The Oregon Encyclopedia

An Authoritative and Free Resource on All Things Oregon

Hispanic Heritage Month

Bracero Program

The Mexican Farm Labor Program, also known as the Bracero Program, was the result of a series of agreements between Mexico and the United States in response to the demand for agricultural …

Buckaroos

Hispanic Heritage Month

Buckaroos

For over a century-and-a-half, buckaroos have done the work on the ranches and rangeland of southeastern Oregon. They are a distinctive brand of the legendary American cowboy who evolved from the vaqueros (a …

Centro Cultural de Washington County

Hispanic Heritage Month

Centro Cultural de Washington County

Centro Cultural de Washington County is an educational and cultural center in Cornelius that offers aid and other services to Latinos. During World War II, many Latino workers came to the region …

Charrería

Hispanic Heritage Month

Charrería

Charrería is a Mexican sport that involves skillful roping, talented horsemanship, and working with cattle. Beginning in 1943, many of the braceros who worked in Oregon established residence in the state, …

Colegio César Chávez

Hispanic Heritage Month

Colegio César Chávez

Colegio César Chávez, located in Mt. Angel in the lower Willamette Valley, was the first four-year accredited Chicano-run college in the United States. The college, which operated from 1973 to 1983, represented the needs …

Eva Castellanoz (1939- )

Hispanic Heritage Month

Eva Castellanoz (1939- )

Eva Castellanoz—traditional artist, curandera (healer), activist, and teacher—is a leading spokesperson for Oregon's Latino community. She received a National Heritage Award in 1989, has been the subject of Oregon and National Public …

Latinos in Oregon (essay)

Hispanic Heritage Month

Latinos in Oregon (essay)

The arrival of Latinos in Oregon began with Spanish explorations in the sixteenth century. In 1542-1543, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, sailing from the port of Navidad in Mexico, reached what is today the …

Milagro Theater

Hispanic Heritage Month

Milagro Theater

The Miracle Theatre Group, known as Milagro, is a premier Latino arts and culture organization in Portland. Milagro means “miracle” in Spanish. When asked to describe the miracle of Milagro, Olga Sánchez, …

Hispanic Heritage Month

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)

Founded in April 1985, the Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (the Northwest Tree-Planters and Farmworkers United) is one of the largest organizations representing Latinas and Latinos in Oregon. Based in Woodburn, …

Susan Castillo (1951-)

Hispanic Heritage Month

Susan Castillo (1951-)

Susan Castillo was the first Latina elected to the Oregon State Legislature and the first to hold statewide elected office as superintendent of public instruction. She was also the last person to …

Valley Migrant League

Hispanic Heritage Month

Valley Migrant League

From 1965 until 1974, the Valley Migrant League (VML) helped Oregon migrant farm workers and former farm workers attain a better life through education and social services. As part of the federal …

Research Categories

The downtown Research Library is closed for renovation, but Oregon history is ALWAYS OPEN on The OE

Researchers WILL HAVE ACCESS to reference services during the renovation; please contact [email protected] with your reference inquiries. Construction is underway to transform the OHS Research Library into a welcoming and fully accessible twenty-first-century space for research, learning, and collaboration. Our library is the heart of everything we do at the Oregon Historical Society. Our exhibits, the scholarship in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, our online Digital History Projects, and the free public programs we offer would not be possible without the invaluable librarians and archivists who safeguard and make accessible the largest collection of Oregon history available anywhere in the world.

To learn more about library services during the renovation, click here

Protest against Emanuel Hospital expansion, 1973

Oregon Protests

With the Portland and state-wide protests in the national news, it is well worth the time to learn about other protest movements in Oregon's history. This page features information on activists and movements for the environment, civil rights, religious freedom, anti-war, and labor reform.

Click here to learn about Oregon protest movements.

Looking for history in All The Places?

The Oregon History Wayfinder is an interactive map that identifies significant places, people, and events in Oregon history. Each point on the map connects to the historical records and scholarship on the Oregon History Project and The Oregon Encyclopedia, two of the digital history sites created by the Oregon Historical Society. The Oregon History Wayfinder is supported in part by the Oregon Heritage Commission.

Click here to get out the map

Welcome to the award-winning Oregon Encyclopedia

Western History Association, Gene Autry Public History Award, 2012.

AASLH American Association of State and Local History, Leadership in History Award, 2011.

NCTE logo National Council of Teachers of English, Multicultural Program Award, 2009.

OHS Digital History Projects

In addition to The Oregon Encyclopedia, the OHS Digital History Projects include the Oregon History Project and Oregon History Wayfinder.

Oregon History Project

Oregon History Wayfinder

The OE is Green!

The Encyclopedia's editorial process is completely paperless. Our authors and editors use a one-of-a-kind online workshop developed by Portland State University. We've published hundreds of authoritative entries on Oregon history and culture without hurting a single Douglas Fir. Donate your green to The OE and keep us—and the trees—growing.

Additional Funding

This project has been funded in part by the Oregon Heritage Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Project Partners

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