Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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February: Black History Month
View our recently published entries on Black History.
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![Charles Ray Jordan (1937–2014)]()
Charles Ray Jordan (1937–2014)
Charles Ray Jordan was a towering figure in Portland history. The first African American to serve 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 Laurinda Jane Smith Beatty (1834–1899)]()
Mary Laurinda Jane Smith Beatty (1834–1899)
Mary Beatty, one of the first Black women west of the Mississippi to advocate publicly for woman su…
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![Matthew Prophet (1930-2022)]()
Matthew Prophet (1930-2022)
On March 19, 1982, the Portland Public School Board met in a regularly scheduled meeting. In attend…
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![Ronald L. Herndon (1946–)]()
Ronald L. Herndon (1946–)
Firebrand. Activist. A modest man. Ron Herndon has been described as all three. A long-time activis…
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![Warren Morton Washington (1936–)]()
Warren Morton Washington (1936–)
A groundbreaking climate scientist, Warren M. Washington has played a major role in the scientific …
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![William “Bill” Lipscomb McCoy (1921–1996)]()
William “Bill” Lipscomb McCoy (1921–1996)
Bill McCoy took his seat in the Oregon House of Representatives in 1972 as the first African Americ…
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
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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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![Dan and Louis Oyster Bar]()
Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
Dan and Louis Oyster Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant that has …
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![Daniela Naomi Molnar (1979–)]()
Daniela Naomi Molnar (1979–)
Oregon artist Daniela Naomi Molnar pioneered the notion that art can sp…
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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 he…
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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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![Gresham Carnegie Library]()
Gresham Carnegie Library
The Gresham Carnegie Library building is one of the finest examples of …
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![Hiroshima Peace Trees]()
Hiroshima Peace Trees
From 2019 through 2022, thirty-four communities in Oregon planted a tot…
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![Jane Powell (1929–2021)]()
Jane Powell (1929–2021)
Portland native Jane Powell was an actress, singer, and dancer in Metro…
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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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![Juliana v. United States]()
Juliana v. United States
Described as the “case of the century” and the “biggest case on the pla…
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![Marbled Murrelet]()
Marbled Murrelet
The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a unique and cryptic…
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![Mill Creek Archaeological Sites (Salem)]()
Mill Creek Archaeological Sites (Salem)
The modern City of Salem occupies a former Kalapuyan townsite known as …
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![Neighborhood House]()
Neighborhood House
Neighborhood House, a settlement house and social services center origi…
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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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![Otto Frederick "Fred" Eckhardt (1926–2015)]()
Otto Frederick "Fred" Eckhardt (1926–2015)
Friends and fans called Fred Eckhardt a muse, an icon, a founding fathe…
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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 …
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![Pleistocene Pluvial Lakes]()
Pleistocene Pluvial Lakes
During the Last Glacial Maximum, from about 24,000 to about 18,000 year…
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![Portland Symphonic Girlchoir]()
Portland Symphonic Girlchoir
The Portland Symphonic Girlchoir, the city’s first public choir for gir…
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![Reuse and Restore Movement in Portland]()
Reuse and Restore Movement in Portland
The repurposing and reuse of buildings in Portland have their roots in …
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![The Beach Patrol in Oregon, U.S. Coast Guard, 1942-1944]()
The Beach Patrol in Oregon, U.S. Coast Guard, 1942-1944
The Beach Patrol in Oregon, which kept watch over the Oregon coastline …
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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…
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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