The West Shore was a literary magazine published in Portland, Oregon, United States from 1875 to 1891. It was founded by Leopold Samuel to promote a positive image of the Pacific Northwest and to encourage economic growth in the region. The magazine was known for publishing excellent articles by well-known authors and for its many high-quality illustrations. As a result, West Shore became one of the most successful publications in the Pacific Northwest. Its finely executed illustrations showed the scenery, architecture, and commerce of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alaska. Today, West Shore illustrations provide a detailed record of the Pacific Northwest as it existed in the second half of the nineteenth century. History West Shore was founded by Leopold Samuel, a German immigrant who settled in Portland in 1871. Shortly after arriving in Portland, Samuel published an Oregon travel guide. Samuel then compiled and published an illustrated directory for the city of Portland. The directory was modestly successful. After publishing three annual editions of the directory, Samuel decided to begin publishing a monthly literary magazine, West Shore. The first edition of the magazine was published in August 1875. In the first issue of West Shore, Samuel announced his goal was to create the best literary journal in the Pacific Northwest by securing contributions from the brightest intellects and writers in the region. Samuel followed through on his promise by publishing poetry by Joaquin Miller, essays by historian Frances Fuller Victor, scientific studies by paleontologist Thomas Condon, and history articles by pioneer Lindsay Applegate and former Governor of Oregon Joseph Lane. George H. Himes, secretary of the Oregon Pioneer Association, was a regular contributor to West Shore. Himes was later a founding member of the Oregon Historical Society and served as the society's curator for twenty-five years. The magazine's original format was an eight-page newspaper layout with four columns of text per page. Its illustrations were stock wood cuts purchased from eastern printing companies or from engravers in San Francisco. Nevertheless, the magazine was very successful. In less than two years, West Shore was being sold in thirty-two states, Canada, England, and Scotland. By 1878, the magazine's circulation was 8,160, the largest of any publication in the Pacific Northwest. In September 1878, the magazine was increased from eight to thirty-two pages and high quality lithographic illustrations were introduced. Over the next few years, stock illustrations were phased