Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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April: Jazz Appreciation Month
Explore some of Oregon's jazz composers and performers.
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!["Sweet Baby" James Benton (1930-2016)]()
"Sweet Baby" James Benton (1930-2016)
James Benton has been a singer of jazz, blues, and R&B during two distinct eras in Portland's m…
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![Cleve Williams (1930-2007)]()
Cleve Williams (1930-2007)
Trombonist and singer Cleveland "Cleve" Williams Jr. was an important musician in a jazz scene that…
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![Darrell Grant (1962-)]()
Darrell Grant (1962-)
A pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator, Darrell Grant arrived in Portland in 1997 with a natio…
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![Doc Severinsen (1927- )]()
Doc Severinsen (1927- )
Carl H. "Doc" Severinsen's career began in the 1940s, and more than sixty years later, the famed tr…
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![Esperanza Spalding (1984-)]()
Esperanza Spalding (1984-)
Esperanza Spalding’s fierce talent in double bass and vocal work earned her a Grammy in 2011 …
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![Jim Pepper (1941-1992)]()
Jim Pepper (1941-1992)
Tenor saxophonist Jim Pepper was an internationally recognized and influential jazz musician. He is…
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![Richard “Dick” Bogle (1930–2010)]()
Richard “Dick” Bogle (1930–2010)
Dick Bogle was a multi-talented Oregonian and humanitarian who dedicated his adult life to service …
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![Thara John Memory (1948-2017)]()
Thara John Memory (1948-2017)
Thara John Memory was a trumpet player, composer, educator, and activist in the Portland jazz commu…
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![William McClendon (1915-1996)]()
William McClendon (1915-1996)
William McClendon was a writer, journalist, intellectual, activist, and jazz musician who was a pro…
Feeling adventurous? How Oregonian of you.
Or may we suggest…
Explore OHS Digital History Projects
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Wayfinder
An interactive map of notable places, people, and events in Oregon history.
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Oregon History Project
The Research Library at the Oregon Historical Society provides direct access to digitized and digital materials as well as narratives from Pacific Northwest historians.
The Corner Gallery
Coquille, Czarina, and Kelp Ore: OE entries by author Cameron La Follette
"For 363 miles, you are that land’s edge where rivers meet and feed an ocean, a shoreline studded with dune and tide pool, cliff and lighthouse, its entire wave-swept length open to us all. You are our Pacific Coast." (Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita). We are pleased to feature the work of one our most prolific authors, Cameron La Follette, who is an expert on the cultural history of the Oregon Coast. Check this page monthly to browse through a brief and portable digital history exhibit, open all hours, wine and cheese optional.
No.
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![Brooten Kelp Ore]()
Brooten Kelp Ore
From 1905 until the late 1940s, Brooten Baths was a major economic ente…
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![Cape Arago Lighthouse]()
Cape Arago Lighthouse
The Cape Arago Lighthouse sits on a small island off Cape Arago, south …
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![Cape Lookout]()
Cape Lookout
Cape Lookout, one of the most prominent landmarks on the Oregon Coast, …
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![Cape Meares Lighthouse]()
Cape Meares Lighthouse
Cape Meares Lighthouse is located atop Cape Meares, a scenic craggy hea…
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![Cape Perpetua]()
Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua juts into the Pacific Ocean about two miles south of Yach…
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![Coquille River Lighthouse]()
Coquille River Lighthouse
The Coquille River Lighthouse, which is adjacent to the Coquille River,…
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![Czarina]()
Czarina
The wreck of the Czarina is remembered as a tragedy that had no heroes,…
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![Dan Deuel (1946-2006)]()
Dan Deuel (1946-2006)
Dan Deuel was the founder of Free Flight, an all-volunteer bird and mar…
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![Desdemona Sands Lighthouse]()
Desdemona Sands Lighthouse
The U.S. Lighthouse Service completed Desdemona Sands Lighthouse in 190…
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![Ecola State Park]()
Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park stretches for 1,023 acres from the north end of Cannon…
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![Heceta Head Lighthouse]()
Heceta Head Lighthouse
Heceta Head Lighthouse stands 205 feet above the Pacific Ocean on a blu…
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![Konapee wreck]()
Konapee wreck
The possible wreck of a European ship at Point Adams, on the southern e…
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![Lakeport]()
Lakeport
Lakeport, for a brief time the largest town in Curry County, wa…
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![Neahkahnie Mountain]()
Neahkahnie Mountain
Neahkahnie Mountain, about twenty miles south of Seaside, is a prominen…
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![Oregon Coast Trail]()
Oregon Coast Trail
Winding for 382 miles along the Oregon Coast, the Oregon Coast Trail is…
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![Pixieland]()
Pixieland
Pixieland was a short-lived but popular amusement park on the Oregon Co…
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![Point Adams]()
Point Adams
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River and marking the extreme nort…
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![Point Adams Lighthouse and Life-Saving Station]()
Point Adams Lighthouse and Life-Saving Station
Point Adams was given its name by Captain Robert Gray, who in his offic…
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![Samuel H. Boardman State Park]()
Samuel H. Boardman State Park
The Samuel H. Boardman State Park is a 1,471-acre, 11-mile, linear park…
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![Santo Cristo de Burgos]()
Santo Cristo de Burgos
The Manila Galleon Trade and the Wreck on the Oregon Coast Nehalem-Til…
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![Sea Serpent Lore]()
Sea Serpent Lore
Sea serpent (or monster) lore has been a staple of Oregon’s coast…
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![Silas Bryant Smith (1839-1902)]()
Silas Bryant Smith (1839-1902)
Silas Bryant Smith played a key role in recording the traditions, relig…
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![Sisters Rocks and Frankport]()
Sisters Rocks and Frankport
Sisters Rocks, thirteen miles north of Gold Beach, is a distinctive clu…
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![The Wreck of the Congress (ship)]()
The Wreck of the Congress (ship)
The rescue of all 445 people aboard the burning passenger steamer Congr…
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![The Wreck of the Glenesslin (ship)]()
The Wreck of the Glenesslin (ship)
The 1913 wreck of the Glenesslin is one of Oregon’s most enigmati…
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![Tillamook Rock Lighthouse]()
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse sits on a rock a mile offshore of Tillamook H…
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![Treasure Trove Law]()
Treasure Trove Law
Oregon’s Treasure Trove Act (ORS 273.718-273.742), which lasted f…
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![Umpqua River Lighthouse]()
Umpqua River Lighthouse
The Umpqua River Lighthouse, Oregon’s first, was built twice. The…
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![Whale Cove]()
Whale Cove
Whale Cove is a small, nonnavigable bay in Lincoln County, approximatel…
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![William M. Tugman (1893-1961)]()
William M. Tugman (1893-1961)
William M. Tugman played a major role in the history of Oregon as an ed…
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![Wreck of the General Warren (ship)]()
Wreck of the General Warren (ship)
The highly publicized wreck of the General Warren in January 1852 …
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![Yaquina Bay Lighthouse]()
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, built in 1871, is the only wooden lighthouse in…
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![Yaquina Bay Oyster War]()
Yaquina Bay Oyster War
Yaquina Bay, an estuary on the central Oregon Coast, was once home to t…
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![Yaquina City]()
Yaquina City
Yaquina City was a railroad boomtown on the upper reaches of Yaquina Ba…
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![Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay Lighthouses]()
Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay Lighthouses
Thank you, Cameron, for your thoughtful work on this entry. I appreciat…
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![Yaquina Head Lighthouse]()
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
The U.S. Lighthouse Board completed Yaquina Head Lighthouse in 1873 on …
The OE is Green!
Our editorial process is completely paperless — 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
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This project has been funded in part by the Oregon Heritage Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust
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LSTA Libraries as Community Resources Meetings is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Project Partners
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![https://www.pdx.edu/]()
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![https://oregoncouncilofteachersofenglish.wildapricot.org/]()
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![https://willamette.edu/]()
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