

Finn teaches New Media Communications at Oregon State University and is a public historian by avocation. He maintains a website at offbeatoregon.com as both a public-history resource for fellow Oregon history buffs and a laboratory in which to experiment with trans-media franchise building and social media tools. Currently the "Offbeat Oregon History" franchise includes roughly 175 archive columns on the web site; a daily RSS news feed and iTunes podcast feed optimized for smartphone use; an active Facebook page; and a Twitter feed. Future plans include a YouTube channel, along with copious experimentation with Instagram and Pintarest.

Currently, Finn is working on a narrative nonfiction book about ex-president and former Oregonian Herbert Hoover, who, before becoming the most hated president of the twentieth century, saved the entire nation of Belgium from starving to death during World War I.

Finn lives near Albany with his wife, Natalie, and son, Nathaniel, along with two beagles, a black cat and a large and thuggish gang of ever-hungry chickens.

He can be reached by e-mail at finn@wicked-portland.com; on Twitter at @offbeatoregon; or by telephone at the number given at the end of this Offbeat Oregon column:http://www.offbeatoregon.com/o1112a-missing-gold-makes-mystery-shipwreck-sinister.html