Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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March: Women's History Month
View our recently published entries on Women's History.
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![Daniela Naomi Molnar (1979–)]()
Daniela Naomi Molnar (1979–)
Oregon artist Daniela Naomi Molnar pioneered the notion that art can speak to climate change. A for…
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![Ebba Wicks Brown (1914–2006)]()
Ebba Wicks Brown (1914–2006)
Exposed to architectural practice from a young age, Ebba Wicks threw herself into formal training a…
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![Jane Powell (1929–2021)]()
Jane Powell (1929–2021)
Portland native Jane Powell was an actress, singer, and dancer in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals duri…
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![Josephine Martin Plymale (1845–1899)]()
Josephine Martin Plymale (1845–1899)
Josephine Martin Plymale was both a woman of her time and a woman who defied the gender standards o…
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![Mary H. Carr (1823?–1911)]()
Mary H. Carr (1823?–1911)
Mary H. Carr was an enterprising and respected member of Portland's early Black community. Known fo…
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![Mary Szybist (1970–)]()
Mary Szybist (1970–)
“With her intelligence and understated grace,” the Christian Science Monitor wrote, poet and educat…
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![Penny Ledyard Orazetti Harrington (1942–2021)]()
Penny Ledyard Orazetti Harrington (1942–2021)
On January 24, 1985, Penny Ledyard Orazetti Harrington was sworn in as Portland Police Chief, the f…
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![Sahomi Tachibana (1924–)]()
Sahomi Tachibana (1924–)
Sahomi Tachibana is a Japanese American master teacher and performer of Nihonbuyo (traditional Japa…
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![Wilma Froman Sheridan (1926–)]()
Wilma Froman Sheridan (1926–)
Wilma Froman Sheridan was the first woman dean of a school within Portland State University. During…
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.
This Just In
New Entries
"We could see the top of one hill and think that was the last. But when we gained that, others kept rising before us. To look back, in retreat, seemed utterly out of the question. To look forward was to look directly upwards, as the ascent seemed almost perpendicular." Harriet Hitchcock, 13, 1865, Oregon Trail
No. 7
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![Assisted Plant Migration]()
Assisted Plant Migration
Assisted migration is the human-assisted movement of species and popula…
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![Climate Change and the History of Energy in Oregon]()
Climate Change and the History of Energy in Oregon
Unlike in other parts of the country, hydropower is the largest source …
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![Climate Change in Oregon]()
Climate Change in Oregon
Within a few hundred miles in Oregon, you can see snowy volcanoes, parc…
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![Edward Boyce (1862–1941)]()
Edward Boyce (1862–1941)
Before moving to Portland in the early years of the twentieth century, …
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![Edwin R. Bingham (1920–2009)]()
Edwin R. Bingham (1920–2009)
American cultural historian Edwin R. “Bing” Bingham, a longtime and pop…
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![Endangered Klamath suckers]()
Endangered Klamath suckers
Since Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Cha…
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![John Floyd (1783–1837)]()
John Floyd (1783–1837)
During his service in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Floyd of …
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![John Whiteaker (1820–1902)]()
John Whiteaker (1820–1902)
John Whiteaker, a self-educated farmer from Lane County, was elected in…
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![Masuzo Maruyama (1903–1941)]()
Masuzo Maruyama (1903–1941)
Masuzo Maruyama boarded the Iyo Maru in Kobe, Japan, on March 15, 1903,…
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![Ota Tofu]()
Ota Tofu
Ota Tofu, a small storefront in Portland’s east side, is a cultural and…
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![Pacific Northwest–Southwest Intertie]()
Pacific Northwest–Southwest Intertie
No area of the West is isolated from the western electric power supply,…
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![Sahomi Tachibana (1924–)]()
Sahomi Tachibana (1924–)
Sahomi Tachibana is a Japanese American master teacher and performer of…
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![The 2021 Pacific Northwest Heatwave (Heat Dome)]()
The 2021 Pacific Northwest Heatwave (Heat Dome)
A historic heatwave affected Oregon and the greater Pacific Northwest d…
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![William Appleman Williams (1921–1990)]()
William Appleman Williams (1921–1990)
William Appleman Williams was a prominent radical historian and a leadi…
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![William McChord Hurt (1950–2022)]()
William McChord Hurt (1950–2022)
An award-winning film, television, and theater actor, William Hurt had …
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![Wilma Froman Sheridan (1926–)]()
Wilma Froman Sheridan (1926–)
Wilma Froman Sheridan was the first woman dean of a school within Portl…
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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