Oregon (OR).

• Region: Northwest Pacific coast
• Population: 4,240,137 (ranked 27th) (2022 estimate)
• Capital: Salem (pop. 177,487) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Portland (pop. 635,067) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 36
• State nickname: Beaver State
• State motto: Alis volat propriis (She flies with her own wings)
• State flag: Navy blue field with, on one side, coat of arms and legends "State of Oregon" above and "1859" below; gold beaver on other side

Oregon, the "Beaver State," entered the Union on February 14, 1859, as the thirty-third state. It is located in the Pacific Northwest, and its western boundary is the Pacific Ocean. The state's other borders are with Washington (to the north), Idaho (to the west), and California and Nevada (to the south). The great powers of Europe fought for control of Oregon in the early nineteenth century, but American fur traders and settlers helped bring the territory into the Union. The Oregon Trail, starting in Missouri, was the main route westward. The state's main industries include lumber, commercial fishing, and tourism. Visitors come to enjoy Oregon's majestic scenery, such as the Cascade Mountains and Pacific shoreline, as well as the cultural activities of Eugene, Portland, and Salem.

State Name: The origins of Oregon's name are obscure, though theories variously claim that the name is of French Canadian, American Indian, or Spanish origin. According to one theory, "Oregon" derives from oregano, the Spanish name for the local wild sage plant. Another theory holds that it derives from ouragan, French Canadian for "hurricane" or "storm"; the Canadian trappers often called the powerful Columbia River "the River of Storms." Yet another theory holds that the name is a version of "Ouisconsink," the early French spelling of the Wisconsin River.

American poet William Cullen Bryant popularized the name in his 1817 poem "Thanatopsis." In it, he referred to pioneers seeking "Oregon, God's fertile land of plenty." He took this usage from author Captain Jonathan Carver, who in a 1778 report was apparently the first person to use the spelling "Oregon" (referring to the present-day Columbia River). Thirteen years earlier, in 1765, British Major Robert Rogers proposed an expedition to "Ouragon," the lands west of the Mississippi.

Capital:Salem, located in the Willamette Valley, has served as state capital since Oregon entered the Union in 1859. Incorporated in 1851, the city grew out of a Methodist mission established in 1840–41. The name "Salem" comes from the Hebrew word shalom (which means "peace"). Salem became territorial capital in 1851, when the government moved from Oregon City.

Flag: Oregon's state flag is unique, in that it bears a different picture on each side. Each side, however, has a gold design on a navy-blue background. The front side (or "obverse") bears the state seal, while the reverse side bears a picture of the beaver, the state animal. The shield bears a Pacific Ocean sunset and various symbols of Oregon life, including a covered wagon, farming and mining implements, and British and American ships. Thirty-three stars surround the seal; these represent the number of states in 1859, when Oregon joined the Union. Above the seal is an eagle, representing the United States. A banner bears the words "The Union," representing Oregon's Unionist sentiment in the years just before the Civil War. Above the seal are the words "State of Oregon"; below is the statehood date "1859."

Official Symbols

• Flower: Oregon grape
• Bird: Western meadowlark
• Tree: Douglas fir
• Animal: Beaver
• Fish: Chinook salmon
• Song: "Oregon, My Oregon" by J. A. Buchanan and Henry Murtagh

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 4,240,137 (ranked 27th) (2022 estimate)
• Population density: 44.1/sq mi (2020 estimate)
• Urban population: 80.5% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 19.5% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 19.7% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 19.2% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 85.9% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 2.3% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 14.4% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 1.9% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 5.1% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.5% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 4.3% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $37,816 (ranked 18th; 2021 estimate)
• Unemployment: 4.2% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: Historically, American Indian groups in Oregon have included the Cayuse, Klamath, Nez Perce (Nimiipuu), Paiute, Shoshone, Umatilla, and Walla Walla. As elsewhere, Oregon's American Indian tribes spent most of the nineteenth century trying to hold back White settlement. Civil War regiments spent time protecting frontier communities and keeping American Indians on reservations. In 1877, the Nez Perce's efforts to preserve their reservation lands led to pitched battles with the US Army. General Nelson A. Miles defeated the Nez Perce under Chief Joseph, and sent them to a reservation in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

From the mid-nineteenth century until after World War II, the US government sought to assimilate American Indians into White culture. In the 1950s, the government revoked federal recognition of 109 tribes and bands, including 62 in Oregon. Matters improved in the 1970s, when the US government began reestablishing relations with many tribes. As of 2023, there were ten federally recognized tribes in Oregon: Burns Paiute Tribe; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation (Nevada and Oregon); Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; Klamath Tribes; and Coquille Indian Tribe.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 98,379 sq mi (ranked 9th)
• Land area: 95,988 sq mi (97.6% of total area)
• Water area: 2,391 sq mi (2.4% of total area)
• Shoreline: 1,410 miles
• National parks: 5
• Highest point: Mount Hood (11,239 feet)
• Lowest point: Pacific Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 119° F (Pendleton, August 10, 1898; Pelton Dam, June 29, 2021; Moody Farms Agrimet, June 29, 2021)
• Lowest temperature: -54° F (Ukiah; Seneca, February 9, 1933; February 10, 1933)

Topography: Oregon is a study in geographical contrasts, with high mountains and deep rivers. The state is generally divided into seven distinct regions: the coast, Portland (and surrounding area), Mt. Hood and the Gorge, the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Central Oregon, and Eastern Oregon. The western part of the state, which borders the Pacific, has rugged coastline, while the other parts of the state contain steep mountains and deep river valleys. The mountain ranges include the Cascades, the Klamath Mountains, and the Coast Range. The Willamette Valley in central Oregon contains rich farmland as well as numerous rivers. The eastern part of the state contains rugged wilderness which is used for sheep and cattle-raising. The Columbia River, which forms the border with Washington, flows powerfully westward to the Pacific.

Major Lakes

• Applegate Lake
• Crane Prairie Reservoir
• Crater Lake
• Detroit Lake
• Duncan Reservoir
• Lake Billy Chinook
• Lost Creek Lake
• Odell Lake
• Upper Klamath Lake
• Waldo Lake

Major Rivers

• Columbia River
• Deschutes River
• Elk River
• Grande Ronde River
• John Day River
• McKenzie River
• Powder River
• Rogue River
• Snake River
• Umpqua River

State & National Parks: Oregon's parks display the immense natural beauty of the Beaver State's mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests. One of the most unusual of these is Crater Lake National Park—a lake created from an ancient volcanic eruption. Other parts include Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and John Day Fossil Beds National Monuments.

Natural Resources: Oregon's rivers provide the state with immense amounts of hydroelectric power. The Columbia River has been dammed numerous times since the 1930s, including Bonneville Dam in 1938. Other natural resources include timber and the state's rich agricultural lands.

Plants & Animals: Oregon is a land still possessing large tracts of wilderness, including large expanses of pine forest. These provide homes to many wild species, the populations of which are carefully managed by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which permits controlled hunting. Large mammals include bear, pronghorn antelope, elk, and mule deer. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced gray wolves into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming; the wolf population expanded into Oregon by the late 2000s. Fish species include salmon, trout, and steelhead. Off the Oregon coast, gray whales are often found.

Climate: Western Oregon, along the Pacific coast, has a temperate climate because of the warm Pacific winds and plentiful rainfall. The Cascade Mountains prevent these winds and rains from reaching the interior of the state, which has a far drier climate. The average temperature in winter is about 33 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average temperature in summer is near 63 degrees. Winter precipitation averages approximately 11 inches, while summer precipitation averages about 2 inches.

EDUCATION & CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Eastern Oregon University (La Grande)
• Lewis and Clark College (Portland)
• Linfield University (McMinnville)
• Oregon Health & Science University (Portland)
• Oregon State University (Bend, Corvallis, Newport, Portland)
• Pacific University (Eugene, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Woodburn)
• Portland State University (Portland)
• Reed College (Portland)
• Southern Oregon University (Ashland, Medford)
• University of Oregon (Eugene)
• Western Oregon University (Monmouth)
• Willamette University (Salem)

Major Museums

• Favell Museum (Klamath Falls)
• Fort Klamath Museum (Klamath Falls)
• High Desert Museum (Bend)
• Horner Collection, Benton County Historical Society Museum (Philomath)
• Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon (Eugene)
• Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon (Eugene)
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland)
• Portland Art Museum (Portland)

Major Libraries

• Davies Family Research Library, Oregon Historical Society (Portland)
• Knight Library, University of Oregon (Eugene)
• Multnomah County Library (Portland)
• Oregon State Library (Salem)
• Rex Arragon Library, Portland Art Museum (Portland)
• Southern Oregon Historical Society Research Library (Medford)
• Valley Library, Oregon State University (Corvallis)
• Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library, University of Portland (Portland)

Media

Oregon has major print and broadcast news markets in Portland and Eugene. Salem, the state capital, is a relatively small city. Portland possesses several dailies, including the Oregonian and the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce. Eugene's daily newspaper is the Register-Guard. Salem, the state capital, receives daily news from the Statesman Journal. Major weekly newspapers include the Portland Observer, and the Capital Press (Salem).

Broadcasting stations are heavily concentrated in Portland, Eugene, and Medford/Klamath Falls, with a few stations elsewhere. The state is also served by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 299,125.5 (ranked 24th) (2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 3.0%

Major Industries: Oregon has strong manufacturing, business and professional services, and agricultural sectors, as well as a large tourism industry. According to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2022, the financial sector, government, and professional and business services were among the leading contributors to state GDP. The presence of cheap hydroelectric power, from dams such as Bonneville, has fueled the state's industrial growth. Important manufactures include wood products (including paper), machinery, chemicals, food processing, and metal products. Agriculture focuses both on food crops and livestock. Tourism is another important economic sector.

Tourism: Tourism is one of the state's most important industries. According to the state tourism commission, it was valued at $10.9 billion in 2021. Many visitors come to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Oregon wilderness, at sites such as Crater Lake National Park or Columbia River Gorge. Popular urban attractions include professional sports and performing arts in Portland.

Energy Production: Oregon obtains much of its electric power from dams on the Columbia and other rivers. Secondary sources are other renewable sources and natural gas. There are no nuclear power plants. The state has no petroleum reserves or major pipelines. By state law, most gasoline stations do not permit customers to pump their own gas.

Agriculture: Oregon is a major agricultural state, ranking as the nation's top grower of many kinds of berries and grasses. For example, according to the state farm bureau, Oregon is a main US producer of hazelnuts (filberts), blackberries, and boysenberries. The state is also a major producer of ryegrass and orchardgrass seed. Other major crops include wheat, hay, pears, potatoes, and apples.

Airports: Portland International Airport is the state's major air hub, and serves southwestern Washington as well as the Portland area. The Eugene Airport (also known as Mahlon Sweet Field) is a regional facility providing commercial service to central Oregon.

Seaports: Oregon, which possesses numerous rivers and much waterborne traffic, has more than twenty public ports. These include the Ports of Astoria, Coos Bay, Portland, Siuslaw, the Dalles, and Umpqua. The port authorities are municipal corporations, which are created but not operated by the state government. The port of Portland is among the nation's fifty largest ports.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Tina Kotek (Democrat)
• Present constitution date: February 14, 1859
• Electoral votes: 8
• Number of counties: 36
• Violent crime rate: 291.9 (per 100,000 residents) (2020 estimate)
• Death penalty: Yes

Constitution: Oregon's constitution was adopted in 1857, two years before statehood. It has been amended since then, often to increase public participation in government. Amendments include adoption of initiative and referendum (1902), recall of public officials (1908), and removal of clauses against Black Americans (1926).

Branches of Government

Executive: Oregon's highest executive is the governor, who is elected to a four-year term. Duties include overseeing activities of the executive agencies, proposing and vetoing legislation, and serving as the commander-in-chief of the state military forces. The other constitutional officers are the secretary of state, the treasurer, the attorney general, and the commissioner of labor and industries.

Legislative: The Oregon legislature has two houses: the Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate, or upper chamber, has thirty members who are elected for four-year terms. The House, or lower chamber, has sixty members who are elected to serve two-year terms. The legislature meets every other year, beginning in January and usually for six months; there is, however, no official limit on how long sessions can run.

Judicial: Oregon has four levels of courts. The Supreme Court, the state's highest court, is the court of last resort and also hears cases involving constitutional issues. The high court has seven justices, who are elected to six-year terms. Beneath the Supreme Court is the Court of Appeals, which has original jurisdiction at the appellate level. The Circuit Courts have original jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. The Tax Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving tax law.

HISTORY

1543 Spanish explorer Bartolome Ferrelo apparently reaches the southwestern coast of Oregon, near the Rogue River.

1579 English explorer Sir Francis Drake reputedly visits Oregon during his around-the-world voyage.

1765 Oregon first appears as a geographic expression, referring to the lands west of the Mississippi. Major Robert Rogers refers to "Ouragon" in a petition to the British Government to authorize an expedition to the western lands.

1774–79 Three separate Spanish expeditions explore the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The first was the 1774 voyage of Capt. Juan Perez in the Santiago.

1778 Famed explorer Captain James Cook of the Royal Navy lands on the Oregon coast, at Cape Foulweather. He begins trading with American Indians along the coast of Oregon. After reading Cook's reports, Europeans and Americans become interested in the possibilities of trade there, especially the fur trade. That same year, Captain Jonathan Carver refers in a book to the "Oregon River." This is the first use of the current spelling of Oregon.

1792 Robert Gray, captain of the American ship Columbia Rediviva, enters the Columbia River and names the river after his vessel. At the same time, British Captain George Vancouver enters the Columbia on a separate voyage of exploration.

1803 The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.

1804–06 US president Thomas Jefferson authorizes the "Corps of Discovery" under Lewis and Clark to explore the new western lands. Lewis and Clark depart from St. Louis in 1804, reaching the Oregon coast in 1805. There, they establish Fort Clatsop, near the site of present-day Astoria. On their way to the coast, they explore parts of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. They return to the United States in 1806.

1811 The fur-trading post Fort Astoria is created by the Pacific Fur Company. The firm, created by American financier John Jacob Astor, establishes other trading posts along the Columbia River. That same year, British explorer David Thompson completes the first survey of the Columbia River. He begins his expedition from Canada.

1812 Explorers discover Wyoming's South Pass. This later becomes part of the Oregon Trail.

1813 The British-owned North West Company purchases Fort Astoria from the Pacific Fur Company, renaming the post Fort George. In 1814, Jane Barnes, the first English woman in the region, arrives at Fort George.

1818 After years of diplomatic battles, the United States and Great Britain agree to "joint occupancy" of Oregon. In 1827, this status is extended indefinitely. The two nations continue to dispute the limits of Oregon's northern border. The British want the line drawn at the Columbia River, the limit of most American settlement. The Americans want the line at 54 degrees 40 minutes latitude. The issue is not settled until the Polk Administration in the mid-1840s.

1819 The United States and Spain sign the Adams-Onis Treaty, officially known as the "Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty." Under the terms, Spain cedes to the United States its rights to land discovered north of the 42nd parallel of latitude. The treaty is signed by US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and Spanish envoy Don Luis De Onis, Gonzales, Lopez y Vara.

1821 The British-owned Hudson's Bay Company takes over the North West Company, thereby gaining a larger share of the fur trade.

1824 The United States signs an agreement with Russia, marking the 50th parallel, as the southern border of Russian control in the Pacific Northwest.

1825 Britain constructs Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River.

1829 The Hudson's Bay Company establishes a British land claim at Willamette Falls. This location later develops into Oregon City.

1836 Steamship service begins along the Columbia River, when the Hudson's Bay Company introduces the steamship Beaver.

1840–41 Methodist missionaries found a mission on the future site of Salem. The following year, they found the "Oregon Institute" as an American Indian school. This institution is one of the precursors of Willamette University.

1843 Oregon experiences the first large wave of migration, with around nine hundred people arriving overland via the Oregon Trail. That same year, settlers begin establishing a provisional government and write to Congress to become part of the United States.

1844 During the US presidential campaign, the northern border of Oregon is a major campaign issue. Democratic candidate James K. Polk uses the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight"—showing that he wants the US control over Oregon to extend to latitude 54.40 degrees north. Following Polk's election, however, the Senate convinces him to accept Britain's offer of setting the border at the 49th parallel.

1845 Oregon experiences another large wave of immigrants, as approximately three thousand people arrive via the Oregon Trail. That same year, settlers establish a provisional government and the city of Portland is established.

1846 The United States signs the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain, affirming American sovereignty over the Pacific Northwest. The United States organizes the region as the Oregon Territory. That same year, the Applegate brothers blaze the Applegate Trail as a safer route to the Oregon Country. The trail, which runs from Humboldt, Nevada to Dallas, Oregon, avoids the dangerous Columbia River rapids.

1847 The Cayuse Indian War takes place between the Cayuse tribe and White settlers.

1848 Congress passes the Oregon "Organic Act," which creates the Oregon Territory. Originally, the territory also encompasses the later states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. That same year, gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill, California; this leads to even greater westward migration.

1849 Joseph Lane, the first territorial governor, takes office.

1850 The Oregon Donation Land Act is passed by Congress. The measure provides free land to people who settle the Oregon Territory.

1853 Three gold prospectors (John Wesley Hillman, Henry Klippel, and Isaac Skeeters) become the first White men to discover Crater Lake. The mountain lake, sacred to American Indian tribes such as the Klamath, had previously been kept from White discovery. The prospectors initially call it "Deep Blue Lake," from the color of the water.

1855 The Nez Perce sign a treaty with the US government, which establishes a reservation in northeastern Oregon.

1856 The Oregon Territorial Legislature charters Monmouth University. This marks the beginnings of publicly-sponsored higher education in the territory.

1859Oregon enters the Union on February 14, as the thirty-third state.

1861–65 The Civil War. Oregon provides the Union war effort with two regiments: one cavalry and one infantry. These troops spend the war protecting settlers and miners against American Indian attacks, and ensuring that American Indians remain on their reservations. The units' area of operations include not only Oregon, but also the Washington and Idaho Territories.

1862 Congress passes the Homestead Act, providing free federal land to people willing to settle the West.

1868 The Oregon legislature establishes the land-grant Agricultural College of the State of Oregon, under the provisions of the federal Morrill Act of 1862. The school is located at Corvallis College, founded in 1858 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as a private academy.

1870s–80s Many Chinese immigrate to Oregon to work in the canneries and on the railroads. Intense discrimination and laws against Chinese immigration limit their numbers, however, by the late 1880s.

1872 The legislature establishes the University of the State of Oregon in Eugene.

1877 The medical program at Willamette University moves to Portland. In 1887, this becomes part of the University of Oregon. Encroaching White settlement on reservation lands leads to the Nez Perce War. The Nez Perce under Chief Joseph fight a losing war against the US Army. The chief finally surrenders in Montana to General Nelson A. Miles, and he and his tribe are deported to the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

1878 Women gain the right to vote in school elections.

1880s–90s Oregon farmers and industrial workers become increasingly frustrated with big-business interests. This leads to the rise of agrarian organizations such as the Grange and labor organizations such as the Knights of Labor. The Populist Party is unable to win control of state government, but strongly influences the dominant Democratic Party.

1885 Chief Joseph and his remaining Nez Perce are permitted to return to the Pacific Northwest, and are settled on a reservation in Washington.

1887 Congress passes the General Allotment Act, which divides up tribal lands into individual allotments. This is intended to force American Indians to assimilate into White culture.

1890s Many Japanese immigrants come to Oregon in search of work. Despite discrimination, they establish themselves in occupations such as railroad laborer, farmer, and shopkeeper.

1901–09 President Theodore Roosevelt's administration follows a strong conservation policy, a move that has profound effects in heavily-forested Oregon. In 1905, the US Forest Service begins its work in national forests. In 1907, Roosevelt sets aside millions of additional acres as national forests.

1902 The US government establishes Crater Lake National Park.

1902–13 Oregon begins adopting statutes and constitutional amendments intended to increase public participation in government. These include adoption of initiative and referendum (1902), direct primaries (1904), home rule for cities (1906), indictment by grand jury (1906), and women's suffrage (1912), and presidential-preference primaries (1913).

1904 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce dies in exile in Washington State. He spent his last years seeking justice for his people. Twice he had gone to Washington to ask President Theodore Roosevelt to help the tribes.

1909 Congress passes the Enlarged Homestead Act to encourage western settlement.

1910 A school of education is established at the University of Oregon.

1911 The state establishes the state Department of Forestry.

1914-18 World War I. Many Oregon residents enlist in the Armed Forces.

1919 Oregon passes the nation's first gasoline tax, in order to fund highway construction.

1923 The state passes the Alien Land Law, to limit foreign residents' ability to own land in Oregon. A second law is passed in 1945.

1924 By act of Congress, American Indians become US citizens. This move affects relations between the tribes and the state government.

1929 The Great Depression hits the nation.

1933 As part of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" domestic agency, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) are established as job programs. Many young people serve with the CCC in Oregon on conservation projects.

1935 The Oregon State Capitol is destroyed by fire. The new capitol is completed in 1939.

1938 Work is completed on the Bonneville Dam.

1941–45 World War II. Oregon is one of the few parts of the United States mainland to see enemy action during the war. In 1942, a Japanese submarine shells Fort Stevens, and a Japanese airplane firebombs the Siskiyou National Forest. Japan also releases incendiary balloons, hoping that they will cause death and damage along the US Pacific coast. In 1945, six state residents die in the explosion of such a balloon.

1949 The Oregon Supreme Court declares the 1923 and 1945 Alien Land Laws to be invalid.

1952 The Constitution is amended to provide equalize legislative representation around the state.

1955 Portland State College, a four-year school, is established by act of the legislature. In 1969, the school is renamed Portland State University.

1956 Congress ends federal recognition for the Klamath tribe.

1958 Republican Mark O. Hatfield, the Oregon Secretary of State, is elected governor. A political science professor at Willamette University who has also served in the state legislature, he serves as governor from 1959 to 1967.

1960 Voters elect their first female state senator, Maurine Neuberger.

1964 The state abolishes capital punishment. The death penalty is reinstated in 1978.

1966 Governor Hatfield is elected to the US Senate as a Republican, and serves from 1967 to 1997.

1974 The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is created by an act of Congress.

1981 Eastern religious leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh establishes the community known as Rajneeshpuram. He is deported in 1985 and fined $400,000.

1986 The Klamath tribe regains its federal recognition.

1991 Barbara Roberts is elected Oregon's first female governor.

1994 The legislature approves the controversial Death with Dignity Act, to permit physician-assisted suicide.

2004 In the November elections, voters deny the expansion of laws relating to medical marijuana usage.

2006 The Supreme Court votes to uphold Oregon’s assisted suicide laws, which allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to the terminally ill. The six-to-three decision opens the door to the creation of similar assisted suicide laws in other states.

2014 Oregon votes to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults.

2019 An executive order signed by the governor provides greater protections for Oregonians who are part of the LGBTQ community, updating a previous order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation by adding a ban on gender identity discrimination as well.

2020 Like other states, Oregon is disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which forces many school and business closures.

2022 The World Athletics Championships are held in the United States for the first time in Eugene, Oregon.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

James Beard, 1903–85 (Portland) , Food expert; author.

Mel Brown, 1944– (Portland) , Jazz musician.

Chief Joseph (b. Hinmaton Yalatkit), c. 1840–1904 (Wallowa Valley) , Nez Perce chief.

Beverly Cleary, 1916–2021 (McMinnville) , Author.

Ashton Eaton, 1988– (Portland) , Athlete; Olympic gold medalist.

Chris Eyre, ca. 1969– (Portland) , Director and producer.

Morris Graves, 1910–2001 (Fox Valley) , Painter.

Matt Groening, 1954– (Portland) , Cartoonist (The Simpsons).

Tonya Harding, 1970– (Portland) , Figure skater; boxer.

Mark Hatfield, 1922–2011 (Dallas) , Governor; US senator.

Phil Knight, 1938– (Portland) , Sports-shoe manufacturer; cofounder of Nike.

Harry Lane, 1855–1917 (Corvallis) , Physician; mayor of Portland; US senator.

Edwin Markham, 1852–1940 (Oregon City) , Poet.

Charles L. McNary, 1874–1944 (Salem) , US senator.

Maurine Brown Neuberger, 1907–2000 (Cloverdale) , US senator; wife of Richard L. Neuberger.

Richard L. Neuberger, 1912–60 (Portland) , Journalist; US senator.

Linus Pauling, 1901–94 (Portland) , Chemist.

Steve Prefontaine, 1951–75 (Coos Bay) , Track athlete.

Jane Powell, 1929–2021 (Portland) , Actor; singer.

John Reed, 1887–1920 (Portland) , Journalist.

Pat Schroeder, 1940–2023 (Portland) , US representative from Colorado.

Doc Severinsen, 1927– (Arlington) , Trumpeter; bandleader.

Esperanza Spalding, 1984– (Portland) , Jazz musician.

Sally Struthers, 1948– (Portland) , Actor.

Richmond Kelly Turner, 1885–1961 (Portland) , Admiral.

TRIVIA

• The historic Oregon Trail served as nineteenth-century pioneer's "interstate highway" to the West. It extended over 1,900 miles from Independence, Missouri, to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Modern Interstate Highway 80 (I-80) runs parallel to much of the trail's route.
• Oregon is the only state in the Union to have a state flag with a separate picture on each side. On the front is the state seal. The reverse bears a picture of a beaver, the state animal.
• Over 95 percent of the nation's hazelnuts ("filberts") are grown in Oregon.
• In 1848, Abraham Lincoln turned down the offer of governorship of the Oregon Territory. The position was offered as a reward for his work in the Whig Party's presidential victory.
• Dr. John McLoughlin, the Hudson's Bay Company representative in Oregon from the 1820s to the 1840s, was designated "Father of Oregon" in 1957 by the State Legislature. He later became a US citizen and remained active in Oregon Territory affairs.
• Crater Lake, in southern Oregon, was created by a volcanic eruption over 6,000 years ago. Held sacred by many American Indian tribes, the lake (now a national park) was not discovered by White settlers until the 1850s.
• In 2019, Oregon became the first state to pass statewide rent control legislation.
• In 2022, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the use and possession of all drugs.

Bibliography

Carey, Charles H. General History of Oregon. 3rd ed., Binford and Mort, 1971.

Clucas, Richard A., et al., editors. Oregon Politics and Government: Progressives versus Conservative Populists. U of Nebraska P, 2005.

"Economic Profile for Oregon." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce, 31 Mar. 2023, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Egan, Timothy. The Good Rain: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest. Knopf, 1990.

"Oregon." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/OR/PST045222. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"Oregon: 2020 Census." United States Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/oregon-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

"Unemployment Rates for States, 2022 Annual Averages." Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 Mar. 2023, www.bls.gov/lau/lastrk22.htm. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"The Value of Tourism." Travel Oregon, Oregon Tourism Commission, 2023, industry.traveloregon.com/resources/tourism-in-oregon/the-value-of-tourism/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Eric Badertscher