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
Explore Black History Topics on The Oregon Encyclopedia.
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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 of the Oregon Historical Soc…
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![Black Cowboys in Oregon]()
Black Cowboys in Oregon
The history of African American cowboys in Oregon begins well past the state’s frontier era. There …
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![Black Panthers in Portland]()
Black Panthers in Portland
The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) was founded in October 1966 in Oakland, California, …
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![Black People in Oregon]()
Black People in Oregon
Periodically, newspaper or magazine articles appear proclaiming amazement at how white the populati…
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![Buffalo Soldiers at Vancouver Barracks]()
Buffalo Soldiers at Vancouver Barracks
For thirteen months beginning in 1899, a company of 103 soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 24th Infantry…
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![Daniel Drew (1843–1923)]()
Daniel Drew (1843–1923)
Daniel Drew was a civic and religious figure in the Willamette Valley from 1901 until his death in …
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![First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church]()
First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
First African Methodist Episcopal Zion is Portland's oldest African American church. Founded in 186…
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![Holmes v. Ford]()
Holmes v. Ford
On April 16, 1852, a former slave named Robin Holmes filed suit against his white former owner, Nat…
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![Janice Scroggins (1955-2014)]()
Janice Scroggins (1955-2014)
It is unusual for musicians to achieve the respect of peers and professional success in more than o…
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![Letitia Carson (1814-1818–1888)]()
Letitia Carson (1814-1818–1888)
Letitia Carson, a nineteenth-century farmer and homesteader, was one of the first Black women to se…
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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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![The Advocate]()
The Advocate
From 1903 until about 1938, the Advocate recorded incidents of racism and discrimination in restaur…
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![Triple Nickles -- 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion]()
Triple Nickles -- 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion
The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the "Triple Nickles" (using the English spelling …
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![William Brown (1828?–1889)]()
William Brown (1828?–1889)
William Brown was a respected and influential citizen in Portland's early Black community. A staunc…
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.
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Oregon TimeWeb
An interactive timeline of archival materials and historical scholarship on the history of Oregon.
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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![Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942–1980)]()
Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942–1980)
Douglas Emlong was a renowned amateur fossil collector on the central O…
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![Herman the Sturgeon]()
Herman the Sturgeon
Herman the Sturgeon is a 10-foot-long, 500-pound white sturgeon who has…
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![Joe Sacco (1960–)]()
Joe Sacco (1960–)
Portland cartoonist Joe Sacco tells personal stories of the victims of …
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![Lewis and Clark National Historical Park]()
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
In late 1805, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived on …
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![North Campus site, Oregon State Hospital]()
North Campus site, Oregon State Hospital
The Oregon State Hospital (originally called the Oregon State Insane As…
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![Sylvia Williams Thompson (1873–1950)]()
Sylvia Williams Thompson (1873–1950)
In January 1920, during a special session called by Governor Ben W. Olc…
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![Terry Porter (1963–)]()
Terry Porter (1963–)
A staple of Oregon’s collegiate and professional basketball history, Te…
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![Vale]()
Vale
The City of Vale is about twelve miles west of the Oregon-Idaho state l…
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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This project has been funded in part by an American Rescue Plan Act Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
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/]()
