Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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September & October: National Hispanic Heritage Month
Learn about the contributions and histories of people of Latin American heritage in Oregon.
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![Bracero Program]()
Bracero Program
The Mexican Farm Labor Program, also known as the Bracero Program, was the result of a series of ag…
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![Buckaroos]()
Buckaroos
For over a century-and-a-half, buckaroos have done the work on the ranches and rangeland of southea…
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![Centro Cultural de Washington County]()
Centro Cultural de Washington County
Centro Cultural de Washington County is an educational and cultural center in Cornelius that offers…
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![Charrería]()
Charrería
Charrería is a Mexican sport that involves skillful roping, talented horsemanship, and working with…
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![Colegio César Chávez]()
Colegio César Chávez
Colegio César Chávez, located in Mt. Angel in the lower Willamette Valley, was the first four-year …
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![Latinos in Oregon]()
Latinos in Oregon
The arrival of Latinos in Oregon began with Spanish explorations in the sixteenth century. In 1542-…
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![Milagro Theatre]()
Milagro Theatre
The Miracle Theatre Group, known as Milagro, is a premier Latino arts and culture organization in P…
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![Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)]()
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)
Founded in April 1985, the Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (the Northwest Tree-Planters an…
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![Valley Migrant League]()
Valley Migrant League
From 1965 until 1974, the Valley Migrant League (VML) helped Oregon migrant farm workers and former…
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![Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center]()
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
The Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center was established in 1975 to provide treatment for Spanish…
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
Chinese History in Oregon
Chinese immigrants were among the first non-Native settlers in Oregon Country.
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![Ah Hee Diggings (Chinese Walls)]()
Ah Hee Diggings (Chinese Walls)
The Ah Hee Diggings, also called the Chinese Walls, are sixty acres of …
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![Baker City Chinatown]()
Baker City Chinatown
For over seven decades, Baker City had an area referred to as Chinatown…
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![Chinese Americans in Oregon]()
Chinese Americans in Oregon
The Pioneer Period, 1850-1860 The Cantonese-Chinese were the first Chi…
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![Chinese Massacre at Deep Creek]()
Chinese Massacre at Deep Creek
Of the many crimes and injustices committed against early Chinese immig…
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![Chinese mining in Oregon]()
Chinese mining in Oregon
The city of Guangzhou (formerly known to Westerners as Canton) is the c…
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![Expulsion of Chinese from Oregon City, 1886]()
Expulsion of Chinese from Oregon City, 1886
On February 22, 1886, approximately forty men gathered in Oregon City a…
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![Hazel Ying Lee (1912-1944)]()
Hazel Ying Lee (1912-1944)
Hazel Ying Lee, who was born and educated in Oregon, was the first Chin…
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![Ing Hay ("Doc Hay") (1862-1952)]()
Ing Hay ("Doc Hay") (1862-1952)
Ing Hay (Wu Yunian), also known as Doc Hay, was a partner of Kam Wah Ch…
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![Kam Wah Chung and Co.]()
Kam Wah Chung and Co.
The Kam Wah Chung and Company (Jin huachang ‘Golden Flower of Prosperit…
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![Lan Su Chinese Garden]()
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Poetically named Garden of Awakening Orchids, Lan Su Yuan, the Portland…
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![Lung On (1863-1940)]()
Lung On (1863-1940)
Lung On (Liang Guanying, also known as Leon) was a partner with Ing Hay…
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![Seid Back (1851–1916)]()
Seid Back (1851–1916)
Seid Back was a Chinese immigrant, merchant, and labor broker whose rep…
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![The Myth of Chinese Tunnels in Pendleton]()
The Myth of Chinese Tunnels in Pendleton
Pendleton is one of several Oregon communities rumored to have undergro…
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![Two Dragon mining camp]()
Two Dragon mining camp
Two Dragon Camp was an isolated, 2.5-acre placer mining camp in the Cam…
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/]()
