Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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January: Lighthouses
Guiding us into the New Year.
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![Cape Arago Lighthouse]()
Cape Arago Lighthouse
The Cape Arago Lighthouse sits on a small island off Cape Arago, south of the entrance to Coos Bay …
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![Cape Meares Lighthouse]()
Cape Meares Lighthouse
Cape Meares Lighthouse is located atop Cape Meares, a scenic craggy headland about ten miles southw…
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![Coquille River Lighthouse]()
Coquille River Lighthouse
The Coquille River Lighthouse, which is adjacent to the Coquille River, began operation in 1896 and…
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![Desdemona Sands Lighthouse]()
Desdemona Sands Lighthouse
The U.S. Lighthouse Service completed Desdemona Sands Lighthouse in 1902 to replace the demolished …
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![Heceta Head Lighthouse]()
Heceta Head Lighthouse
Heceta Head Lighthouse stands 205 feet above the Pacific Ocean on a bluff carved out of the west si…
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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 official log entry on May 19, 179…
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![Tillamook Rock Lighthouse]()
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse sits on a rock a mile offshore of Tillamook Head in Clatsop County, Orego…
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![Umpqua River Lighthouse]()
Umpqua River Lighthouse
The Umpqua River Lighthouse, Oregon’s first, was built twice. The U.S. Office of Coast Survey…
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![Yaquina Bay Lighthouse]()
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, built in 1871, is the only wooden lighthouse in Oregon and is believed to b…
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![Yaquina Head Lighthouse]()
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
The U.S. Lighthouse Board completed Yaquina Head Lighthouse in 1873 on Yaquina Head, a narrow penin…
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
Black Civil Rights in Oregon
“If democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is a cancer in the body of democracy that must be removed if the health of the nation is to survive.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
No.
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![Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt]()
Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt
The Afro-American Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt, in the collections …
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![Ancer L. Haggerty (1944–)]()
Ancer L. Haggerty (1944–)
Ancer L. Haggerty was the first African American to become a partner in…
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![Avel Gordly (1947-)]()
Avel Gordly (1947-)
In 1996, Avel Louise Gordly became the first African American woman to …
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![Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1889–1974)]()
Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1889–1974)
Beatrice Morrow Cannady was the most noted civil rights activist in ear…
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![DeNorval Unthank (1899-1977)]()
DeNorval Unthank (1899-1977)
In 1929, Portland was a city deeply divided. Its small population of Af…
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![Edwin C. (Bill) Berry (1910–1987)]()
Edwin C. (Bill) Berry (1910–1987)
Bill Berry, a leader in the Urban League for nearly thirty years, was t…
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![George Putnam Riley (1833–1905)]()
George Putnam Riley (1833–1905)
Identified by the Oregonian as the “Fred[erick] Douglass of Oregon,” Ge…
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![Harriet "Hattie" Redmond (1862-1952)]()
Harriet "Hattie" Redmond (1862-1952)
Harriet “Hattie” Redmond was a leader in the long struggle for Oregon w…
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![Mercedes Deiz (1917–2005)]()
Mercedes Deiz (1917–2005)
Mercedes Deiz was a trailblazer in the Oregon legal community. She was …
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![The Advocate]()
The Advocate
From 1903 until about 1938, the Advocate recorded incidents of racism a…
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![Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church]()
Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
The history of the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church of Portland is…
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![William McClendon (1915-1996)]()
William McClendon (1915-1996)
William McClendon was a writer, journalist, intellectual, activist, and…
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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![https://wou.edu/]()
